Wang Baoqiang | |||||
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Wang Baoqiang in 2016
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Background information | |||||
Chinese name | 王寶強 (traditional) | ||||
Chinese name | 王宝强 (simplified) | ||||
Pinyin | Wáng Bǎoqiáng (Mandarin) | ||||
Birth name | Wang Yongqiang | ||||
Origin | China | ||||
Born |
Nanhe County, Xingtai, Hebei Province |
29 May 1984 ||||
Occupation | Actor, Singer, Martial Artist | ||||
Years active | 2000–present | ||||
Spouse(s) | Ma Rong (m. 2009; div. 2016) | ||||
Children | 2 | ||||
Ancestry | Xingtai, Hebei | ||||
Awards
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Wang Baoqiang (simplified Chinese: 王宝强; traditional Chinese: 王寶強; pinyin: Wáng Bǎoqiáng; born 29 May 1984) is a Chinese actor. His debut role was that of Yuan Fengming in the movie Blind Shaft, for which he shared the Best New Performer prize at the 2003 Golden Horse Awards with Megan Zheng. The same role also won him the Best Actor prize at the 2003 Deauville Asian Film Festival and 2004 Golden Kinnaree Award (Bangkok International Film Festival).
His international names in other countries are Vương Bảo Cường (Vietnamese), ワン・バオチャン (Japanese), 왕바오창 (Korean)
When Wang Baoqiang was 8 years old, his village showed the movie Shaolin Temple starring Jet Li, which inspired him to become a martial arts star in movies like Jet Li or Jackie Chan. Wang insisted on going to a Shaolin Temple though his family opposed it, in the same year. He trained in Shaolin martial arts. With only 500 RMB (about 70 US dollars) to his name, Wang said goodbye to his family and headed to Beijing at age 14 on his own.
By the front gate of Beijing Film Studio, there are always people queuing to get a job as an extra. Wang joined this queue and got some roles as an extra. During this time he lived in the cheapest accommodation possible (approx. 100RMB pcm) with several other people and walked to the film studio early every morning. On some films he could do extra work for 20 - 25 RMB per day (about 3 dollars). When his 500 RMB collection of savings and pay had nearly run out Wang took a temporary job in the construction fields. He remembers that during Spring Festival Eve one year he even needed to borrow money to buy steamed bread. He recalls this time in Beijing as the most trying period of his career. Recalling the days waiting for a role outside the film studio, Wang said to those still queueing: "This is what I, also, have been through."