Leo Wu

Wu Lei (simplified Chinese: 吴磊; traditional Chinese: 吳磊, born December 26, 1999), also known as Leo Wu, is a Chinese actor. He started appearing in commercials at the age of three. In 2007, he made his acting debut as Nezha in the series The Legend and the Hero. He is known for his supporting roles in Nirvana in Fire (2015) and The Whirlwind Girl (2015) and for his starring roles in Fight Breaks Sphere (2018), Tomb of the Sea (2018), The Long Ballad (2021), and Love like The Galaxy (2022). Wu ranked 63rd on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2017, 29th in 2019 and 47th in 2020.

Early life and education

Wu Lei was born in Shanghai on December 26, 1999 and was raised in Chengdu, Sichuan. In 2018, Wu entered Beijing Film Academy, placing first on the entrance examination.

Career

2002–2013: Beginnings

Wu Lei was scouted when he was 3. Thereafter, he appeared in the commercial of Chinese dietary supplement brand Huang Jin Da Dang in 2002. Subsequently, he was featured in more than fifty commercials and made minor appearances in shows for the next two years.

He took on his first scripted role in the Chinese television drama The Young Warriors (2006). That same year, he began his first professional training in acting. During one of the classes, a director came to scout for young actors. Coincidentally, Wu was in the restroom and almost missed the scouting. Determined to not miss this opportunity, he raced after the leaving crew to have his photo taken. To his surprise, he was chosen, and subsequently made his debut in The Legend and the Hero (2007) where he portrayed Nezha.

Wu gained attention for his roles in the children television dramas Home with Aliens (2009) and Naughty Boy Xiaotiao Ma (2010), for which he won the Outstanding Child Actor award at the Flying Apsaras Awards. He further raised his profile with his role in wuxia drama Little Heroes (2012).

By the age of 10, he has already appeared in twenty to thirty shows.

2014–present: Rising popularity and transition to lead roles

In 2014, Wu appeared in the wuxia series Romance of the Condor Heroes produced by Yu Zheng. In 2015, he starred in the web drama Pal Inn and endorsed the video game of the same name. This was followed by a supporting role in youth sports drama The Whirlwind Girl and historical drama Nirvana in Fire. In 2017, Wu took on his first small screen leading role in the fantasy web series Magic Star. He also co-starred in the British-Chinese action thriller S.M.A.R.T. Chase directed by Charles Martin; as well as Chinese-New Zealand production Into the Rainbow.

In 2018, Wu starred in the fantasy epic Asura. Then he appeared in the fantasy adventure series The Tomb of Sea, written by the author of Daomu Biji; and Battle Through the Heavens, a fantasy action drama based on the popular xianxia novel of the same name. The same year, he acted in the historical film Shadow by Zhang Yimou. Forbes China listed Wu under their 30 Under 30 Asia 2017 list which consisted of 30 influential people under 30 years old who have had a substantial effect in their fields. In 2019, Wu was part of the ensemble cast of the romance film Adoring.

In 2020, Wu appeared in the historical fantasy drama Guardians of the Ancient Oath, and esports drama Cross Fire. In 2021, Wu co-starred in the acclaimed historical series The Long Ballad alongside Dilraba Dilmurat; his portrayal received high praise, further boosting his popularity. The same year, he was featured in coming-of-age film Upcoming Summer by Leste Chen, the drama Our Times and war film Windriders directed by Wu Jing as part of the four-part anthology My Country, My Parents. While filming a scene on set in August 2021, a prop malfunctioned and exploded in Wu's face. Only after finishing filming that day did he head to the hospital. There, it was revealed that numerous wounds were left on his face from the shrapnel, some of which almost ended up in his eyes. He has made a recovery since then.

In 2022, he starred in the popular historical romance series Love like The Galaxy alongside Zhao Lusi. Wu Lei was cast in the films Dwelling by the West Lake by Gu Xiaogang and All Ears by Liu Jiayin, and the metropolitan romance drama Nothing but You along with Zhou Yutong. On February 22, 2022, He was named Loewe global brand ambassador. In 2024, he starred in the popular romantic drama Amidst a Snowstorm of Love alongside Zhao Jinmai.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Variety shows

Discography

Awards and nominations

Forbes China Celebrity 100

External links

• on Weibo (in Chinese)
• at IMDb
• on Instagram