Name	Zhao Wei
Height
Naionality	Chinese
Date of Birth	March 12, 1976
Place of Birth	Wuhu, Anhui, China
Famous for

Zhao Wei is a Chinese film actress and pop singer. Audiences sometimes refer to her by her English name, Vicki Zhao.She is considered one of the four most promising young film actresses in China along with Xu Jinglei, Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun citation needed.

After being chosen to work as an extra on a filming set, Zhao developed a passion for acting. While studying at Beijing Film Academy, Zhao participated in various film projects. Zhao's breakout role as a leading actress was in Princess Pearl, a television series. In 1999, after Princess Pearl was broadcast, Zhao also began a singing career with her first album, Swallow. After her breakthrough, Zhao has been involved in numerous controversies about her personal and professional lives, including posing in a dress resembling a Japanese war flag.

Throughout her career, Zhao has engaged herself in more varied roles, such as Lu Yiping in Romance in the Rain, a policewoman named An Xin in Jade Goddess of Mercy, the playful Qu Ran in A Time to Love, and the gentle, intelligent Yao Mulan Moment in Peking. She has also remained active in her music, recording several albums since her debut in 1999.After playing minor roles in various series and films, Zhao received her first leading role in a series called Sisters in Beijing. There, she was spotted by famous Taiwanese romance writer Chiung Yao, who was looking for actors. At the time, Chiung Yao commented that Zhao was a little chubby but talented. In 1997, Zhao had lost some weight and was offered one of the leading roles in Chiung Yao's television series Princess Pearl. Filming the television series Princess Pearl was an arduous task for Zhao and her co-stars. Zhao herself acknowledged the intensity of filming:

“ We shot 18 to 20 hours a day. There were two groups of actors. One shot during the day, one at night. Frequently I'd have to do both. A few times I worked so hard that I actually threw up from the exertion. But I was young then. I didn't get tired easily. And I never complained about the working conditions. I thought that's just how it was supposed to be. Now I know that's wrong. But at the time I had no clue. Whatever they'd give me, I'd do. And as soon as I was done working I could just fall asleep. They'd say, 'Go to sleep,' and I'd go right to sleep.

The hard work of the cast yielded unexpected results. After Princess Pearl was broadcast, it enjoyed the highest ratings in China.Zhao quickly rose to prominence. In 1999, she became the youngest actress to win the Golden Eagle Awards for "Best Actress.Zhao's performance received critical acclaim in Taiwan as well; Zhao was named as one of Taiwan's "Top Ten Most Outstanding Individuals in Television Industry." Following this, she continually to star in a number of successful television series and movies and released a number of well-sold albums.

Following her role Princess Pearl, Zhao became a prominent actress in China. In 2000, Zhao starred in a romantic-comedy, ming-dynasty based drama series Treasure Venture, alongside Taiwanese heartthrob Nicky Wu. With her huge success as an actress, feeling that she had achieved all she could in television, she went on to star in a few movies in Hong Kong. In 2001, she guest starred in the box office hit Shaolin Soccer alongside Hong Kong actor, director, and producer Stephen Chow. In there, Zhao played an unattractive bun maker, turning away from the cute image she had earned from her role in Princess Pearl. The actress herself expressed disgust at her image in the movie, commenting: "Have you seen it? I looked disgusting in it."However, Zhao feels her role in Shaolin Soccer was also a learning experience for her. "I wanted a challenge", Zhao commented in an interview. "And he really gave it to me. In China people think I'm cute; he didn't let me look cute. People say I have big eyes; he taped them down. My old characters were all kind of wild; here I was very subdued. Everything I did before, he reversed."

Also in 2001, she filmed another series written by Chiung Yao titled Romance in the Rain. Zhao participated on a romantic comedy produced by Wong Kar Wai under director Jeff Lau as "Princess Phoenix" in Chinese Odyssey 2002 together with Tony Leung, Faye Wong, and Chang Chen. Zhao was nominated for "Best Supporting Actress" at 39th Golden Horse Awards.In 2002, Zhao worked with actresses Shu Qi and Karen Mok in So Close