TOM
WU
____________________________________
BIOGRAPHY
Actor Tom Wu was born in the New Territories, Hong Kong, and grew up in London’s Chinatown. At the age
of 10 he began practising Martial Arts such as Hung Gar, Karate and Wing Chun and later took up acrobatics.
In 1988 he competed for Britain at China’s International Wu-Shu (Martial Arts) Tournament and was awarded
2 Bronze Medals, and a Gold Medal.
Whilst preparing for his next competition – The European Wu-Shu Championship – Tom was offered a part in
a production of M Butterfly in Shaftesbury Theatre London starring Anthony Hopkins, where Tom performed
an excerpt from a Beijing Opera tale entitled The White Snake. He trained intensively for seven weeks for the
role of ‘First Warrior’ under Jamie Guan (one of China’s leading Beijing Opera practitioners from The Beijing
Opera Troupe). Not only did this provide an opportunity to learn this stylised form but it also inspired him to
pursue acting and in 1990 he gained a place to study at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Since then he has performed widely on stage and on screen, of which films include Revolver (Guy Ritchie),
Shanghai Knights (Jackie Chan), Belly of the Beast (Steven Seagal), Batman Begins (Christian Bale), The Life
And Death Of Peter Sellers (Geoffrey Rush), Tomb Raider II (Angelina Jolie), Out for A Kill (Steven Seagal),
Rogue Trader (Ewan McGregor), Wake of Death (Jean Claude Van-Damme);
His TV/radio credits include: The First Emperor (Channel 4 /Discovery), Estuary (BBC), Casualty (BBC),
Emmerdale (ITV /Granada), Silent Witness (BBC), Ken in Footballers’ Wives (Shed), David Cheng in The Bill
((ITV), Hong Kong Cracker (LWT), The Commander (Lynda LaPlante), Gyokusai - The Breaking of the Jewel
(BBC World Service), Chan Ming in Thieftakers (Carlton TV), Intergalactic Combat (Imaginary Films), The
Seaside Came Out Of A Van (BBC Radio 4), Tianenmmen Square (BBC Radio 4), China on a Plate (BBC), Fused
Rice Bowls (BBC), After The Quake (BBC), And Rain My Drink (BBC), Leave not taken (BBC Book of the Week
series), China Atlas (Lion TV), Avocado Uncle (BBC); and he is the voice of Captain Feng Nie in Battlefield II
Modern Combat (Playstation 2 game for Electronic Arts).
His theatre credits includes: Tharkey in Tintin (dir Rufus Norris, Young Vic, Barbican), Puck in A Midsummer
Night’s Dream, title role in Peter Pan (both Exeter Northcott Theatre); title role in Hiawatha (Basingstoke
Haymarket); Lone in The Dance And The Railroad (Leicester Haymarket); Mr Kao in Monkey - A Tale from
China (Young Vic Theatre); Sampati in Ramayana (Royal National Theatre); Paintbrush in The Magic Paintbrush
(Polka Theatre).
Tom is a co-founder member of Yellow Earth Theatre and has performed /choreographed a number of shows
including Rashomon (Riverside Studios), Play To Win (Soho Theatre), New Territories – both written/directed
by David Tse; Blue Remembered Hills (director David Glass); The Whisper Of A Leaf Falling, No Man (solo
show) – both written/directed by Philippe Cherbonnier, The Emperor in The Nightingale (Hong Kong).
Tom's forthcoming film roles include Fong in The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian, Juba in
Mutant Chronicles and Tatsumi in The Tournament. He has recently appeared as Lord John in film
Revolver and on television as Lee Jiyong in Whistleblower, Jimmy Wu in Diamond Geezer, Perak
in The Ruby in the Smoke, Lao Ai in The First Emperor, Huang Lok in Casualty, Lin Liang Ren in
Death on the Beach, The Omid Djalili show.
<END>
www.tom wu.co.uk
__________________________________