Nicky Wu’s (吳奇隆) life is like a very dramatic coming-of-age movie. Nicky was very poor, yet he had an inexplicable talent for karate and taekwondo. If he did not work and go to school at the same time, Nicky would have been able to represent Taiwan’s taekwondo team in the Olympics. But it all bottles down to fate. If Nicky joined the taekwondo team, he would not have been spotted by a talent agent. He would not have become the talented actor-singer we see today. Most importantly, he would not be able to discover his true love for making movies. Nicky first joined the entertainment industry as a member of the Little Tigers Team (小虎隊), a trio of young male singers that included Alec Su (蘇有朋) and Julian Chen (陈志朋). Nicky was criticized by his friends and teachers for joining the boy band, but all Nicky could think of was to bring food to the table. The Little Tigers Team became a big hit in Asia. Every single child who grew up in the early 1990s would remember how to sing to Little Tiger songs and dance to their signature moves. Faced with school and mandatory military service, the Little Tigers Team had no choice but to disband in 1991. Second Break After the Little Tigers Team, Nicky’s biggest break was his portrayal as “Leung San Pak” in Tsui Hark’s (徐克) Butterfly Lovers <梁祝> in 1994. Hong Kong became Nicky’s new hope, and he began to film a string of Hong Kong films and television dramas, including TVB’s epic cross-millennium film, At the Threshold of an Era <創世紀>. But what happened afterward? A few may remember Nicky’s works after 2000. His most famous work after At the Threshold an Era was likely 2006’s A Battle of Wits <墨攻>. It was 2011’s Bu Bu Jing Xin <步步惊心> that brought Nicky back to prominence. His portrayal as the intelligent, cool, and tolerant fourth prince was critically acclaimed and touched many fans nationwide. “When I was younger, I could only feel the applause and appraisal for my work. Deep down inside, I knew that if it wasn’t for my marketable appearance, I would not be on that stage. I would not be doing what I’m doing. Without my company, my managers, and my agents, I wouldn’t know what to do. But now, I’m very proud to say that I could feel that some of the applause is from my own work.” Workaholic “He isn’t human; he is a god,” Nicky’s manager said. Nicky has not had a day off since 2001. He sleeps only an average of four hours per day. Once, he had only one hour of sleep for seven days. “He works too much,” said his manager. Nicky said, “I can fall asleep standing up. Sometimes, I would cry, but I would not able to feel that they were tears. Nicky loves to work, and he loves to challenge himself. “I want to try out many possibilities. I want to know how many things a person can do. I want to know if I am capable of doing them all.” Nicky is an actor, a producer, and a businessman. Flying from point A to point B every day is something that Nicky is used to. “I am afraid of him sometimes,” Nicky’s coworker joked. “Sometimes his creative mind only works at the middle of the night, and that causes us to suffer through the night with him!” Nicky apologized, “I can’t tell time anymore, and weekends don’t exist in my book. I am trying my best to change this!” Would Nicky eventually get tired of working? “Of course! My way of relaxing is by switching up my work course a bit. If I don’t have time to work out, I would produce a martial arts drama for an excuse to go to the gym. If I want to vacation overseas, I will make a drama that requires location film. It’s quite fun.” Creds: Sina
