Eddie Peng could be next big export for Chinese films
He’s played a string of roles in which his athletic prowess — and abs — have been featured: Eddie played a boxer in acclaimed Unbeatable, a kung fu ace in “Rise of the Legend” and a cyclist in Hong Kong’s Oscar hopeful “To the Fore”.
TAIPEI: Taiwanese actor Eddie Peng is best known for his roles in martial arts and sports, and he could be the next big export for Chinese films.
He has what it takes to make it big in the international box office: the smarts, the brawn and the clean-cut looks.
Zhang Yimou’s Englishlanguage debut, The Great Wall, set to premiere next year, will put him on cinema screens worldwide opposite established stars Matt Damon, Willem Dafoe and Andy Lau.
Born in Taipei, Eddie spent his teenage years in Vancouver and interrupted his economics degree studies to return to his native Taiwan where he took up a role in TV series Tomorrow.
His timing was perfect. Taiwanese cinema was going through a growth spurt and Eddie soon starred as a romantic lead in My DNA Says I Love You, which he followed with 2011 breakout as a gymnast in Jump Ashin!
After that the Greater China industry opened up to him. Eddie scored again in Hong Kong police thriller Cold War – which co-starred Aaron Kwok – and then hit the big time in Chinese-Korean remake A Wedding Invitation, opposite similarly fast-rising Bai Baihe.
He’s played a string of roles in which his athletic prowess — and abs — have been featured: Eddie played a boxer in acclaimed Unbeatable, a kung fu ace in Rise of the Legend and a cyclist in Hong Kong’s Oscar hopeful To the Fore.
He took a creative break from his usual roles with the mainland Chinese romantic hit, Back in Time.
With the opportunities for bilingual Asian stars only getting better — think Ken Jeong and Daniel Wu — Eddie can expect US talent agents to come knocking on his door.