Ni Ni (Chinese: 倪妮; pinyin: Ní Nī, born 8 August 1988) is a Chinese actress best known for portraying Yu Mo in the 2011 film The Flowers of War, directed by Zhang Yimou; and Ling Xi in the 2019 television series Love and Destiny. She is considered to be one of the “New Four Dan Actresses” by Southern Metropolis Daily.[1]
Ni Ni | |||||||
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倪妮 | |||||||
![]() Ni Ni at the 35th Golden Rooster Awards in November 2022 | |||||||
Born | |||||||
Alma mater | Communication University of China, Nanjing | ||||||
Occupation | Actress | ||||||
Years active | 2011–present | ||||||
Agent | Ni Ni Studio | ||||||
Chinese name | |||||||
Traditional Chinese | 倪妮 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 倪妮 | ||||||
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Early life
Ni was born on 8 August 1988 in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. She graduated from the Communication University of China, Nanjing, majoring in television broadcasting and hosting.[2]
Career
Ni made her debut in Zhang Yimou's war film The Flowers of War, playing the lead female character "Yu Mo".[3] She received acclaim for her performance in the film and rose to fame.[4]
In 2012 and 2013, Li starred in the mystery film Redemption alongside Liu Ye,[5] romance film Love Will Tear Us Apart and road-trip drama film Up in the Wind.[6][7]
In 2014, Ni starred in the coming-of-age film Fleet of Time.[8][9] In 2015, Ni starred alongside Angelababy in the Chinese remake of Bride Wars.[10]
In 2016, Ni starred in the Chinese-French fantasy The Warriors Gate, written by Luc Besson.[11]The same year, she starred in the romantic comedy film Suddenly Seventeen, directed by Zhang Yimou's daughter.[12]
In 2017, Ni starred in fantasy action film Wu Kong,[13] as well as science fiction wuxia film The Thousand Faces of Dunjia directed by Tsui Hark.[14]
In 2018, Ni starred in her first television drama, The Rise of Phoenixes alongside Chen Kun. She released her first single, "Why to No Avail" as part of the soundtrack of the series.[15][16] Forbes China listed Ni 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.[17]
In 2019, Ni returned to the big screen in the crime heist film Savage.[18] She then made her theater debut in the play One One Zero Eight directed by Stan Lai.[19] The same year, Ni starred in the fantasy romance drama Love and Destiny alongside Chang Chen.[20] The series received positive reviews, and Ni gained acclaim for her portrayal of a fairy maiden that went through numerous struggles to attain happiness.[21]
In 2020, Ni starred alongside Andy Lau in the action thriller Shock Wave 2.[22] The same year she returned to television in CCTV-8's My Best Friend's Story, which earned her a Magnolia Award for Best Actress nomination at the 27th Shanghai Television Festival.[23]
In 2021, Ni starred in romantic-drama film Yanagawa, directed by Korean-Chinese filmmaker Zhang Lü. For her highly praised performance in this film, she was nominated for Best Actress at the 35th Golden Rooster Awards.[24] In the same year, Ni was cast in the drama Night Wanderer, adapted from the popular time-travel themed novel "Ye Lv Ren" (夜旅人) by Zhao Xi Zhi alongside Deng Lun.[25]
In 2022, Ni made her return to the big screen in Lost in the Stars alongside Zhu Yilong, a mystery crime film was produced by Chen Sicheng. The film was then released theatrically in early 2023 and became a huge commercial success when it grossed over ¥3.524 billion at the box office in China[26][27] and won her the Golden Deer Award for Best Actress at the 18th Changchun Film Festival.[28]
In 2024, Ni was invited as a member of the jury for Asian New Talent Awards of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival.[29]
Endorsements
Ni has been the Chinese ambassador for Jaeger-LeCoultre since 2011[30] and now a global spokesperson for Jaeger-LeCoultre.[31][32] She was named as the global ambassador for SK-II in 2013.[33][34][35]
In 2014, she was selected to be the brand ambassador for Uniqlo in China,[36] and became a global spokesperson for Uniqlo since 2019.[37]
She was the official global ambassador of Tiffany & Co. between 2017 and 2019.[38][39]
Ni has been the official brand ambassador of Gucci since 2017[40] and a global ambassador for Gucci's Eyewear since 2019.[41] Since 2022, she has been announced as Global Brand Ambassador of Gucci.[42] She became the global face of Gucci Eyewear through various collections' campaigns such as Spring Summer 2017,[43] Fall Winter 2017,[44] Spring Summer 2018,[45] Fall Winter 2018,[46] Sprring Summer 2019,[47] Fall Winter 2019,[48] Spring Summer 2020,[49] Spring Summer 2021,[50] Fall Winter 2021,[51] Spring Summer 2022,[52] Fall Winter 2022,[53] Spring Summer 2023,[54] Fall Winter 2023 [55] and Spring Summer 2024.[56] In January 2020, she became the global face of the Gucci's Chinese New Year with Mickey Mouse-themed collection campaign along with Earl Cave and Zoë Bleu that shot by American photographer and director Harmony Korine.[57] In January 2024, Ni starred as the global face of the Gucci's Valigeria campaign for the Savoy collection along with her co-star in the TV series Love and Destiny - Chang Chen.[58][59][60]
Ni had been the global spokesperson of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics since 2019[61][62] and a global ambassador of Cindy Chao The Art Jewel since 2021.[63]
Since 2022, French luxury beauty house Lancôme announced Ni as their Global Skincare and Fragrance Ambassador.[64][65]
In 2022, Ni had been the brand spokesperson of L'Oréal Hair-care.[66] Since 2024, Vaseline announced Ni as the brand spokesperson in the Asia-Pacific region.[67]
Filmography
Film
Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes/Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | The Flowers of War | 金陵十三钗 | Yu Mo | [3] |
2013 | Redemption | 杀戒 | Jiang Yue | [5] |
Love Will Tear Us Apart | 我想和你好好的 | Miaomiao | [6] | |
Up in the Wind | 等风來 | Cheng Yumeng | [7] | |
2014 | Fleet of Time | 匆匆那年 | Fang Hui | [8] |
2015 | Bride Wars | 新娘大作战 | Ma Li | [10] |
2016 | The Warriors Gate | 勇士之門 | Su Lin | [11] |
Suddenly Seventeen | 28岁未成年 | Liang Xia | [12] | |
2017 | Wu Kong | 悟空传 | Ah Zi | [13] |
The Thousand Faces of Dunjia | 奇門遁甲 | Metal Dragonfly | [14] | |
2019 | Savages | 雪暴 | Sun Yan | [18] |
2021 | Shock Wave 2 | 拆弹专家2 | Pong Ling | [22] |
1921 | 1921 | Wang Huiwu | [68] | |
Yanagawa | 漫长的告白 | Liu Chuan | [69] | |
2023 | Lost in the Stars | 消失的她 | Chen Mai / Shen Man | [70] |
2024 | A Man and A Woman | 一个男人和一个女人 | a woman | [71][72] |
Television series
Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | The Rise of Phoenixes | 天盛长歌 | Feng Zhiwei | [15] |
2019 | Love and Destiny | 宸汐缘 | Ling Xi | [20] |
2020 | With You | 在一起 | Ping Xiaoan | Part 2: Ferryman |
My Best Friend's Story | 流金岁月 | Zhu Suosuo | [73] | |
2021 | Medal of the Republic | 功勋 | Sun Yuqin | [74] |
2022 | The Heart of Genius | 天才基本法 | Qiu Yue (Guest Role) | |
2023 | Parallel World | 西出玉门 | Ye Liuxi | |
TBA | Night Wanderer | 夜旅人 | Zong Ying |
Television show
Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes/Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Wonderful Friends | 奇妙的朋友 | Cast member | [75] |
Short film and documentary
Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes/Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Zhang Yimou and His Flowers of War | 张艺谋和他的金陵十三钗 | [76] | |
2013 | Touched | 心动 | [77] | |
Always Online | 爱在线 | Miao Miao | [78] | |
F-Type | F-TYPE非你莫属 | DJ | [79] | |
2014 | Cartier Wedding Series | 卡地亚2014婚礼系列 | [80] | |
2015 | 卡地亚2015婚礼系列 | [81] | ||
2017 | Dissecting Yourself | 解剖自己 | [82] | |
2018 | 1/2 Encounter | 1/2的相遇 | [83] | |
2019 | One One Zero Eight | 幺幺洞捌·妮行 | [84] |
Theatre
Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes/Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | One One Zero Eight | 幺幺洞捌 | Shu Tong | [19] |
Discography
Year | English title | Chinese title | Album | Notes/Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | "Today You Will Marry Me" | 今天你要嫁给我 | Bride Wars OST | with Angelababy, Chen Xiao & Zhu Yawen[85] |
"Do You Hear Me" | 你有没有听到我 | Wonderful Friends OST | [86] | |
2018 | "Why to No Avail" | 何奈何 | The Rise of Phoenixes OST | [87] |
2020 | "Dare Of The Awakening" | [88] |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Film | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Major awards | |||||
2012 | 6th Asian Film Awards | Best Newcomer | The Flowers of War | Won | [89] |
12th Chinese Film Media Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [90] | ||
Best Newcomer | Nominated | ||||
Most Popular Actress | Won | [91] | |||
21st Shanghai Film Critics Awards | Best Actress | Won | [92] | ||
7th Chinese Young Generation Film Forum Awards | Best New Actress | Won | [93] | ||
2013 | 15th Huabiao Awards | Outstanding New Actress | Nominated | [94] | |
2017 | 9th Macau International Movie Festival | Best Actress | Wu Kong | Nominated | [95] |
2018 | 24th Huading Awards | Best Actress (Ancient Drama) | The Rise of Phoenixes | Nominated | [96] |
14th Changchun Film Festival | Best Actress | Suddenly Seventeen | Nominated | ||
2019 | 6th The Actors of China Awards | Best Actress (Emerald Category) | The Rise of Phoenixes | Nominated | [97] |
26th Huading Awards | Best Actress (Historical drama) | Love and Destiny | Nominated | [98] | |
Golden Bud – The Fourth Network Film And Television Festival | Best Actress | Nominated | [99] | ||
2020 | 7th The Actors of China Awards | Best Actress (Emerald) | Nominated | [100] | |
2021 | 27th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Actress | My Best Friend's Story | Nominated | [101] |
13th Macau International Movie Festival | Best Supporting Actress | Shock Wave 2 | Nominated | [102][103] | |
2022 | 36th Hundred Flowers Awards | Best Actress | 1921 | Shortlisted | [104] |
35th Golden Rooster Awards | Best Actress | Yanagawa | Nominated | [105] | |
2023 | 14th China Film Director's Guild Awards | Best Actress | Shortlisted | [106] | |
18th Changchun Film Festival | Best Actress | Lost in the Stars | Won | [107] | |
8th Golden Crane Awards | Best Actress | Won | [108][109] | ||
15th Macau International Movie Festival | Best Actress | Nominated | [110] | ||
2024 | 37th Hundred Flowers Awards | Best Actress | Pending | [111] | |
Other awards | |||||
2012 | Entertainment Live Award Ceremony | Most Anticipated Film Figure | The Flowers of War | Won | [112] |
3rd LeTV Entertainment Awards | Most Popular Film Actress | Won | [113] | ||
Grazia Award Night | Trend New Force of the Year | — | Won | [114] | |
2013 | Fashion Power Awards | Most Popular Actress | Won | [115] | |
2014 | China Content Marketing Awards | Best Image Brand Endorser | Always Online | Won | [116] |
2015 | Sina Entertainment 15th Anniversary Award Ceremony | Outstanding Youth | — | Won | [117] |
2017 | China Screen Ranking | Trend of the Year | Won | [118] | |
2018 | Weibo Awards Night | Weibo Goddess | Won | [119] | |
2019 | Cosmo Glam Night | Person of The Year (Dream) | — | Won | [120] |
8th iQiyi All-Star Carnival | Drama Actress of the Year | — | Won | [121] | |
Sina Fashion Awards | Person of the Year | — | Won | [122] | |
16th Esquire Man At His Best Awards | Most Beautiful Woman of the Year | — | Won | [123] | |
2023 | Tencent Video All Star Night 2023 | Quality TV Drama Actress of the Year | Won | [124] |
Forbes China Celebrity 100
Year | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|
2017 | 72nd | [125] |
2019 | 64th | [126] |
2020 | 70th | [127] |
References
External links
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