Eddie Peng, a Chinese film industry's most recognizable and bankable star today, has carved out an amazing acting career despite never considering entering showbiz initially. He has starred in over 30 box-office hits, a mix of epic blockbusters and indie projects.
Peng migrated to Canada at 13 and spent 10 years there before returning to Taipei in 2002 to attend his grandmother's funeral, where he was cast in the TV series Tomorrow as the second male lead. This serendipitous casting marked the beginning of his swift rise to fame.
Peng made his big screen debut in Exit No. 6 in 2006 and quickly proved his commitment to the craft. He spent 12 hours a day over eight months practicing gymnastics to play a gymnast in Jump Ashin! (2011),which was a box-office hit. He went on to star in police thriller Cold War (2012) and Unbeatable (2013),where he endured rigorous workout regimes to play an MMA athlete.
Peng's dedication to the craft earned him nominations for Best Newcomer at Golden Horse Awards for My DNA Says I Love You (2007),Best Actor for Jump Ashin! (2011),and Best Supporting Actor for Unbeatable (2013) at the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards.
In 2014, Peng landed the coveted role of martial arts legend Wong Fei Hung in Rise of The Legend, earning him a Best Actor nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards. He then put in months of grueling training to play a professional cyclist in To The Fore (2015),which was Hong Kong's entry for the best foreign-language film at the 88th Academy Awards.
Peng was appointed the first Chinese Goodwill Ambassador of the 2015 Tour DE France and starred in director Jiang Wen's Hidden Man in 2018, which was mainland China's entry in the best foreign-language film category at the 91st Academy Awards.
After a year-long break, Peng returned to star in The Rescue in 2020, director Dante Lam's action thriller about China's emergency rescue ops teams. He also starred in Ann Hui's Love After Love, adapted from novelist Eileen Chang's romance classic.
Peng has also stayed true to form, losing 35 pounds for his role in Are You Lonesome Tonight released in 2021. The film had its special screening in the official selection of the 74th Cannes Film Festival and was selected for the a Window on Asian Cinema category at the 26th Busan International Film Festival.
Off camera, Peng devotes time to causes close to his heart, partnering with international organization WildAid to encourage protection of sea turtles and appearing in a campaign and documentary aired on World Wildlife Day in 2019. He is well-known for his charity work for children with cancer and is official ambassador for international brands Longines and Berluti.
