Next person biography:
Kunjue was born in Danling, a village near the mountainous region of southern China (Sichuan). Growing up, she was a tom-boy and leader of the pack amongst her play-friends. She started horse riding at the age of five and continued to ride until her family moved to the city when she was 10 years old for a better education.
Kunjue's family encouraged her to pursue dance and taekwondo training, which she continued until she was 15. She was later sent to the UK by her family to study at the prestigious London School of Economics, where she obtained a BSc in Economics and a Masters degree in International Relations.
Despite her passion for acting, Kunjue's traditional Chinese family never considered it a viable career option. However, she saved up and auditioned for the Drama Studio London without her family's knowledge, winning a place and completing her Masters degree in Acting. She signed with her first U.K. agent in 2013 and has since worked on BBC dramas, including Ripper Street, Peaky Blinders, and the award-winning mini-series One Child.
Kunjue resumed her martial arts training and won her first leading role in 2016 in a Discovery Channel docudrama entitled Ancient Assassins, playing the infamous Japanese female warrior Tomoe Gozen. She decided to branch out and signed up with an agent in China at the beginning of 2017, landing roles in several upcoming features and TV series.
Kunjue has also starred in three short films selected for the Cannes Film Festival in three consecutive years since 2014. She was awarded Best Leading Actress in China UK Microfilm Festival 2015 and honored with the 'Young Icon Award' by Arts for India (AFI) in June 2017 for her contributions in Film, Television, and Theatre at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, in London, presented by Golden Globe-winning director Shekhar Kapur.
Having a business background, Kunjue is also working as a producer. She associate produced Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End musical "Tell Me On A Sunday" with Robert Mackingtosh and worked with Julian Stoneman to transfer Broadway musical "Urine Town" to London West End. She produced and acted in a theatre production named Harajuku Girls in Finborough Theatre London, where she played two different characters on stage and won five-star reviews.
Kunjue is now producing her first feature film called 'Happy Birthday Cindy Wei', which is adapted from an award-winning short film. She is keen on creating more work opportunities for women in the industry and is one of the founders of Equilibrium Promotions, a nonprofit organization that works with Soho Theatre to promote the work of female writers and directors.
