More than just an actor, get to know who Qi Yuwu is with these 10 facts

At the age of 23, Qi Yuwu signed up for Star Search. Little did he know that the talent search contest would change his trajectory and pluck him out of his Guangzhou hometown to our shores. He went on to win the champion and Mr Personality title in the China round of that year's competition in 1999.

Qi Yuwu got to work immediately and starred in Master Swordsman Lu Xiao Feng and Dare To Strike a year later, thereby starting his path as an actor.

Qi Yuwu quickly gained fame as he starred in popular shows such as My Genie (2001), The Champion (2004), The Little Nyonya (2008) and The Dream Makers (2013). He also starred in many popular films, including 881 (2007), The Leap Years (2008) as well as Chinese movie Painted Skin (2008).

Qi Yuwu's acting and popularity have also been affirmed. He was nominated for Star Awards' Best Actor 12 times and took three of them home. He also received the All-Time Favourite commendation in 2016 after winning Top 10 Most Popular Male Artiste 10 times.

On criticism of having stiff acting at the start of his career, Qi Yuwu chalked it up to being "too caught up in becoming a 'good actor'". "I became burdened with the thought of wanting to make things work and lost focus. I didn't realise how stressed I'd become, but it showed on camera - I was overthinking and not letting go. I couldn't fully immerse myself in my characters and my acting became stiff."

In 2021, Qi Yuwu revealed that he would have never acted in a horror drama or film when he was younger. It all stemmed from friends sharing ghost stories with him. "When I went home afterwards, my imagination went wild and I got very scared, trembling even, for a few nights. I had to run to Jeff Wang's room and sleep with him because I was that scared. "

Qi Yuwu managed to step out of that fear and worked on the supernatural-themed series The Ferryman: Legends of Nanyang (2021). "I had opportunities previously [to act in such dramas], but I was hesitant to accept such projects because I had some experiences before. My imagination [of the supernatural] would affect me and I was worried I would have such obstacles."

To fellow actor Joanne Peh. The two have played a couple in seven dramas, but it wasn't until C.L.I.F. 3 (2014) that romantic feelings sparked. Qi Yuwu and Joanne Peh then started dating before he popped the question when he visited her in Kuala Lumpur, where she was working. "We were together for only about a year before we got married, but the feeling was right, so I thought I should do it." The wedding was an intimate affair - it wasn't televised, there wasn't a banquet and the nuptials were attended by around 40 guests.

Since then, Qi Yuwu and Joanne Peh have added a daughter and son to their brood. They are fiercely protective of their children's privacy, never showing their faces on their social media and referring to them publicly as Baby Qi and Qi Didi, respectively.

It caused quite a stir when Joanne Peh revealed that she was going nude for a scene in Last Madame (2019). When asked about it, Qi Yuwu was proud that she made the leap. "As a woman and a mother, she took on such a daring and challenging role at this stage in her life. I really respect it and am happy for her. Joanne and I care a lot about the art and performance aspect [in acting]. We both hope to make the production beautiful. As long as it's not for publicity or going nude for the sake of going nude, I will support it."

In 2019, Qi Yuwu shared that he had turned down opportunities to act alongside Joanne Peh again. He didn't want to "get together for the sake of getting together."

"We have to consider if the script and roles are suitable for us, and whether we have the potential to express ourselves and perform. These are the basics. Now, we have an additional consideration — now that I know who my co-star is, we need to think whether our characters' story is something we like."

The family enjoyed their first staycation in Marina Bay Sands in 2021. "I don’t know what’s staycation in Chinese, this is my first time. Before this, I always felt that staying at home iss really comfortable too, so why should [I] spend money to stay in a hotel. [But] the feeling’s really different. We were very happy [spending time] together as a family. We can’t travel, so we gave ourselves and our children a change in environment [through this]. First time staying in Marina Bay Sands, it’s really not bad, and the service is even better!"

Qi Yuwu seemed to have really enjoyed the staycay life so much so that the family went on Dream Cruises a couple of months later. True to fashion, the family enjoyed the facilities aboard the cruise ship, ranging from the swimming pool to various activities available.

In fact, Qi Yuwu once spent one-and-a-half-year mastering Cantonese cuisine at a famous local restaurant. He later picked up French cooking to round out his skillset. He had also documented an attempt to make roast pork belly once, but the skin didn't turn out as crispy as he would have liked.

Then, in March 2022, Qi Yuwu launched two ice cream flavours - ginseng and goji berry - he had created for local gelato cafe Monarchs & Milkweed. They were limited edition flavours that he gave out for free to "purely give back to fans" amidst the chaos of Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Standing at 1.81m, Qi Yuwu has always maintained a tall, lanky build throughout his career. But once the shirt is off, his toned and chiselled body, complete with pecs and abs, is revealed. His body became the centre of attention after he took off his clothes to go swimming on an episode of The Star Athlete this year.

PS: Qi Yuwu used to study physical education back in Guangzhou, which could explain his love for exercise and the resulting physique.

Qi Yuwu's creativity isn't limited to acting and cooking. Not only was he a board member of the Singapore Art Museum, but photos that he took of everyday objects were digitally integrated with oil paintings of contemporary Chinese artist Feng Zhengjie in 2013. The results were then shown at his first art exhibition at the Worlds Apart Fair. His rationale for the technique? "I prefer that because it’s life as opposed to, ‘Let’s take a picture’."

In March 2023, Qi Yuwu and Joanne Peh became the ambassadors for the Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience exhibition. The former led a tour of 40 elderly while the latter conducted creative art workshops. He had also led guided tours at the Singapore Art Museum before.

"The emotional resonance is not technical. It is beyond words. When we have certain emotions to express, artists may choose to create, chefs may choose to cook, and actors choose to act. It's the mode of expression that we choose. Looking at art is also a search for inspiration for my acting. What art is trying to express is magical and beyond words."

In January 2023, Qi Yuwu took to his Instagram to share about a fan's birthday party he had attended. He went on to state that the fan is "the elderly woman beside me is 91 this year and also my oldest fan." She was an English teacher and would be among the young girls who came to support him, whether it was for promotional events or Star Awards.

Qi Yuwu then reflected on his journey and the love and support he had received over the years.

"They used to hold up a sign with my name on it and shout my name with all their might — I still remember all this clearly. Back then, they even gave me many handmade journals containing newspaper cutouts of my articles.

These young friends from before have — one by one — gotten married, had children and made headway in their own fields of work. I'm very touched and happy for them.

This job lets me experience many special feelings and relationships. I feel I'm very fortunate."