Allan Wu
Allan Wu | |
|---|---|
 Wu in 2024 | |
| Born | June 11, 1972 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Stage name | |
| Traditional Chinese | 吳振天 |
| Simplified Chinese | 吴振天 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Wú Zhèntiān |
| Birth name | |
| Traditional Chinese | 吳振宇 |
| Simplified Chinese | 吴振宇 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Wú Zhènyǔ |
Allan Wu (born June 11, 1972) is a Singapore-based Chinese-American actor, host, VJ and model.
He is best known for being the host of 3 different editions of the popular reality game show, The Amazing Race. He was the host of 5 seasons of AXN Asia's The Amazing Race Asia, 3 seasons of International Channel Shanghai's The Amazing Race: China Rush and 4 seasons of Shenzhen Media Group's Chinese edition of The Amazing Race.
Wu decided to change his Chinese name because it was similar to Hong Kong film star Francis Ng (Chinese: 吳鎮宇; pinyin: Wú Zhènyù).[1]
Early life and education
Wu was born in Los Angeles, California, United States to Chinese immigrant parents from Shenyang, Liaoning, China. His first language was Mandarin as his parents spoke it at home.[2] He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in the United States and worked in the biotechnology industry for several years. He eventually discovered his desire to become an actor after an accident made him reassess his life. He did some modeling for a while and also participated in an episode of the reality competition series Fear Factor, where he placed 2nd. He moved to Hong Kong where he worked as an actor.[3]
Career
Despite struggling with limited knowledge of Cantonese, MTV Taiwan gave him a stint as a VJ, during which he co-hosted a Christmas concert. He moved to Singapore and began acting in Chinese language drama series on Channel 8.
He has been the host for all five seasons of The Amazing Race Asia. He is also the host of The Amazing Race: China Rush, the Chinese version of The Amazing Race. In Season 16 of the American version of The Amazing Race, Allan Wu made a cameo appearance in Singapore, handing out clues.
Venture into podcasting
In 2024, Wu launched Call Us Daddy, a male-centric podcast tailored for older men that has garnered attention for its celebrity guests and candid discussions. The show has made headlines for offering raw and personal insights into the lives of its guests.[4]
In one popular episode, actor Christopher Lee shared his regret over not completing his education,[5] while another notable episode saw entrepreneur and former radio personality Daniel Ong address the controversial Twelve Cupcakes scandal.[6]
Personal life
In September 2011, Wu and his family relocated to Shanghai, China to be nearer to job commitments.[7]
Wu was married to former Mediacorp actress Wong Li Lin and they have a daughter Sage and son Jonas.[8] The couple is managed by Fly Entertainment.[9] In 2013, the couple separated.[10] In 2017, Wu started dating a contestant from The Amazing Race Asia 5 Yvonne Lee.
Filmography
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Bukit Ho Swee | ||
| Beautiful Connection | Du Zhengyu | ||
| The Unbeatables III | Ding Wei | ||
| 2003 | True Heroes | Wang Feng | |
| A Child's Hope | |||
| Always On My Mind (无炎的爱) | |||
| 2004 | My In-Laws (我的岳父岳母) | Sitcom | |
| A Child's Hope II | |||
| Fear Factor | 1 episode | ||
| 2005 | My Lucky Charm | ||
| Baby Blues | |||
| 2006 | C.I.D. | Steve | |
| House of Joy | Zheng Sanji | ||
| 2011 | Miss Universe China | Host | Hosting |
| 2012 | Rally On | Channel 5 production | |
| 2014 | Mata Mata: A New Era | Alan Leong | Channel 5 production |
| 2017 | Kidnapped (绑架) | Officer Lee |
|
| 2018 | Divided (分裂) | ||
| 2019 | C.L.I.F 5 | Alexis | |
| 2021 | Crouching Tiger Hidden Ghost | Evan Lau | |
| The Heartland Hero | Jimmy | ||
| 2022 | Truths About Us (别来无恙) | Dai Shouzheng |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Never Compromise (逆我者死) | Chun Yu Ng | |
| 2003 | Night Corridor (妖夜迴廊) | Vincent Sze | |
| 2004 | Rice Rhapsody | Ronald | |
| 2005 | I Do, I Do | Chen Jianfeng | |
| 2008 | The Leap Years | Steven | |
| 2008 | Kung Fu Hip Hop | Tang Ge | |
| 2010 | Love Cuts | Timothy Tang | Special appearance |
| 2011 | Overheard 2 |
Television shows
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Discover Australia (奥妙无及现) | |
| 2005 | Hua Yu, Cool! | Mediacorp Channel 5[11] |
| 2006–2016 | The Amazing Race Asia | |
| 2010 | The Amazing Race 16 | Cameo appearance |
| 2010–2012 | The Amazing Race: China Rush | |
| 2014–2017 | The Amazing Race China | From Season 1 Episode 3 |
Brand ambassador
| Year | Brand | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | TAG Heuer | [12] |
| 2009 | Carlsberg | [13] |
| 2014 | Oakley | [14] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Star Awards | Best Newcomer | N/a | Nominated | |
| 2021 | Asian Television Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Crouching Tiger Hidden Ghost | Nominated | [15] |
References
- ↑ "What's Up with My Chinese Name??". Archived from the original on 25 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ↑ "Allan Wu back in the race". AsiaOne. 10 February 2012. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014.
- ↑ Men’s Health, November 2006
- ↑ "Celebs Allan Wu, Joanne Peh, Hanli Hoefer and Izyan Mellyna are in their podcast era". The Straits Times. 15 Jan 2025. Retrieved 15 Jan 2025.
- ↑ "Christopher Lee Hopes His Son Will Go To University; Regrets Not Making It Past O-Levels Himself". 8 Days. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ "Daniel Ong Says People Spat At Him In Public During His Twelve Cupcakes Scandal". 8 Days. 6 Jan 2025. Retrieved 6 Jan 2025.
- ↑ "Allan Wu's culture shock". The New Paper. 6 September 2011. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011.
- ↑ "Allan Wu's 18-Year-Old Daughter Just Got Into Stanford University; He Says He's Been "Saving Up For A Long Time" To Pay For Her School Fees". 8days. Archived from the original on 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- ↑ "Amazing Race Asia a 'wild ride' for Allan Wu". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2006-11-01.
- ↑ Yap, Desmond (17 June 2013). "Allan Wu & Wong Li Ling divorced due to affair". Yahoo. Yahoo News Singapore. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ↑ "Be cool and catch Hua Yu, Cool!". No. 18 January 2005. Today. 18 January 2005. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ↑ "A new star for TAG Heuer". Newspaper SG. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ↑ "早早报喜!". eAdvine February 2009. Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 2014-08-11. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ↑ "When Oakley Meets Ferrari". GolfPunk-Singapore Edition. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "2021 Nominees". Asian Television Awards. Archived from the original on 2021-11-25. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
External links
- Allan Wu at IMDb
- Personal Website / Blog
- Profile on xinmsn
- Profile at Fly Entertainment
- 1972 births
- Living people
- Male actors from Los Angeles
- Singaporean male television actors
- American male actors
- Chinese game show hosts
- Hong Kong male models
- University of California, Berkeley alumni
- Singaporean people of Chinese descent
- American emigrants to Singapore
- Chinese male models
- American people of Chinese descent
- Participants in American reality television series
- Singaporean male film actors
- Singaporean television presenters
- 20th-century Singaporean male actors
- 21st-century Singaporean male actors