Whether it is life or the field, whether it is filming or racing, Wu Yanzu has always been consistent, under the focus and love, in the race against time, the pursuit of balance, to reach the deepest peace of mind.
The 2024 F1 Chinese Grand Prix has just come to an end, and we have vividly felt the charm of racing culture in the roar of the engine. And the picture of the car speeding past can't help but remind us of another "star car king" - Wu Yanzu.
Wu Yanzu has created too many impressive characters, he is Azu with a twisted personality in "New Police Story", who longs for love but fears love in his heart, Ou Haiwen, the "gangster boss" in "Xinzha Senior Sister", Laifu, a young man from the mainland in "Dark Night in Mong Kok", and the handsome policeman Sam in "Beautiful Boy's Love...... He has created classic screen images, and now, more than 20 years have passed, and he has faded away, but he has shown a more layered mature charm after years of precipitation.
Creamy cotton long-sleeved crewneck knit, color-blocked checked casual shirt, white slacks are all CANALI
Today's Wu Yanzu, although he rarely appears in the public eye, he still chooses some attractive roles to play. In addition to spending more time running his own family and accompanying his family, Wu Yanzu has also clearly laid out his own coordinate system in the vast wilderness of time over the years. In the days when he wasn't shooting, he found his biggest hobby in life – racing. Race on China's top F1 track, sit in the cockpit of the car, and compete with the professional drivers on the field.
Everyone has gone through time and left all kinds of marks on their bodies. In time, Wu Yanzu has lived out his own unique broadness.
POLO上衣为TOMMY HILFIGER 1985系列
咖啡色西装休闲长裤为3.1 Phillip Lim
Wu Yanzu grew up in Olinda, California, and owned his first car at the age of 15. The U.S. has high auto production and sales, with an average car ownership rate of 85% per capita. As a teenager, cars represented freedom. "With my car, I can go anywhere that's fun. ”
In the same way, the car is also an exposed expression of individual needs. Wu Yanzu fell in love with car modification at that time. There is an old soul living in his heart, and he is especially partial to old cars from the 70s of the last century.
Since 2014, Wu Yanzu has bought classic cars every time he returns to the United States, and he has studied modifications in the garage alone. His modified car, the "TheTanto Stiletto", won the "Top 10 Classic Cars" award at the 2017 SEMA Tuning Show in the United States. "The cars of that era were beautiful, very unique, and they couldn't be replaced by modern cars. ”
However, from car modification to TCR racing, Wu Yanzu completed the transformation of two tracks.
Affected by the epidemic, in 2020, Wu Yanzu's film-related work was temporarily suspended. It was then that he decided to regain his long-cherished dream of becoming a real race car driver.
连身赛车服为Alpinestars
The racing helmet is a personal belongings of Daniel Wu
"At first, my friends just came to ask me if I wanted to drive together, and we hit it off. Wu Yanzu laughed and said that this was an attempt by middle-aged men to "get out of their comfort zone". "For me, racing is challenging. It's rare to find a new hobby in your 40s. ”
Obtain three certificates in one month and obtain the US SCCA racing license. Wu Yanzu is regarded by many people as a "natural racing driver". He himself does not think so, and he told Forbes China that what he has should be "the ability to learn" compared to "the talent of racing".
"I'm a very 'obedient' person. When I was a child, I learned martial arts, listened to my master's words and practiced my movements, and later joined the crew to film, listened to the director, and learned how other actors understood different roles and expressed their characters.
I can get better and better by learning and training, and I think that's a commonality. Whether it's acting, racing, or practicing kung fu, 'obedience' is very important to allow you to learn and master new skills. ”
Wu Yanzu said that when he first came into contact with racing, his biggest feeling was "fast speed". "It's a dangerous sport, with an average speed of more than 200 kilometers per hour, the temperature in the cockpit is over 60 degrees, and the hardest thing to control is the speed of the car. Filming can be done all over again, but the requirements for racing are very precise. ”
Many people first associate racing with "speed and passion", but Wu Yanzu said that the reason for his passion for racing is "calm". The racer is at great speed, with all five senses tense, and at that moment the world is left with only cars and tracks. "I love the feeling of concentration when I'm racing, I'm not distracted, I'm focused, it's like I'm in a zone. ”
Drivers are looking for the ultimate in racing and the ultimate in coolness. In F1 Austria 2003, Schumacher suffered a small fire in his car during his first pit stop, but he calmed down as if nothing had happened. When the staff extinguished the flames, he tore off the protective film from his goggles and continued to play.
"What I like the most is to get focused in a situation where it's easy to get confused, get into the zone, and then don't think about anything, everything is natural. Wu Yanzu said that every focus on the racing track is to explore the limits of speed and handling.
Wu Yanzu revealed to Forbes China that it is because of this calm satisfaction that he particularly enjoys endurance car racing.
It is reported that a normal car race is about 30 minutes, while an endurance car race usually lasts between 3-25 hours. Endurance racing is not only about technique, "not just pulling the full throttle and driving 100% fast", it also requires strategy, which requires the driver to calmly control the tires, fuel tank, and teamwork while driving. "Every driver has to drive for at least two or three hours straight, and endurance racing is a great way to get rid of your inner laziness. Wu Yanzu said.
In July 2023, Wu Yanzu and his teammates successfully completed a 6-hour endurance race in the Adess LMP3 car and won the first place. In addition to this, he specifically mentioned an endurance race in which the team that "never thought of finishing in the top 10" eventually came from 17th to 5th, and the pride was palpable.
Also last year, Wu Yanzu joined the Dongfeng Honda team and represented Dongfeng Honda in the CTCC field. This star debut debut achieved the expected goal before the race, and it also means that Wu Yanzu's status as a professional driver has advanced again.
Kimi Raikkonen is Wu's favorite rider. The Finnish "Iceman" was a former F1 Alfa Romeo driver who spent 20 years on the circuit before announcing his retirement in 2021. Wu Yanzu liked his personality and remembered Raikkonen's career as a rally driver. "F1 is all the best of the best, and it's a bit distant for us ordinary people, but Raikkkonen has always struck me with the most devout belief in motorsport as a driver. He said.
Whether it is life or the field, whether it is filming or racing, Wu Yanzu has always been consistent, under the focus and love, in the race against time, the pursuit of balance, to reach the deepest peace of mind.
Here are some of the conversations between Forbes China and Wu Yanzu:
Forbes China: Can you tell us about what you've been up to lately?
Wu Yanzu: I filmed a film in China from October to December last year, and I didn't go back to China to film because of the epidemic for four years, so I'm looking forward to it this time. Now I'm shooting an American film in Canada, and the actor is the Asian actor Guan Jiwei, who won the 2023 Oscar for supporting actor last year, and I play his brother in the film, who is also a gangster brother
Forbes China: In the more than 20 years since you became an actor, what are your biggest thoughts and gains, and what do actors and roles mean to you?
Wu Yanzu: The most important thing for me to make a film now is to enjoy the process, because sometimes it takes two months to shoot a movie, and sometimes it takes five or six months to shoot a movie, so you have to enjoy the time with the team you work with (including the director, other actors, etc.). In the past, I would have expected the movie to do well at the box office or win an award, but you can't control that. You only have control over which films you choose to work on or when you want to shoot them. Now that I live in the U.S. and I'm a dad, I'm going to leave home if I'm sure I'm going to make a new movie, so the film has to be worth it.
A green printed embroidered jacket for Valentino
太阳眼镜为True Vintage Revival
In this industry for more than 20 years, I have seen and done everything, and now I want to find some fresh feelings, including the team, script, characters and other aspects, otherwise, if I repeat the previous one, it will be meaningless, so I am more picky when choosing movies now.
Forbes China: You just mentioned that your focus has shifted over the years, so what are your preferences in the selection of movie roles now, and what are the themes or roles you are interested in trying out?
Wu Yanzu: Maybe it's because I've been making police movies for many years, either playing a cop or a villain, but I really want to make a comedy. Because I haven't made a comedy for many years, I haven't made a more relaxed and happy movie since "Xinzha Senior Sister".
I have a 10-year-old daughter now, and the movies I've made in the past are mainly about adults, and she still can't understand them, so I hope to make some happy movies for young people.
Forbes China: Being the protagonist on the big screen or ranking on the racing track, which state of self do you prefer and are more likely to accept, and what is most important to you at the moment?
Wu Yanzu: Making a movie is a completely different feeling from racing cars, making a movie is a kind of creativity, you create it with a group of friends or staff, so I really like this process for many years, because [in this process] I am a part of the film, and the part of participation is the embodiment of my creativity.
But racing is a relatively personal thing, although there are teams and other people who can help you, but when you are racing, you are sitting alone in the car, so everything is a process that you face alone, and it is very challenging. I like to play endurance racing, which can be as short as 4 hours or as long as 20 hours, and a lot of things happen during that time, it's like going through the process of life, you have to be brave, you have to solve the problem as soon as it arises and move on, it's a very high challenge, and of course, that's why I love racing – you can learn how to face challenges on your own.
Pink linen casual suit, pink cotton T-shirt, and white slacks are all CANALI
Forbes China: Speaking of actor and racing driver, you now have two identities, what do you want others to call you now? Or do you want a new, unknown head?
Wu Yanzu: Actually, I don't think it's so important to look up, I have a lot of things I like to do, I'm not just an actor, not just a designer, not just a racing driver, I also like to exercise, boxing, martial arts, art...... So there won't be a specific header to represent me.
Forbes China: How do you think about turning a hobby into a career, will it change the interest itself?
Wu Yanzu: No, because the hobby needs to be maintained, if the hobby becomes a job, it will not be as enjoyable and liking as before. Because racing is my passion, I don't have that much pressure, but if I become a professional driver, then I have to race for a team, for a brand, and a lot of that pressure will not only be given to me, but also to others. And I love racing because it allows me to do it independently, it's close to professional racing, but the pressure and challenges are for myself.
It's the same with martial arts, I'm 50 years old now, I don't go out to compete, I don't have pressure, it's more like a habit of life for me. I only have one job now, which is acting, and this is the most important thing, and the rest are hobbies that I can enjoy in my spare time.
Two-tone casual shirt, cream cotton T-shirt, light blue drawstring trousers are all CANALI
Forbes China: French poet Paul Éluard said, "Men only grow old, they do not mature." What is your view of "aging" and "maturity", how do you feel about getting older, do you feel anxious, and what does family life bring you?
Wu Yanzu: Yes, I agree, because age has nothing to do with maturity, and some men in their 70s are also immature, maybe he is not married and has no children, so he does not have this sense of responsibility. But there are some friends, like a guy I was racing with, who was only 27 years old, but very mature. So maturity depends on each person's lifestyle and what he has experienced in his life, regardless of age.
When my father was 50 years old, he was more mature than I am now, because by that time he had three children and he had achieved very high positions in the company, so he had a lot of responsibilities, but I was completely different from him. You see I'm not dressed maturely, and to be a joke, my 10-year-old daughter sometimes says I'm not serious enough, or that I'm joking too much (haha). So, I think age has nothing to do with maturity at all, it mainly depends on your own mentality.
Forbes China: Did you hear that the filming of "New Police Story 2" will start in May?
Wu Yanzu: I hope so, but it shouldn't be in May. "New Police Story 2" has indeed been talked about before, but due to the death of director Chen Musheng, the filming plan was suspended. I heard that Nicholas Tse may want to join, but this news has not yet been confirmed. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of New Police Story, and if it can be filmed this year or next year, I think it's very good because the film is so impressive, and many people still remember it 20 years later.
出品人/监制:Maggie Chen
编辑 ：Nana Zhou, Shirley Qin,Rebecca Wei
平面摄影：Sarah Krick
平面摄影助理：Bryan Carvajal
导演/摄影指导 :Mufeng Han
摄像/灯光:In It
B机摄像:Zichen Zhou
剪辑师：Jason Wen
调色师：Cynthia Chen
航拍：Scott Richardson
制片/艺统 ：Even Yu @APEX Communications
制片经理 ：Guoran Yu @APEX Communications
造型师 ：Jungle Lin
妆 :Marian Yi
制片助理:SkyXiang,Bosco Luo
特别鸣谢 :Azimut Yachts阿兹慕游艇, Impressive Wrap, Inozetek