Daniel Wu
Personal details
  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1974-09-30
    • Born Place: Berkeley, California, USA
  • Also Known As:

    Daniel Wu Yin-Cho, 吴彦祖, 吳彥祖, 오언조, Ngô Ngạn Tổ, دانیل وو, دنیل وو

Daniel Wu

Daniel Wu is an American-born Hong Kong actor, director, producer, and race car driver, renowned for his versatile roles in both Asian and Western cinema. Born on September 30, 1974, in San Francisco, California, he initially pursued architecture at the University of Oregon. His career took an unexpected turn in 1997 when he traveled to Hong Kong to witness the handover of sovereignty and was discovered by director Yonfan while modeling for a clothing advertisement. This serendipitous encounter led to his acting debut in the film Bishonen (1998), marking the beginning of a prolific career in the Hong Kong film industry . Over the years, Wu has appeared in nearly 70 films across Hong Kong, China, and the United States. His notable works include New Police Story (2004), That Demon Within (2014), Sky on Fire (2016), and Reminiscence (2021) . He also starred in the critically acclaimed AMC series Into the Badlands (2015–2019), where he portrayed Sunny, a skilled assassin in a post-apocalyptic world . In 2023, Wu took on the role of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, in Disney+'s American Born Chinese, a series based on the graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang . Beyond acting, Wu has ventured into directing with his 2006 film The Heavenly Kings, a mockumentary about a fictional boy band he formed, which satirizes the Hong Kong pop music industry . He has also been recognized for his advocacy work supporting the Asian American community and was honored with The Bruce Lee Award in 2022 for his contributions to martial arts in film. In his personal life, Wu is married to actress and model Lisa S. They have a daughter together and reside in Hong Kong. Wu is also an accomplished race car driver, competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series, demonstrating his multifaceted talents both on and off the screen .

Person History