Meng'er Zhang
{{Short description|Chinese actress}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Meng'er Zhang
| image =Meng'er_Zhang_(2021).png
| alt =
| caption = Zhang in 2021
| native_name = {{nobold|张梦儿}}
| birth_name = Zhang Meng'er
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|04|22}}
| birth_place = Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| other_names =
| occupation = Actress
| education = {{Plainlist|
}}
| years_active =
| spouse = {{marriage|Yung Lee|2021}}
| module = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes
| t = 張夢兒
| s = 张梦儿
| order = st
| p = Zhāng Mèng'er
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|zh|ang|1|-|m|eng|.|er|5}}
}}
}}
Meng'er Zhang ({{lang-zh|s=张梦儿|p=Zhāng Mèng'er}}; born April 22, 1987){{Cite news|date=6 August 2021|title=漫威电影宇宙首部华人超英电影《尚气与十环传奇》曝角色海报和采访特辑。|url=https://ent.tom.com/202108/1021610607.html}} is a Chinese actress best known for portraying Xu Xialing in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Early life
Zhang is the daughter of an actor and a stage designer. She grew up heavily-devoted to theater arts in order to follow in her mother's footsteps. Prior to becoming a professional actress, she starred in stage and musical productions in Nanjing, where she was born and raised, and Shanghai. In 2009, she graduated from Nanjing University of the Arts with a bachelor's degree.{{Cite web|title=音乐剧《寻找初恋》主创介绍_娱乐频道_凤凰网|url=https://ent.ifeng.com/live/special/xunzhaochulian/content-4/detail_2013_05/22/25581866_3.shtml|access-date=2021-09-05|website=ent.ifeng.com}} She attended the East 15 Acting School in Essex and the Russian Institute of Theater Arts in Moscow.{{Cite web|date=2021-09-03|title=Marvel's Latest Heroine Meng'er Zhang Shares A Few Of Her Favourite Things With Vogue|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/menger-zhang-interview|access-date=2021-09-04|website=British Vogue|language=en-GB}}
Career
= Early career =
In 2009, Zhang participated in China's Super Girl TV singing contest and was amongst the top 20 participants nationwide before withdrawing as her parents had arranged further schooling overseas for her.{{Cite web|title=漫威《尚气》中女主曾参加过"快乐女声"|url=https://www.bcbay.com/ent/2021/08/08/757787.html|access-date=2021-09-05|website=www.bcbay.com}}{{Cite web|last=张磊|date=3 December 2011|title=张梦儿唐宁退出20强 快女遗珠极有可能被复活_娄底新闻网|url=http://news.ldnews.cn/zhnews/entertion/201112/28603.shtml|access-date=2021-09-13|website=news.ldnews.cn}} She later starred in numerous theatre productions. In 2013, in a Chinese stage adaptation, titled Finding Destiny (寻找初恋), of the Korean musical, Finding Mr. Destiny, Zhang played the female lead Luo Yan.{{Cite web|title=《寻找初恋》：不只第一次恋爱才算初恋- 中国日报网|url=http://covid-19.chinadaily.com.cn/hqcj/xfly/2015-01-20/content_13080410.html|access-date=2021-09-05|website=covid-19.chinadaily.com.cn}} In 2017, she starred in the Chinese musical adaptation of The Street of Dawn (黎明之街) where she played Nakanishi Akiba (仲系 秋叶), and in Oliver Twist where she played Dodger. In 2019, she was in In the Mood for Sorrow (马不停蹄的忧伤) where she was nominated for the Best leading Actress Award at 13th Daegu International Musical Festival.
= Hollywood =
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was her debut mainstream film role. Before being cast, she sent an audition-tape for an unknown role in an unknown film for women who could speak both Mandarin Chinese and English. After being cast for Shang-Chi, she received intense martial arts stunt training.{{Cite web|last=Grebey|first=James|date=2021-09-03|title='Shang-Chi' star Meng'er Zhang's favorite part of filming? 'Punching Simu in the face'|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/shang-chi-menger-zhang-xialing-punching-simu-in-face|access-date=2021-09-04|website=SYFY WIRE|language=en}} During production of Shang-Chi, she took advice from co-star Ben Kingsley on the distinction between stage- and camera-acting,{{Cite web|title='Asked & Answered with the Women of Marvel': Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina, and Meng'er Zhang|url=https://www.marvel.com/articles/culture-lifestyle/asked-answered-women-of-marvel-michelle-yeoh-awkwafina-menger-zhang|access-date=2021-09-04|website=Marvel Entertainment|language=en}} and director Destin Daniel Cretton also coached her in on-screen acting as she had little experience working with camera framing.{{Cite web|date=2021-08-24|title=Meng'er Zhang on pursuing a dream and becoming a part of the MCU in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings|url=https://thelaterals.com/articles/menger-zhang-on-pursuing-a-dream-and-becoming-a-part-of-the-mcu-in-shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings/|access-date=2021-09-04|website=The Laterals|language=en-US}} Her casting in the film was revealed at the Disney Investor Day 2020 in December of that year.{{Cite web|last=McHenry|first=Jackson|date=2020-12-11|title=All the Disney Investor Day Announcements in One Big Post|url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/12/disney-investor-day-2020-announcements.html|access-date=2021-09-04|website=Vulture|language=en-us}} Zhang joined the cast of The Witcher for its third season as a human hunter named Milva.{{cite magazine |last1=Moreau |first1=Jordan |title=The Witcher Season 3 Casts Robbie Amell, Shang-Chi Star Meng'er Zhang and More |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/the-witcher-season-3-robbie-amell-menger-zhang-1235232696/ |magazine=Variety |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |date=April 14, 2022}}
Personal life
On May 10, 2021, Zhang married Yung Lee, an action designer on Shang-Chi, whom she met on the set of the film. The Shang-Chi cast and crew, including her costars Simu Liu and Awkwafina, hosted a surprise wedding reception for them at Disneyland.{{Cite web|date=2021-09-04|title=Meng'er Zhang Interview: Shang-Chi|url=https://screenrant.com/menger-zhang-shang-chi-interview/|access-date=2021-09-04|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2021-09-02|title=Shang-Chi Star Meng'er Zhang Shares Details Of On-Set Marriage|url=https://gamerant.com/shang-chi-menger-zhang-on-set-marriage/|access-date=2021-09-06|website=Game Rant|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Shang-Chi' Star Meng'er Zhang Shares How Simu Liu and Awkwafina Threw Her a Surprise Wedding Reception {{!}} Entertainment Tonight|url=https://www.etonline.com/shang-chi-star-menger-zhang-reveals-simu-liu-and-awkwafina-threw-her-a-surprise-wedding-reception|access-date=2021-09-06|website=www.etonline.com|language=en-US}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Film ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes ! Ref |
| 2021
| Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | |
| class="wikitable"
|+Theatre !Year !Title !Roles !Notes !Ref |
| 2013
| Finding Destiny 《寻找初恋》 | Luo Yan 骆颜 | |
| 2014
| The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane | | |
| 2016
| | |
| 2017
| The Street of Dawn 《黎明之街》 | Nakanishi Akiba 仲系 秋叶 | |
| 2017
| Dodger | | {{Cite web|title=4月1日音乐话剧《雾都孤儿》观剧团名单|url=https://www.pinlue.com/article/2017/10/0618/074649503625.html|access-date=2021-09-05|website=www.pinlue.com}} |
| 2019
| In The Mood For Sorrow 《马不停蹄的忧伤》 | Lin Baosheng 林宝笙 | Nominated for Best Leading Actress Award at 13th Daegu International Musical Festival | {{Cite web|title=原创音乐剧《马不停蹄的忧伤》斩获国际音乐剧节一项「评委会大奖」及五项提名_作品|url=http://www.sohu.com/a/327092768_805907|access-date=2021-09-05|website=www.sohu.com}}{{Cite web|title=온라인상영작 {{!}} DIMF {{!}} 홈페이지|url=https://dimf.or.kr/portal/festival/view.do?mId=0202000000&searchType=001&idx=84|access-date=2021-09-05|website=dimf.or.kr}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|12000124}}
- {{instagram|mengerzhang}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhang, Meng'er}}
Category:21st-century Chinese actresses
Category:Actresses from Nanjing
Category:Alumni of East 15 Acting School
Category:Chinese expatriates in Russia
Category:Chinese expatriates in the United Kingdom
Category:Chinese expatriates in the United States
Category:Chinese film actresses
Category:Chinese stage actresses