Early life
Wang Kai was born in Wuhan in Hubei Province. Although he wanted to become an actor after reading Cao Yu's play, Thunderstorm, in school, his father wanted him to do sports while his mother wanted him to find a stable job.[1] As a result, he worked as a book porter at Xinhua Bookstore after high school . However, he later resigned from his job and moved to Beijing to study at Central Academy of Drama in 2003.
Career
Early career
While a student at the Central Drama Academy, Wang Kai received his first acting role, Huang Yuanshang in Cold Autumn , upon recommendation of his professor Zhang Xiaolong.[2] The series was filmed in 2005 and aired in 2006. Also in 2006, he participated in his first film, My Puppy My Love , as the male lead Wei.[3] The film did not air until 2012.
In 2007, Wang Kai graduated from the Central Drama Academy and signed with Huayi Brothers. During the next year, he received no roles except for a minor role in Water Point Peach Blossom with Ma Lujian, the director of Cold Autumn.[4]
2008–12: Breaking into television
Wang Kai's first major role came with his casting in Ugly Wudi. The series was a commercial success, with the all four seasons being the highest viewed show in its time slot.[5] Although he tried out for the male lead, he was offered the role of Chen Jiaming, a sassy advertising director. Wang Kai continued to play the role for all four seasons of the series’ run between 2008 and 2010. While filming Ugly Wudi, he left Huayi Brothers and signed with Ugly Wudi’s production company, Nesound International.[6]
Also in 2008, Wang Kai played a small role in romantic comedy Calling For Love. He played Wang Rui, a budding director and the love interest of the male lead’s sister. Because the series will air in Taiwan, Wang Kai learned to speak with a Taiwanese dialect for the role. He spent time on set learning from the crew and the other actors to learn to speak in a Taiwanese dialect. The series aired in May 2010.[7]
After the success of Ugly Wudi, Wang Kai found himself facing a period of eight months where all roles offered to him were similar to Chen Jiaming. Unwilling to be typecast, he rejected them all. Finally, he was given the role of the rugged educated youth Qi Yong in Youth in 2010. Director Zhang Xinjian apparently had not seen him in Ugly Wudi before, and gave him the role immediately after the audition. This is the first of his many collaborations with director Zhang Xinjian. Parts were filmed in a blizzard in under negative 42 degrees Celsius, and many actors had quit the show due to the extreme conditions.[8] The series aired in 2012. It was also at this time when he met the then President of Shandong Television & Film, Hou Hongliang, who would later become his boss and business partner.[9]
In 2011, he starred in TV series Guns Hou, playing Dai Dao. The drama tells the story of a family famous for manufacturing guns during the fall of the Manchu dynasty.[10] The same year, Wang Kai also collaborated with Zhang Xinjian again for his male lead role in Half the Sky. Wang Kai had to speak in a Dongbei dialect for his role as Wu Dawei in Half the Sky did not receive approval for airing until May 2015, and did not air until March 2016.[11]
In July 2013, Wang Kai starred as detective Gongsun Ze in New Detective Squad, a Republican-era detective series loosely based on The Three Heroes and Five Gallants.[12] In the 2013 movie, A Young Girl's Destiny, Wang played the role of Hao Chen.
2013–2015: Mainstream success
In 2013, with the disbandment of Nesound’s management department, Wang Kai joined Shandong Television & Film. His first role under the company was police officer Fang Mengwei in All Quiet in Peking.[13] The series was a major turning point for him in his confidence in acting, and marked the first of his multiple collaborations with directors Kong Sheng and Li Xue. Although the series had low viewership, he was praised for his ability to hold his own against multiple acclaimed veteran actors.[14]
The same year, he also made a cameo as underground union organizer Liu Chengzhi in Zhang Xinjian’s Once Upon a Time in Qingdao. Wang also made a cameo as Jin Yi in The Golden Era. He starred in the movie, A Murder Beside Yanhe River, where he plays Huang Kegong, a Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army soldier who becomes a murder suspect.[15]A Murder Beside Yanhe River premiered in December 2014, and Wang Kai received his first acting award for his portrayal of Huang Kegong, the Cutting-edge Actor Award at the 9th Chinese Youth Film Forum.[16]
In December 2014, when Hou Hongliang resigned from Shandong Film & Television to focus on Daylight Entertainment Ltd., Wang Kai left with him for Daylight Entertainment.[17] Between April 2014 and Summer 2015, Wang Kai filmed three television series produced by Daylight Entertainment: Nirvana in Fire, The Disguiser, and Love Me If You Dare.
On August 30，2015, espionage series The Disguiser began airing on Hunan TV, and quickly had one of the highest viewership ratings of the year. He received praise for his portrayal of the triple agent Ming Cheng for the series.[18] The success of The Disguiser was followed by the airing of Nirvana In Fire on September 19, 2015. In Nirvana In Fire, he plays a neglected Xiao Jingyan, Prince Jing, who climbs his way to the throne with the help of his best friend, Mei Changsu.[19]
A number of his other series also aired in late 2015, including Love Me if You Dare, which is based on writer Ding Mo's detective novel with the same name. Wang played police officer Li Xunran.[20] In addition, Once Upon a Time in Qingdao and A Murder Beside Yanhe River aired in November,[21] with Waiting For You in December. Following the airing of The Disguiser and Nirvana in Fire, Wang Kai quickly rose to fame. By the end of 2015, he had received multiple awards and had became a regular in both magazines and fashion events. Between October and December, he participated in over 26 photo shoots.[22]
Wang Kai was awarded "The Year's Most Popular TV Actor" award at Dragon TV's "Wind from the East" ceremony for the most influential entertainers.[23] He was made ambassador of "1219 Long Love" public event in Beijing.[24]
It was announced in December 2015 that Wang Kai is to collaborate with Joe Chen for the 2016 drama Stay with Me.[25]
2016–present
On January 14, 2016, he attended the conference for 360 smartphone, his first endorsement deal.[26] In February 2016, he was announced a spokesperson for Uni's line of bottle water, Alkaqua[27] as well as a brand ambassador for cosmetics brand Estée Lauder.[28]
Also in February 2016, Wang Kai co-founded Deshe Entertainment (Tianjin) Ltd. The company’s co-investor is Daylight Entertainment, and its legal representative is Hou Hongliang.[29]
In March 2016, Wang Kai stars as Shi Taipu in Legend of Nine Tails Fox in the story "Chang Ting (长亭)", which was adapted from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, by Pu Songling.[30] In the same year, his series Ode to Joy, based on the novel with the same name, which will broadcast in April. He plays Zhao Qiping, a man who is a serious doctor in the day, but a fun-loving party animal off work.[31] Wang Kai will star in Jackie Chan's action comedy movie, Railroad Tigers, which is set to be released in October 2016.[32]
Filmography
Television dramas
|
Year
|
Title
|
Role
|
|---|
|
2006
|
Cold Autumn (寒秋)
|
Huang Yuanshang
|
|
2008
|
Water Point Peach Blossom (围屋里的桃花)
|
Xu Yilin
|
2008-
2010
|
Ugly Wudi (丑女无敌)
|
Chen Jiaming
|
|
2010
|
Calling For Love (呼叫大明星)
|
Wang Rui
|
|
2011
|
Guns Hou (枪炮侯)
|
Dai Dao
|
|
2012
|
Youth (知青)
|
Qi Yong
|
|
2013
|
New Detective Squad (新神探联盟)
|
Gongsun Ze
|
|
2014
|
All Quiet in Peking (北平无战事)
|
Fang Mengwei
|
|
2015
|
Waiting For You (等你爱我)
|
Qu He
|
|
Once Upon a Time in Qing Dao (青岛往事)
|
Liu Chengzhi
|
|
The Disguiser (伪装者)
|
Ming Cheng
|
|
Nirvana In Fire (瑯琊榜)
|
Xiao Jingyan, Prince Jing
|
|
Love Me If You Dare (他来了，请闭眼)
|
Li Xunran
|
|
2016
|
Legend of Nine Tails Fox (青丘狐传说)
|
Shi Taipu
|
|
Half the Sky (女人的天空)
|
Wu Dawei
|
|
Ode to Joy (欢乐颂)
|
Zhao Qiping
|
|
Stay with Me (放弃我，抓紧我)
|
Chen Yidu
|
|
TBA
|
When a Snail Falls in Love (如果蜗牛有爱情)
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Ji Bai
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