Introduction
Ni Ni (born 8 August 1988) is a Chinese actress best known for her role as Yu Mo in the 2011 film The Flowers of War directed by Zhang Yimou. Along with actresses Angelababy, Yang Mi and Liu Shishi, Ni Ni was chosen as the one of the New Four Dan Actresses in 2013.
Early life
Ni was born in Nanjing and graduated from the Communication University of China, specializing in television broadcasting and hosting.
Career
Ni made her debut in Zhang Yimou's The Flowers of War, playing the lead female character "Yu Mo".
Zhang and his team started seeking cast members in 2007. As The Flowers of War is set in 1937 Nanjing, Zhang hoped to find a native actress to star in his film. Ni was eventually chosen, and became a new "Mou girl" like Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi. She received acclaim for her performance in the film and rose to fame. Producer Zhang Weiping spoke highly of her: "Born in 1988, she is young, yet her grasp of the figure is definitely accurate."
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Chinese title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Flowers of War | 金陵十三钗 | Yu Mo | |
| 2013 | Redemption | 杀戒 | Jiang Yue | |
| 2013 | Love Will Tear Us Apart | 我想和你好好的 | Miaomiao | |
| 2013 | Up in the Wind | 等风来 | Cheng Yumeng | |
| 2014 | Fleet of Time | 匆匆那年 | Fang Hui | |
| 2015 | Bride Wars | 新娘大作战 | Ma Li | |
| 2016 | The Warriors Gate | 勇士之門 | Su Lin | |
| Suddenly Seventeen | 28岁未成年 | Liang Xia | ||
| 2017 | Manhattan Love Story | 曼哈顿爱情故事 | ||
| Miracle's Fighter | 奇门遁甲 | Metal Dragonfly | ||
| The Tales of Wukong | 悟空传 | Zi Xia | ||
| Savages | 雪暴 |
Television
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Zhang Yimou and His 'The Flowers of War' | 张艺谋和他的金陵十三钗 | Herself | Documentary |
| 2015 | Wonderful Friends | 奇妙的朋友 | Herself | Variety show |
| 2017 | The Rise of Phoenixes | 凰权·弈天下 | Feng Zhiwei | Drama |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Asian Film Award for Best Newcomer | The Flowers of War | Won |
| 2012 | Shanghai Film Critics Circle Award for Best actress | The Flowers of War | Won |