Ge You

Ge You

Ge You (Chinese:葛优) is a widely acclaimed Chinese actor and comedian famous for his starring roles in New Year blockbuster movies. He is one of those rare talents whose comic genius is paired with deft acting skills.

Ge was born in Beijing on April 19, 1957 into a family of actors. Sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution, in 1979 he joined a drama troupe of the National Song and Dance Ensemble. In 1985, he got his first movie role in Shengxia and Her Fiancé. He followed this up in 1988 with a part in Troubleshooters, an adaptation of a Wang Shuo novel. But it was not until 1992 that Ge achieved national fame for his role in the TV series Stories from the Editorial Board. Two years later, Ge’s outstanding performance in Zhang Yimou’s movie To Live won him the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1997 he began a long-term collaboration with Feng Xiaogang, one of China’s most renowned directors, which resulted in a series of New Year blockbusters. Their films include The Dream Factory, Be There or Be Square, Sorry Baby, Big Shot’s Funeral, Cell Phone, A World without Thieves, The Banquet and If You are the One. Almost all were critical and box office successes.

In 2010, Ge’s starring roles in three New Year releases, Sacrifice, Let the Bullets Fly and If You are the One II, mark a new pinnacle in his career.