Nicky Wu: the career of an 80s heartthrob and Jackie Chan doppelganger

Nicky Wu is a Taiwanese singer and actor who is best known for being part of one of Taiwan’s biggest boy bands back in the 80s.

Born on October 31, 1970, in Taipei, Taiwan, Nicky Wu was reported by Tencent to have been scouted by a talent agent when he was on summer vacation with his sister to participate in a talent audition.

Passing the auditions, Nicky Wu started off his career in showbiz by being part of the Taiwanese boyband ‘Little Tigers Team’ and was named ‘Thunderbolt’ tiger while being part of the boy band.

‘Little Tigers Team’ is considered the predecessor to the age of Taiwanese boy bands in Chinese pop music and was considered one of Taiwan’s biggest pop bands back in the 80s, reports Tencent!

Image: UFO Taiwan

According to AsiaWeek, Nicky Wu was part of the ‘Little Tigers Team’ alongside Taiwanese singer-actors Alec Su, and Julian Chen. The group was founded in 1988.

Image: UFO Taiwan

Unfortunately, despite the group’s huge success, ‘Little Tigers Team’ had to be disbanded due to Taiwan’s compulsory military enlistment for its male citizens, which made it difficult for the band to hold their group activities further, reports NetEase.

Image: UFO Taiwan

Since then, Nicky Wu has branched out as a solo artist with his own music, went into acting beyond Taiwan, and managed to establish a solid presence in Hong Kong and Mainland China.

As a singer, Nicky Wu is known for his albums ‘Wind Chaser’, ‘My Summer Dream’, and ‘Journey’, among others. He has also managed to establish a presence in singing songs for many drama serials, especially for those he is also acting in.

As an actor, Nicky Wu is famously known for his work in the hit drama ‘Scarlet Heart’ in recent years, where he met his current wife, actress Liu Shishi. He is also known for works such as ‘Treasure Venture’, ‘At the Threshold of an Era’, and ‘The Bride with White Hair’.

Other than acting and singing, Nicky Wu has also worked as a producer for several films, such as ‘I Wish’, ‘A Perfect Husband’, and ‘Death Trip’.

Nicky Wu is also an entrepreneur, and owns the fashion brand ‘Qi Energy’, which was meant to drive profits for a charitable cause, reports Sina.

Since 2017, Nicky Wu also holds the rights to the fashion brand ‘Ed Hardy X’, which is a subsidiary of the ‘Ed Hardy’ brand, reports Yangtze River Network.

Now in 2024, Nicky Wu has not had any new activity in the entertainment world other than his participation in the variety show ‘A Bite of Country’ on Jiangsu TV back in September 2023.

Image: Weibo

Nicky Wu’s face still remains one of the most recognisable ones indeed, as 8days reports that he has been recently likened to Hong Kong A-lister Jackie Chan and is now bearing an uncanny resemblance to Jackie Chan.

Image: Weibo

This hasn’t been the first time Nicky Wu’s looks have been the topic of discussion, as back in 2022 and 2019, 8days reported that Nicky Wu has been imaged shamed for looking like an ‘uncle’, and for gaining weight.

Image: Weibo

Despite the criticism and discussion surrounding his change in appearance, Nicky Wu remains one of C-entertainment's most prominent figures due to his contributions to the industry in both music and acting since the 1980s.

Image: Weibo