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Wallace Huo Chien-hwa was born on December 26, 1979, in Taipei, Taiwan. His family originates from Shandong province, with his parents hailing from Longkou, Shandong, and Tianjin Municipality. Both parents worked in the court system, and his brother is a police officer. Although his parents hoped he would pursue a similar career, Wallace was passionate about singing and aspired to be a singer from his early teens. Pursuing this dream, he entered the entertainment industry at 17.
Wallace first gained recognition in 2000 through a cellphone commercial with Angelica Lee. After completing military service in 2002, he signed with etKING and starred as one of the leads in the drama "Star," also performing its theme song. This marked the beginning of his acting career. In 2003, he starred in several Taiwanese idol dramas, including At Dolphin Bay, Westside Story, Secret Garden, Great Teacher, Pretty Girl, and 100% Senorita.
In 2004, seeking new challenges and opportunities to hone his craft, Wallace shifted his focus to mainland China. His breakthrough there was the film Hands in the Hair alongside Rosamund Kwan. That April, he starred in the martial arts film The Royal Swordsmen directed by Wong Jing, playing the vivid detective "No. 1 on Di" (Gui Hai Yi Dao).
In 2008, Wallace starred in Chinese Paladin 3, a prequel to Chinese Paladin. The series aired in 2009, topping ratings and ranking among the best TV dramas that year. In late 2010, he led two dramas, Detective Tanglang and Go Yi Yi Go, both broadcast on China Central Television (CCTV). These roles boosted his popularity, making him the most-watched actor on CCTV 1 at 10:00 pm and CCTV 8 at 7:30 pm prime time.
On February 2, 2012, his medical drama Inspire the Life premiered on CCTV-1 prime time, earning multiple government awards including the Best Work Awards and the Chinese Television Flying Apsaras Awards. Wallace portrayed Han Zihang, an attending physician with overseas education, acting alongside renowned actors Wang Zhiwen, Wang, Li Chengru, and Zhang Tieling.
In April 2012, Wallace was cast as Linghu Chong in Swordsman, adapted from Jin Yong’s classic wuxia novel. Broadcast on Hunan TV during Chinese New Year prime time, the series achieved No.1 ratings on both television and streaming platforms. Wallace also portrayed the villainous Yang Lianting, showcasing his versatility. The drama’s success reaffirmed his popularity.
Wallace then starred in his first war drama, Battle of Changsha, produced by Shandong Film and TV Group and directed by Kong Sheng, who won the Magnolia Award for Best Directing. Wallace played Gu Qingming, a young man from a notable family who bravely fought on the front lines. The love story between Gu Qingming and Hu Xiangxiang (played by Yang Zi) drew comparisons to Gone with the Wind. The drama was voted Best Drama in 2014 on Douban after airing on CCTV-8.
Filming for the costume drama Perfect Couple began in April 2013. Wallace not only starred as Jin Yuanbao but also served as producer, marking his debut in drama production. The series aired on April 21, 2014, and was a major success. Its charming and heartfelt character interactions, coupled with strong visuals, made it the most popular online drama, amassing 1 billion hits on major streaming sites.
In November 2013, Wallace starred in The Great Protector, supervised by renowned screenwriter Zou Jingzhi and filmed by the team behind The Grand Master. The drama depicted ordinary lives during the late Qing Dynasty to the 1911 Revolution, with Wallace playing Liu Anshun. As his first Qing Dynasty drama, he regarded it as a work he could proudly show to future generations. It aired on December 25, 2014, across four major cable channels.
On June 6, 2015, Wallace’s costume and fantasy drama The Journey of Flower premiered on Hunan Broadcasting System (HBS) at 10:00 pm prime time. He starred as Bai Zihua-Zunshang, an immortal guardian of Changliu Mountain, whose only disciple Qiangu is both his fatal curse and lover. The drama ranked No.1 nationally for its time slot, with an average rating of 2.123% among 50 major cable channels according to CSM, and 2.69% in national TV programs.
In September 2015, Wallace became the celebrity spokesperson for SK-II China, starring in its Change Destiny campaign, which reflected his life philosophy. On December 5, 2015, he received the Most Popular Actor award at the iQIYI All Star Carnival. Six days later, China Newsweek named him Person of the Year as the Most Influential Actor.
On December 22, 2015, Wallace and Yang Mi filmed the sci-fi/action movie RESET, produced by Jackie Chan and directed by Korean director Chang in Busan, South Korea. Wallace played his first villain role as Cui Hu, who kidnaps Yang Mi’s son.
On January 21, 2016, Wallace joined the cast of a film directed by Zhang Mo, daughter of Zhang Yimou, playing Zheng Wei Jia/Mao Liang. The film, also produced by Zhang Yimou, was shot in Beijing.
On February 13, 2016, The Imperial Doctress premiered on Dragon TV and Jiangsu TV, with Wallace portraying Ming Dynasty Emperor Zhu Qizhen. The drama achieved an average rating of 1.2% on both channels.
On March 2, 2016, Madame Tussauds Shanghai announced Wallace as one of the celebrities to have a wax figure in a newly introduced section of the museum, scheduled for unveiling later in 2016.
On March 18, 2016, Hugo Boss China announced a collaboration with Wallace, naming him the Boss "Man of Today" spokesperson for China and featuring him in the launch of the Hugo Boss Spring/Summer 2016 menswear collection.
