Shu Xiuwen | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 舒绣文 | |||||||||
 Shu Xiuwen in the 1940s | |||||||||
| Born | 1915 | ||||||||
| Died | 17 March 1969 (aged 53–54) Beijing, China | ||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Film and stage actress | ||||||||
| Notable work | The Spring River Flows East Rickshaw Boy Guan Hanqing | ||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 舒繡文 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 舒绣文 | ||||||||
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Shu Xiuwen (1915 – 17 March 1969), also romanized as Shu Hsiu-wen, was a Chinese film and stage actress, as well as the first voice actress in China. She grew up in poverty but made a name for herself in the drama and film industry of Shanghai before the Second Sino-Japanese War, and then in the wartime capital Chongqing. She starred in numerous films and stage plays, including her most acclaimed film The Spring River Flows East, and was recognized as one of China's top four actresses.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Shu was elected to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People's Congress. However, she was severely persecuted when the Cultural Revolution began in 1966 and died in March 1969.
Shu is known for her versatility and her performances greatly influenced later generations of Chinese actors. In 2005, she was voted as one of the 100 best actors of the 100 years of Chinese cinema.