How Qi Yuwu Has Evolved As An Actor And A Father

Award-winning actor Qi Yuwu reflects on pandemic times and how he has evolved as an actor and a father.

- Zhuan Lee

As the late Karl Lagerfeld once said, “What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” This is also the main reason why actor Qi Yuwu, who turns 45 this November, agreed to this magazine shoot. “I felt it’s a good opportunity to document what life during the pandemic is like—what I look like, how I spend my days, what goes through my mind and so on,” he says. “It has been a difficult (nearly) two years for everyone, but it’s also an important time that I want etched in my mind.”

Qi, who has spent time working in China, Malaysia and Singapore over the past two years, recently won Best Actor at the 2021 Star Awards for his work in the Mediacorp-produced Chinese time travel drama series A Quest to Heal. He was also a finalist for the Best Actor category at this year’s New York Festivals TV and Film Awards. On the day of our shoot, the Guangzhou-born Qi walks into the studio looking like a lean, bronzed demigod, the result of many hours running and exercising under the sun. “I’ve learned to find joy amidst hard times,” he shares, “and also realised how adaptable human beings are in ever-changing situations. There’s only so much one could do indoors, with all the restrictions over the past year. I took to running outdoors and sunbathing on my balcony.” Pointing to the freckles on his cheeks and toned arms, Qi adds: “I don’t think I’ve ever been this tanned, so today’s photos will also serve as a memento of my days during the pandemic.” He requests for the makeup artist to not conceal his sunspots, “because this is what I look like now and I want to keep it real”.