Allan Wu Biography

Allan Wu was born on 11 June 1972.He is a Singapore-based Chinese-American actor, host, VJ and former model. He is perhaps best known for being the host of 3 different editions of the popular reality game show, The Amazing Race. He was the host of 5 seasons of AXN Asia’s The Amazing Race Asia, 3 seasons of International Channel Shanghai’s The Amazing Race: China Rush and 4 seasons of Shenzhen Media Group’s Chinese edition of The Amazing Race. Wu decided to change his Chinese name because it was similar to Hong Kong film star Francis Ng.

Wu was born in Los Angeles, California, United States to Chinese immigrant parents from Shenyang, Liaoning, China. His first language was Mandarin as his parents spoke it at home. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in the United States and worked in the biotechnology industry for several years. He eventually discovered his desire to become an actor after an accident made him reassess his life. He did some modeling for a while and also participated in an episode of the reality competition series Fear Factor, where he placed 2nd. He moved to Hong Kong where he worked as an actor.

Allan Wu Wife

Wu was married to former Mediacorp actress Wong Li Lin and they have a daughter Sage and son Jonas. Sage was 1 and a half years older than Jonas, she was born in 2004 while he was born in 2006. The couple is managed by Fly Entertainment. In 2013, the couple separated.

Allan Wu Career

Despite struggling with limited knowledge of Cantonese, MTV Taiwan gave him a stint as a VJ, during which he co-hosted a Christmas concert. He moved to Singapore and began acting in Chinese language drama series on Channel 8. He has been the host for all five seasons of The Amazing Race Asia. He is also the host of The Amazing Race: China Rush, the Chinese version of The Amazing Race. In Season 16 of the American version of the Amazing Race, Allan Wu made a cameo appearance in Singapore, handing out clues.

Allan Wu Current Affair

Wu, who has two children aged 12 and 10 with ex-wife and former actress Wong Li-Lin, is dating Miss Malaysia World 2012 and model-emcee Yvonne Lee, 29, who came in second in The Amazing Race Asia 5.

Allan Wu Instagram

Allan Wu Divorce Interview

A wound that has yet to heal. That was how Wong Li Lin described her relationship with her newly-estranged husband, fellow actor and TV host Allan Wu.

Speaking to RazorTV, the 41-year-old actress opened up about life after divorce.

Q: There have been many speculations of the cause of the break-up and you’ve chosen not to answer them. Are you ready to address them now?

I don’t really need to address them to anybody. This is between Allan and me. Suffice to say.

And so we just have to be mature about it and find a way that best suits him, so that he can grow and have the life that he deserves, as I do, as our children do, more than anything.

As for the why? Does it matter to you? I’ve already figured it out. You’re really just curious, so is the rest of the world…

He’s right and he’s wrong…it’s really none of that. We both have our rights and wrongs. We both tried.

I would have, as he would, loved to be together, and for the kids. You know that idea of what’s perfect remains. But such is life.

Q: The couple have 2 kids, 8-year-old Sage and 5-year-old Jonas. How did they cope with the news of your split ?

I think as with all children, they grow up with the world as their mom and dad. And if that changes, it is unsettling, I’m sure.

As with anything in life, nothing remains a constant. And this much I’ve learnt: I conduct my life with honesty and kindness as much as I can; and in the same way, I would deliver the news to my children in the same vein and what they can absorb.

To them now, it’s just that mum and dad are not together but they receive the same amount of love and attention. Allan is a very loving dad and he loves his children verymuch and would endeavour to spend as much time with them as possible. And him and I, while estranged will always be connected because of the children.

So for that, I think they are now used to the fact that we don’t live together. I think it is just one of those things, life continues and comes in different ways and they will have to just handle it.

A long time before the actual divorce, there was big guilt. Having to say, ‘Oh no, what do I do? Am I just really messing up my children?’ And then later when you come to some clarity that if you do live honestly and kindly, everything just works out. If you ever just conduct things truthfully, it works.

And I’ve encouraged them not to be afraid of asking questions to dad or me. If they were sad to share that and if they were unhappy or happy to share that, and it’s okay. And sometimes you can see they wrestle with guilt or whatever, I remind them it’s not their issue. Their job is just to be kids and to be loved by us, and I think that’s really helped.

Q: Wong spent the better part of her 9-year marriage as a full-time mum. How are you personally coping with it?

If you asked me 2-3 months ago, I’m like swamped. I was really juggling too much. There was a lot on my plate. Everybody wanted to know. It was important for us to have some time-out to slow it down a little bit until we had time to breathe. A moment to ourselves to collect ourselves.

So now things are a little bit better. Still has some ways to go.

So how am I? I’m doing great! I’m exactly where I want to be and I feel good about that.

Q: How would you describe your relationship with Allan right now?

It has to heal. That’s all I can say. Like with anything, it’s like having a cut. It’s probably a bit raw in various ways, but it has to heal. That can only take time.

Allan Wu Photo Shooting

Allan Wu Filmography

Television

Film

Allan Wu Awards 

Allan Wu Shows

Allan Wu Brand Ambassador/ Spokesperson

Allan Wu News

Allan Wu back on Men’s Health cover after 15 years, as fit as ever

Updated: Jul 23, 2018 

Looking at Allan Wu, you would not have thought that he appeared on the first issue of Men’s Health Singapore back in 2003.

The US-born Chinese actor-host flaunts the same youthful energy and charm as before, not to mention a better physique and full head of hair.

As he turns 46 this year, many things have changed over the years for Wu, but many have also stayed the same.

Previously a model with Ford Models in the US, he reveals that it was always an aspiration of his to one day appear on the cover of Men’s Health.

“For me, honestly, I was over the moon. I was so excited, so proud and so honoured,” he recalled about the opportunity.

“I knew the odds of doing that in the US would be low, because one, I was Asian, and also it was just very, very difficult.

“It is fantastic to be able to be on the cover again now, and as honoured, and as touched, and as privileged as I felt 15 years ago, I feel even more honoured now to be back on the cover for Men’s Health in Singapore.”

One thing is evident from Wu’s chiselled physique – time is in a race against him and he is clearly winning.

“I honestly haven’t done as many ab exercises in the past few years. I did quite a bit for this shoot because I knew it had been 15 years and I have to give face,” he admitted jokingly.

Anyone who sees Wu now would probably find it hard to believe, but his secret to staying in such great shape is not about lifting really heavy or doing hundreds of crunches.

It is about how you eat, how you adapt your workouts to you and recognising that things that used to work more than a decade ago may not work now.

“As we get older, our BMR (basal metabolic rate, the amount of energy expended at rest) slows down, and our body has stopped growing and developing,” he said.

“So if I am going to eat the same amount of food I did 15 years ago now, I am going look a lot different.”

“Our bodies in our 20s and teens are a lot more, I think, elastic and more able to be shaped and malleable. It is like soft clay.

“In our 40s and 50s, we are pretty much set in our ways, mentally and also physically. So it requires more determination and willpower to get it done.”

Despite this uphill battle, along with his love of burgers, burritos and beer, Wu clearly shows it is possible to achieve what he has as long as you have the right mindset.

Challenges
It is not just health and fitness that Wu has had to contend with as the years go by.

Now a father of two (daughter, Sage, is 14, and son, Jonas, is 12), there have been instances in his career and personal life that have had a lasting impact.

Whether it is being thrown into the deep end in his job or experiencing heartbreak, it is through these events and milestones that have resulted in a better and wiser version of himself.

Not only was going from modelling to acting a big enough change, he ended up doing it in a language he could not speak well.

“When I started doing Channel 8, I could barely speak Mandarin and I couldn’t read Chinese at all,” he said.

“Now, I act in Chinese, I host in Chinese, I work in China. But in the beginning, I was petrified.”

However, he believes you have to have the courage and confidence to try anything, even if you do not think you can.

“One thing I have learnt in my life is that if there is a new opportunity in work, in life, and you don’t feel you are ready… Just do it. Someone there believes in you and wants to give you that opportunity.”

As for Wu’s personal life, going through a public divorce with his ex-wife, local personality Wong Li Lin, in 2013 was one of the biggest challenges he had faced and coping with it was a slow and difficult process.

“I was living with the children in Shanghai during the initial stages of the separation, and each morning after I dropped off the kids at school, I would go to a track and run in the freezing cold, lap after lap,” he said.

Despite how things turned out, he has no regrets about marriage and starting a family.

“It was one of the best experiences I ever had, and I think that is what life is like – if it works out, it works out. If it doesn’t, then it is a lesson to be learnt.”

This article was first published in the August 2018 issue of Men’s Health Singapore (www.menshealth.com.sg)

Allan Wu’s Three Favourite Exercises

Push-Ups
You can do push-ups with your arms closer together, which focuses more on shoulders and triceps, or push-ups with your arms further apart to focus more on pectorals. It is a great exercise, and it has a built-in plank too.

Pull-Ups
I love these more body-centric exercises. As you get older, you focus more on exercises that work multiple body parts. Pull-ups will work your back, rhomboids, lats, biceps and forearms. It is one of those exercises where you can see results immediately if you do them every day.

Swimming
We can all get really muscular and big, but if you want to be able to maintain that level of being lean, then it requires cardio. For me, it used to be running, but now with my knee, I have switched over to swimming. If you can find a cardiovascular or aerobic exercise that you like, then that is a great way to stay in shape and keep the fat away.

Source: https://www.tnp.sg