Betty Zhou
Betty Zhou is a Chinese actress, singer, producer, sports commentator and television host. She hosts her show "Talking to Hollywood with Betty Zhou" on CCTV.
Betty Zhou | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jiangsu, China，October 31, 1981 |
| Occupation | Actress, Host, Producer |
| Years active | 2007–present |
She is active in China & Singapore. In 2013, she became the first bilingual anchor from China to cover the NBA finals.
Early life
Betty Zhou was born in the Jiangsu Province of China. When she was younger, Zhou had dreamt of becoming a journalist, even a war correspondent who could venture into conflict zones. She later decided that she would become an actress and went on to study performing arts at Shanghai Normal University's Xie Jin Film & Television Art College.[1]
Career
Betty Zhou was educated in Mainland China for acting, but began her acting career in Singapore, where she learnt to speak English fluently whilst preparing for the TV series Adventure Girls and Kung Fu Killer. Zhou's foray into the entertainment industry started even before she graduated from college in 2007. An overseas production company had talent-spotted Zhou and subsequently signed her on to star in Adventure Girls. As the title suggests, the travel program featured Zhou and another co-host in search of adventure in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, taking part in outdoor activities such as bungee jumping, diving and rock climbing.[1] Zhou later got to know some industry people from Singapore and was offered an acting career there. She decided to relocate to Singapore for a few years to hone her craft, and the move paid off as she managed to gain a considerable amount of exposure there, featuring in numerous magazines and television shows. During her time there, Zhou had the honor of becoming the only actress from China to star in a leading role in an English language production.[1]
A few years later, Zhou got to meet renowned Chinese R&B singer David Tao, who offered her a job back in China. Following this, Zhou was presented with the opportunity to front NBA coverage in her basketball-crazy country, and despite knowing nothing about the sport, she gamely took up the challenge, putting due diligence into researching the sport in order to become a credible host.[2] She also taught herself Cantonese for her appearances in Hong Kong.[3][4]
In 2013 she started hosting basketball coverage in China on Chinese Central Television, including the weekly program Sensual NBA.[3] Although she did not follow basketball before she began hosting basketball shows, reviews for her understanding of basketball terminology were generally positive.[4][5] She was the first Chinese bilingual presenter to attend and cover the NBA Finals in 2013.[6][7][8]
Talking to Hollywood with Betty Zhou
In May 2015 she started hosting Talking to Hollywood with Betty Zhou, a Chinese Central Television program broadcast on Baidu's iQIYI platform.[9][10] It was co-created by Rob Moore and produced with the support of Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, Universal Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.[9] As the host of Talking to Hollywood with Betty Zhou, she has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise, Adam Sandler and Zoe Saldana. Created by a host of big names such as Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Walt Disney Studios, the show gives Chinese audiences an exclusive and intimate look into the world's largest entertainment industry.[11]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Kung Fu Killer | Siren Crane |
| 2010 | China Doll | Waitress |
| 2011 | Pay Day | Long Le [12] |
| 2012 | The Man With the Iron Fists | Jack Knife's Widow |
| 2017 | xXx: The Return of Xander Cage | Club Announcer |
Primary Works
TV Series
| Year | Title | TV Station | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | “Payday” – Actress [12] | Singapore, Channel 5 | Daisy lrani |
| 2010 | “Point of Entry” | Singapore, Channel 5 | |
| 2010 | “Wrongful Love” 《错爱》 | Zhejiang Satellite TV | |
| 2010 | “Want to Love Again” 《好想再爱一次》 | Zhejiang Satellite TV | |
| 2009 | “Mr. & Mrs. Kok” 《神探妙夫妻》 | Singapore, Channel 8 | |
| 2008 | “Housewives’ Holiday” 《主妇的假期》 | Singapore, Channel 8 | |
| 2007 | “Adventure Girls” 《丽险记》- Actress | Singapore, Channel 5 Malaysia TV Channel |
Live Interviews
| Time | Station | Location | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | “Fairchild TV” | Canada | Mandarin and Cantonese |
| 2014 | “Fairchild Radio AM1470” | Canada | Cantonese |
| 2014 | “CNR Radio FM101.8” | China | Mandarin |
| 2013 | “Phoenix URadio” | Hong Kong | Mandarin |
| 2013 | “D100 Radio” | Hong Kong | Cantonese |
| 2011 | “FM987 Radio” | Singapore | English |
Event Hosting
| Year | Title | Channel | Partner Host |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | “NBA Match Arena” 《NBA赛场》[13] （Weekly Broadcast） | Chongqing Satellite TV | |
| 2014 | “NFL Super Bowl” 《NFL超级碗》 | Chongqing Satellite TV | |
| 2013 to now | “Very NBA” 《聲色NBA》 | Sina Net | |
| 2013 | “Fun in the East” 《乐享东方》 | GETV | |
| 2013 | “Jeanswest Entertainment Live” 《真维斯-娱乐现场》 | Education Channel, Shanghai Satellite TV | |
| 2013 | “Million Idol Singer” (Grand Final) 《百万唱将》年度总决赛 | Shandong Satellite TV |
Hosting Experiences
| Year | Title | Location | Participating Guest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage" [14] | Toronto | Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen, Kris Wu, Nina Dobrev |
| 2016 | "Zoolander No. 2" [15] | New York | Alexander Wand, Marc Jacobs |
| 2016 | "Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" [16] | New York | Stephen Amell |
| 2015 | "Star Trek Beyond" | Los Angeles | Justin Lin |
| 2015 | "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" [17] | New Orleans | Tom Cruise, Colbie Smulders |
| 2015 | "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" | Los Angeles | JJ Abrams |
| 2015 | "007: Spectre" | Beijing | Daniel Craig |
| 2015 | "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" China Premiere [18] | Beijing | Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutchinson, Liam Hemsworth |
| 2015 | "Terminator Genysis" [19] | Shanghai | Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alan Taylor, Jane Zhang |
| 2015 | "Mission Impossible 5: Rogue Nation" China Premiere, Press Conference, Fan Meeting [20] | Shanghai | Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Christopher McQuarrie |
| 2015 | "Mission Impossible 5: Rogue Nation" Global Premiere [21] | Vienna | Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Christopher McQuarrie |
| 2015 | "Official Opening of Adidas Flagship Store" | Shanghai | Zhai Xiaochuan |
| 2015 | "NBA Official Forum" | Shanghai | James Harden |
| 2015 | "San Diego Comic-Con International" | San Diego | San Diego |
| 2015 | Brand endorsement conference for Rain | Shanghai | Rain |
| 2015 | "Jurassic World" | Beijing | Chris Pratt |
| 2015 | "Pixels" | Los Angeles, Las Vegas | Adam Sandler, Chris Columbus |
| 2015 | "Ant Man" | Las Vegas | Paul Rudd |
| 2015 | Star Trek Beyond | Vancouver | Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg |
| 2015 | "Mind Team" Promo Event | San Francisco | Peter Dougard |
| 2015 | "Ninja Turtles II: Out of the Shadows" Promo Event | Los Angeles | Megan Fox |
| 2015 | "The Walk" Promo Event | Los Angeles | Joseph Gordon-Levitt |
| 2015 | NBA 2K Online Press Conference [22] | Guangzhou | LeBron James |
| 2014 Aug | Mobil 40th anniversary | Shanghai | |
| 2014 Aug | "Budweiser STORM EDM Festival" [23] Press conference host | Beijing, Guangzhou | |
| 2014 Jul | CQTV & CSPN Interview with Reggie Jackson | Shanghai | Reggie Jackson |
| 2014 Jul | Adidas Jeremy Lin China Tour | Shanghai | Jeremy Lin 林书豪 |
| 2014 Jun | "Transformers 4" Hong Kong Movie Premiere Interview with Producer and China Movie Premiere [24] | Hong Kong, Beijing | Michael Bay, Nicola Peltz, Li Bingbing, Han Geng |
| 2014 May - Aug | "Redbull Freestyle Football Cup" | Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou | Leo 吴磊 |
| 2014 Apr | "CBA & Mobil Super" Meeting with Wang Zhizhi | Kunming | Wang Zhizhi 王治郅 |
| 2013 Nov | 《Hermes/ 爱马仕丝巾乐园活动》 | Beijing, Shanghai | |
| 2013 Oct | GETV《乐享东方》 | Beijing | Huang Hai Bo 黄海波 |
| 2013 Oct | NBA China Games《王牌球迷》 | Beijing, Shanghai | Dell Curry, Tyrone Curtis Bogues, A.C. Green Jr. |
| 2013 Oct | 《NBA巨星-德里克 罗斯中国行》 | Hang Zhou | Derrick Rose |
| 2013 Sep | 《NBA巨星-凯文加内特中国行》 (SINA interview) | Beijing | Kevin Garnett |
| 2013 Sep | 《NBA巨星-阿尔德里奇中国行》 | Beijing | Bolin Chen 陈柏霖, LaMarcus Aldridge |
| 2013 Aug | 《NBA巨星-霍华德中国行》 | Chengdu | Dwight Howard |
| 2013 Aug | 《NBA巨星-科比中国行》 | Shanghai | Kobe Bryant |
| 2013 Aug | 《NBA巨星-詹姆斯中国行》 (Tencent interview) | Guangzhou | LeBron Raymone James |
| 2013 Jul | 《NBA巨星-卢比奥、霍勒迪、沃尔、利拉德、康利中国行》 | Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Guangzhou | Ricky Rubio, Jrue Holiday, John Wall, Damian Lillard, Mike Conley |
| 2013 Jun | NBA The Finals (Exclusive coverage throughout the NBA Finals last season NBA2013-2014 official mission) | San Antonio, Miami | Adam Silver, LeBron Raymone James, Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Chris Bosh, Tony Parker, Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier, etc. |
| 2013 | NBA Superstar - Derrick Rose in China | Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou | Derrick Rose |
Publications
| Year | Title | Country | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | “MiLK New Trends” 《MiLK新潮流》 | Hong Kong and China | Main Cover, Interview |
| 2014 | “SO COOL” | Hong Kong and China | Main Cover, Interview |
| 2014 | “Dime Basketball World” 《Dime篮天下》 | USA and China | Main Cover, Interview |
| 2013 | “Basketball Pioneers” 《篮球先锋报》 | China | Interview |
| 2013 | “Covergirl” 《瑞丽美容与服饰》 | China | Interview |
| 2013 | “Metrostyle” 《新大都会》 | China | Main Cover, Interview |
| 2013 | “I Money” | Hong Kong | Interview |
| 2013 | “Power Wave” 《钻篮》 | China | Main Cover, Interview |
| 2013 | “For Him Magazine” 《FHM男人装》 | China | Interview |
| 2013 | “San Antonio Newsflash” | USA | Cover Story |
| 2013 | “New York Times” (Sports Section) | USA | Report |
| 2013 | “Prestige” | Hong Kong | Report |
| 2013 | “Straits Times” | Singapore | Interview |
| 2013 | “Today” | Singapore | Interview |
| 2013 | “8 Days Magazine” | Singapore | Interview |
| 2012 | “Taste” 《Taste品味》 | China | Interview |
| 2012 | “Metrostyle” 《新大都会》 | China | Main Cover, Featured Author |
| 2012 | “Belong Magazine” 《体育博览》 | China | Main Cover, Interview |
| 2011 | “For Him Magazine” (Top 20 Sexiest Women in the World) | Singapore | Main Cover, Interview |
| 2010 | “For Him Magazine” | Singapore | Interview |
References
- http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/weekend/2015-10/10/content_22147936_2.htm
- http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/weekend/2015-10/10/content_22147936_3.htm
- Kaihao, Wang (26 July 2015). "Programme offers close-up of big screen's glitterati". Telegraph.
- "周玲安现身香港做宣传 马不停蹄成空中飞人". 腾讯娱乐. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- "周玲安变身美女篮球主播 人气爆棚赴香港访问". 搜狐娱乐. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
- "大牌新秀驾到 周玲安挑战NBA总决赛". 雅虎. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
- "双语篮球女主播周玲安的NBA总决赛之旅(图)". 新华网. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- "黑丝短裙性感撩人 中国第一篮球美女主播周玲安". 四川广播电视台. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
- Frater, Patrick (13 August 2015). "Hollywood Studios Collaborate for Betty Zhou Show on China's iQIYI". Variety.
- Coonan, Clifford (27 May 2015). "China's CCTV6 to Launch 'Talking to Hollywood With Betty Zhou'". Hollywood Reporter.
- Chew, Alywin (2015-10-10). "China's Tinseltown insider". China Daily. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
- https://web.archive.org/web/20140407080445/http://lifestyle.xin.msn.com/en/magazine/fhm/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5185942
- "周玲安曝运动写真大片 首度亮相任篮球解说". 腾讯娱乐. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
- http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2016-05-19/doc-ifxsktkr5746297.shtml
- http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/2016-02-15/doc-ifxpmpqp7731944.shtml
- http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/2016-05-24/doc-ifxsktkr6000936.shtml
- http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/2015-12-28/doc-ifxmykrf2517891.shtml
- http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/2015-11-13/doc-ifxkszhk0237151.shtml
- http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/2015-08-27/doc-ifxhkpcu4779495.shtml
- http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/2015-09-15/doc-ifxhupin3572698.shtml
- http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/2015-07-31/doc-ifxfpcyu4984544.shtml
- http://news.17173.com/content/2015-04-21/20150421172506511.shtml
- http://sports.sina.com.cn/nba/2014-08-05/14067279906.shtml
- http://slide.sports.sina.com.cn/k/slide_2_786_67099.html#p=1
External links
- Official website
- Betty Zhou at IMDb
- 周玲安 on Facebook
- Betty Zhou 周玲安 on Facebook
- Betty Zhou 周玲安 on Twitter
- Betty Zhou on Instagram
- Betty周玲安 on Sina Weibo (in Chinese)