This past Fall, the Parade committee convened to start work on the Chinese New Year festivities. One of the many talking points on our agenda was brainstorming who should be Grand Marshal. In the past, we recognized a wide range of individuals that represented our community, whether they were Hollywood celebrities or local leaders.
After all we’ve been through since 2020, our planning committee wanted the first year back in person to be a big one. We were roaring back as a community and we wanted to nominate someone who represented the times. As we brainstormed, we talked about those who best represented us, did something for the greater good, utilized their voice and platform to make a stand; individuals that had the strength and resilience of the Tiger. Someone who had a roar about them.
As we further discussed, Daniel Wu’s name continued to come to mind.
First, he was a Bay Area native. Born in Berkeley and raised in Orinda. Daniel’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Shanghai in 1949.
Second, Daniel has been representing the Chinese-American community for over 20 years in the entertainment industry in both Hong Kong and America. After graduating from the University of Oregon in 1997 with a degree in architecture, Wu went to Hong Kong on what was meant to be a short graduation trip. He was soon discovered by art-house film director Yonfan and was asked to play the lead role in his first film, “Bishonen”. Wu quickly rose to stardom and has made over 60 films in 20 years while playing a wide range of roles ranging from historical figures to action heroes in “Man with the Iron Fists” (2012), “Warcraft” (2016), “Tomb Raider” (2018), and “Caught in Time” (2020) to name a few. In 2016, Daniel moved back to the States to Executive produce and star in the AMC action series “ Into the Badlands.” Wu can next be seen in Lisa Joy’s feature directorial debut, romantic sci-fi noir thriller “Reminiscence” (2021).
Third, these past few years, Daniel has utilized his voice, resources, and platform as a community activist. Engaging his vast connections, Daniel took to his social media platforms to bring attention to the growing anti-Asian hate crimes happening around the country. Whether he was making financial contributions, helping raise funds, or contributing to the greater dialogue and discussion around the matter, Daniel has been a key voice in the community.
It is obvious from the above why we named Daniel as our Parade Grand Marshal, and the fact that he was also born in the year of the Tiger sealed the deal.
So with that said, we are ecstatic to announce the 2022 Chinese New Year Parade Grand Marshal, Daniel Wu. Honoring him for his contributions to the entertainment industry, Asian-American community, and especially the Bay Area.
Come celebrate with us on Parade night, Saturday, February 19 as Daniel lights the opening firecrackers and ushers us into the Year of the Tiger.