Twenty years ago, with a University of Oregon architecture degree under his belt, Bay Area kid Daniel Wu took a serendipitous trip to Hong Kong as his graduation present. He wanted to witness the handover, stay a few months, then go home and figure out what to do with his life.

But a chance scouting in a bar led to a commercial gig, then some modeling. Chinese director Yonfan saw the commercial and approached Wu with an offer he couldn't refuse — although he tried.

"He asked me to play the lead in his movie," said Wu, revisiting the moment his accidental career as one of China's biggest movie stars began. "I was like, 'What are you talking about? I've never acted before and you want me to be the lead in your movie? That's crazy!'"

Born and raised in Northern California to Shanghainese parents, and discovered in Asia, the details of Wu's unlikely origin story are well known to his massive Chinese fan base overseas, where the 43-year-old actor and producer is now a superfamous A-lister who gets swarmed by paparazzi whenever he leaves the house.

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