Du Juan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Du Juan
杜鹃
Du Juan at Roberto Cavalli
Born	(1982-09-15) September 15, 1982 (age 42) Shanghai, China
Occupation	Actress, model, ballet dancer
Modeling information
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Hair color	Black
Eye color	Brown
Agency	IMG Models (New York, Paris, London, Sydney)

Du Juan (simplified Chinese: 杜鹃; traditional Chinese: 杜鵑; pinyin: Dù Juān) is a famous Chinese actress and model. She was born on September 15, 1982, in Shanghai, China. Before becoming a model, she was a talented ballet dancer.

Du Juan made history as the first East Asian model to appear on the cover of Vogue Paris magazine. She has also been on the cover of Vogue China a record 18 times. This is more than any other model or celebrity!

About Du Juan

Early Life and Ballet

Du Juan is the only child of parents who were architects. When she was young, she dreamed of becoming a classical ballet dancer. She trained for nine years at the famous Shanghai Theatre Academy.

However, Du Juan grew very tall. When dancers stand en pointe (on the tips of their toes), she was over six feet tall. This made it hard for her to find a dance partner who was tall enough. So, she decided to explore other paths. Her name, Juan, means "rhododendron" flower in Chinese.

Becoming a Top Model

Du Juan walks the Anna Sui FW 2009 show.

Du Juan started her modeling career after being a runner-up in the Ford Supermodel of the World competition. She first walked the runway in spring 2006. She modeled for many famous designers like Valentino, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Roberto Cavalli, and Chanel.

In 2005, a famous photographer named Mario Testino took her picture for the cover of Vogue Paris. She shared the cover with Australian model Gemma Ward. This was a big moment because Du Juan was the first Asian model ever to be on that cover!

After this, she appeared in many advertisements for big brands. These included Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, Gap, Swarovski, United Colors of Benetton, and Yves St. Laurent. Getting so many jobs as a new model was very rare. Style.com, a website for Vogue and W magazine, named her one of the top ten models to watch in 2006.

Du Juan was also on the very first cover of Vogue China in 2005, again with Gemma Ward. She has been in almost every issue since then. In 2006, she was featured on the cover of Time magazine's style and design issue. She also appeared in the 2008 Pirelli Calendar, which was photographed in her hometown of Shanghai.

Du Juan reached number 14 on Models.com, a website that ranks models. She has been in ad campaigns for Giorgio Armani, Esprit, Anna Sui, Uniqlo, and David Yurman. She also worked with Yue Sai, a Chinese beauty brand.

She has been featured in many fashion magazines around the world. These include Allure, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, V, and i-D. She has also been in different international editions of Vogue.

In 2010, Du Juan appeared in a music video for Cantopop singer Jacky Cheung. She played his love interest in the song "Double Trouble."

Acting Career

Du Juan started her acting career in the movie American Dreams in China. This film was directed by Peter Chan and was very popular. Du Juan played Su Mei, the only female main character in the movie. Her role earned her nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Best New Performer at the 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards.

Fun Facts About Du Juan

• Her favorite fashion designer is Alber Elbaz, who designed for Lanvin.
• Her given name, Juan (鵑), means "cuckoo" in Chinese. However, when combined with her family name, her full name can mean either "cuckoo" or "rhododendron".
• In 2009, Du Juan launched a special makeup line. It was inspired by a photoshoot and included a body sparkle with 24-carat gold.

Film and TV Shows

Du Juan has appeared in several films and television series.

Films

Television Series

See also

In Spanish: Du Juan para niños