Zitao Huang

Huang Zitao, is a Chinese singer-songwriter, rapper, martial artist and actor. Zitao was born in Qingdao, Shandong, China on May 2, 1993. Due to his naughty behavior as a child his father sent him to Wushu Martial Arts training at the age of 5 in order to learn discipline. Huang was a student athlete and practiced Wushu throughout his school-years, and competed in martial arts competitions in his hometown. Zitao also developed a passion for music from a young age and decided to purse a career in this field on he left school. In 2010, participated to the MBC Star Audition which was hosting a talent search in China. Huang auditioned with a Wushu Taolu routine and was scouted immediately by a representative from Korea's SM Entertainment and chosen to debut in the K-Pop group EXO. After a brief trainee period On December 27, 2011 he was introduced as the lead rapper for the group's Chinese based unit, EXO-M. During his time as an EXO Member in Korea Tao still continued to practice Wushu with actor and martial arts choreographer Bruce Khan and performed Wushu Taolu routines during concerts and variety programs. Tao's first appearance on a movie screen was in the Chinese movie You Are My Sunshine along with good friend Huang Xiaoming. Where he played the role of William, Xiaoming's assistant. In April 23rd 2015 it was announced that Huang Zitao would be leaving EXO and SM Entertainment. He later filed for contract termination with SM Entertainment on August 24, 2015. In the summer of 2015 he made his successful solo musical debut with his digital mini-album T.A.O under the newly adapted stage name, Z.Tao. The album broke record by selling 670 000 units in a week. For his following mini album, Z.Tao filmed an action packed short movie with big and dramatic cinematic visuals with Director Nick Lentz, for his single Crown that acted as the short movie's soundtrack. In Crown Huang Zitao is co-starring with model and actress Jessica Gomez and actor Jeff Kober. Aside from a career as a musical artist, Tao expressed the wish to be become a martial artist actor, and promote Chinese martial arts like Jackie Chan. Tao was confirmed to be one of the supporting characters in Jackie Chan's upcoming movie, Railroad Tigers directed by Ding Sheng. In the movie Tao fights along with Jackie Chan and he performs the stunts himself. Tao is also the male lead in the movie Summer, Portrait of a 19 year old a crime mystery romance based on the novel from Japanese mystery writer Soji Shimada, directed by Jung-Chi Chang. Tao was also confirmed as the main character in director Gao Xixi movie The Game Changer, about gang wars in Shanghai's republican era. Gao Xixi's said that he was prompted to choose Tao immediately after watched videos of him doing Wushu and his suitability for the role. The Game Changer is Tao's first lead role as a martial artist actor. Tao will also take lead in the TV adaption of the movie series A Chinese Odyssey as the Monkey King, Zhi Zun Bao. He will also star in the movie adaptation of the Famen temple code fantasy novels, directed by Tsui Hark, as the character Zhao Ye. Michelle Yeoh, the Chinese Malaysian actress famous for her career in Hong Kong action films and also mainly known in the west for her roles in the James Bond Movie Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, met Huang Zitao on the variety show The Negociator, and afterwards in her personal Weibo blog she praised Tao for his Wushu skill and wished for Tao to successfully pass down Chinese martial arts to the next generations.