Ministry of Culture

• Chinese Name: 郭書瑤
• Date of Birth: July 18, 1990
• Birthplace: Taipei (Northern Taiwan)
• Did You Know That….? Kuo Shu-yao did not have any make-up on when shooting "Step Back to Glory (志氣)” because her role as a tug-of-war athlete was too strenuous and make-up just wouldn't last.

Winning the 50th Golden Horse Award for Best New Performer in 2013 was a definitive milestone for Kuo Shu-yao, who has proved that she can be a serious actress and has successfully diverted people's attention to her talents instead of her physical looks.

Kuo entered the showbiz after her father suddenly died when she was 16. She debuted in a video game commercial and rose to fame in 2009, but the commercial sparked a huge controversy over the alleged sexual objectification of young girls because of its focus on the female body.

Despite criticism forher sexy image, Kuo worked hard to become a versatile entertainer who can be taken seriously by the audience. She later released a music album and began shooting drama productions for television. Finally, her opportunity to appear on the big screen came in 2012 and she seized it to become the leading actress of a local feature movie.

The 23-year-old rookie was awarded for her stunning performance in "Step Back to Glory (志氣),” a 2012 adaptation from the real story of a Taipei girls' senior high school tug-of-war team. To play the role of a determined tug-of-war team member from a single-parent family, the good-looking Kuo trained with the students in their tough daily training, including jogging, strenuous workout routines, frog leaps, and tug-of-war practicing, which altogether lasted three to five hours per day.

Kuo did not use any stand-in actress when shooting the arduous tug-of-war competition scenes, in which her team competed with two real-life world champion teams from Spain, and she was left with bruises, wounds, and calluses.

Her all-out efforts during the filming and natural acting like a teen athlete were recognized by the Golden Horse Awards jury. The honor has also affirmed her personal determination to continue as an actress and to challenge herself to more different roles, she said.