Eleven Yao
Eleven Yao Yi-ti is a Taiwanese actress best known for her dual roles as Shanny and Hsiao Ching in the black comedy film The Gangs, the Oscars, and the Walking Dead, for which she won Best Supporting Actress in the 22nd Taipei Film Awards. She went on to star in lead roles in the television series Code 2 and More Than Blue: The Series, the latter earning her a nomination for Golden Bell Award for Best [Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film|Best Supporting Actress] in the 57th Golden Bell Awards. Yao has also garnered recognition in Asia for her performances in the Japanese crime film Mr. Long and Korean action film Yaksha: Ruthless Operations.
Biography
Yao was born on 25 February 1986, in Taitung City, Taiwan. Her father is an Amis native. She attended and graduated from the Department of Ball Sports at Taipei [Physical Education College], specializing in handball. Yao was elected as a reserve member of the national team and participated in several Asian tournaments. She was discovered by an agent, who was seeking new actors with a unique vibe, while playing basketball at TPEC in her freshman year. Yao began her acting career in 2006 while continuing her training as a handball player, initially considering acting as a hobby. She landed a major role in the 2007 Chinese Television System television series '. She became tired of the monotonous routine of sports training and developed a passion for performance, leading her to quit her athletic career and pursue acting when she was 20.In 2014, Yao made her feature film debut as Chiao Chien-wei, a coolheaded military pilot, in the war film '. She subsequently starred in leading roles in the 2015 television series ' and the 2016 television movie '. Yao was also invited to star in the Japanese crime film Mr. Long alongside Chang Chen in 2016, an experience that deeply impacted her emotionally, as she found it challenging to detach from her character's emotions even two months after filming had ended. In 2018, Yao co-starred with Wu Kang-ren in the mystery film ', and took on a leading role in the 2019 sci-fi thriller series '.
In 2019, Yao garnered recognition for her performance in dual roles as Shanny, the spouse of a crime lord, and Hsiao Ching, an eccentric drag queen, in the black comedy film '. She won Best Supporting Actress in the 22nd Taipei Film Awards, and received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the 56th [Golden Horse Awards] with her roles. She also appeared in the 2019 drama series Yong-Jiu Grocery Store, and took on a leading role in the 2020 drama series '. In 2021, Yao starred as Cindy Yu, a photographer engaged in a romantic relationship with a dentist played by Figaro Tseng, in the Netflix romance series More Than Blue: The Series. Her performance earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film in the 57th Golden Bell Awards. In 2022, Yao portrayed a Shenyang-based crime lord in the Korean action film Yaksha: Ruthless Operations. She also starred in the sci-fi film ', playing dual roles as a deceased mother and her AI clone, and took on triple roles in the anthology drama series '. Yao landed a main role in the 2023 drama series . In 2024, Yao starred in a lead role as Jessica, an underworld ghost diva alongside Sandrine Pinna, in the horror comedy film Dead Talents Society.