He rose to prominence for his role in the television drama Before the Dawn (2009), followed by a series of hit shows such as Angel Heart (2012), Divorce Lawyers (2013), and The Advisors Alliance (2017).
In 1984, at the age of 17, he joined a state-owned theater company and was trained at the acting program of the Central Academy of Drama on contract.
After graduating in 1987, he worked an assortment of jobs, such as running a restaurant, karaoke hall, and clothing shop.
[10] He rose to fame in 2010 for his role as an undercover Communist Party member in hit spy drama Before Dawn.
[11] The same year, he starred in the historical drama The Case of an Orphan named Zhao, for which Wu was nominated for the International Emmy Award for Best Actor.
Wu starred in the musical television series My Youth High Eight Degrees, playing a club director who leads a gang of misfits with hidden musical talents, whipping them into shape and competing in the national choir competition.
In 2018, Wu starred alongside Angelababy in the urban drama City of Desire, about two people of different world helping each other out of their battle with depression.
The films and TV programs Wu was working on were impacted by the scandal, with some being canceled or editing him out of scenes.