Wutt Hmone Shwe Yi

Wutt Hmone Shwe Yi (ဝတ်မှုန်ရွှေရည်,, sometimes anglicized as Wut Hmone Shwe Yi; born on 10 August 1988) is a Burmese actress. She is one of Myanmar's highest-paid actresses and is considered one of the most commercially successful actresses in Burmese cinemas.

She has received two Myanmar Academy Awards, for Best Actress in 2013 for her performance in As U Like, and for Best Supporting Actress in 2014 for her performance in Made in Heart. In 2020, she was featured on Forbes Asia's 100 Digital Stars List, highlighting the most influential celebrities on social media in the Asia-Pacific region.

Early life and education
Wutt Hmone Shwe Yi was born on 10 August 1988 in Mogok to Win Thein Naing and Nang Mi Mi Lwin, of Shan descent. She is the eldest daughter and has a younger sister named Nadi Shwe Yi. She attended BEHS 2 Kamayut (St. Augustine) and graduated from Dagon University with a Bachelor's degree in English.

Career
After completing her university education, she initially contributed to Teen Magazine and Beauty Magazine. Subsequently, she featured in commercial billboards and magazines promoting Kanebo cosmetics. Her foray into acting began through advertisements in 2005, and she garnered increased recognition through campaigns for brands like Kanebo and Hometex. In 2008, she made her debut in films and achieved notable success. She took on her first female leading role in the 2013 film As U Like where she starred alongside Pyay Ti Oo, and she earned the Myanmar Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.

In 2013, The Myanmar Times named her one of the 50 Outstanding Myanmar Women. In 2014, she was named a brand ambassador for Huawei.

Wutt Hmone Shwe Yi's advertisements dominate a significant portion of billboards and advertising space in Yangon, occupying up to half of the available display areas. From 2008 to present, she has acted in over 300 TV commercials, 200 direct-to-videos and 60 films in her career. In 2016, she co-starred with Sai Sai Kham Hlaing in the film If Lover Was a Flower, reigniting public interest as they played characters who were once real-life lovers, reuniting on screen after their past breakup. She also played the lead role in the 2016 film From Bangkok to Mandalay, which was filmed in both Myanmar and Thailand.

In 2018, she represented the Loreal Paris Myanmar cosmetics brand alongside beauty blogger Nay Chi Oo at the Paris Fashion Week 2018 event in France.

In 2019, she starred in the film The Only Mom, which was directed by Thai director Chartchai Ketnust. It told the story of a Burmese family that moved into a colonial-era haunted house. In 2019, she received the "Asia Special Award" at the Asia Model Festival 2019. She organized the Kit Fans Meeting in 2019, drawing a gathering of a thousand fans.

In 2020, she served as a judge representing Myanmar at the Bangkok International Documentary Film Awards. She collaborated with the renowned international clothing and fashion brand Emporio Armani. She was recognized in the Stars of 2020 by The Irrawaddy for her contributions to the people during the COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar.

Political activities
In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, she changed her profile image to a red square, symbolizing the color of the National League for Democracy (NLD), and stood in solidarity with other Myanmar citizens using the hashtag #CivilDisobedienceCampaign before changing her profile picture again. Alongside this update, she conveyed the message, "I support civil disobedience movements". She actively participated in protests alongside other well-known actors and public figures.

Despite her initial involvement, public opinion gradually turned against her, with critics contending that she had not done enough for the cause. This sentiment intensified when she married Naing Phyo Kyaw, a tycoon linked to the military, in November 2023. This decision drew criticism from activists, further making her a target of a social punishment movement.

Personal life
She is the cousin of actress Phway Phway. Her relationship with Sai Sai Kham Leng was one of the most captivating connections in the Burmese celebrity sphere. However, after several years, they decided to part ways.

On 17 November 2023, Wutt Hmone Shwe Yi married Naing Phyo Kyaw, the chairman of MG Myanmar, a co-founder of 7th Sense Creation, and vice president at Green Circle Company, the producer of VeVe beverages in Myanmar. Naing Phyo Kyaw is a close associate of Khin Thiri Thet Mon, the daughter of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who has led Myanmar's military junta since the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état. Due to his close ties to the Burmese military, activists have called for a boycott of the couple. She is the sister-in-law of Moe Set Wine through her marriage to Naing Phyo Kyaw.

Donations
Wutt Hmone Shwe Yi participated in actor Pyay Ti Oo's Pyay Ti Oo Foundation Fund Raising Concert for students on December 4, 2011. She donated all her artist fees to the foundation.

On February 1, 2015, she donated the golden star from her academy award to the Aungzabu Tawya Monastery in Hmawbi Township, Yangon. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she actively contributed by making numerous donations to elderly individuals facing financial hardship within the movie industry. In the second wave of the pandemic, she and her team donated the masks they produced to people in need.

Publications
On August 14, 2011, she released her photo album titled "The Portfolio of Hmone Hmone". Subsequently, on August 31, 2014, she introduced her first limited collection, a handmade pillow kit. On October 21, she launched her second limited collection, Scarfs. Her third limited collection, featuring brooch, earrings, and necklace, was unveiled on July 8, 2015. MiniKitKit was launched on March 9, 2016.