Xin Zhilei: Overcoming Adversity to Become a Popular Actor
At the China Central Radio and Television Station’s 2024 Spring Festival Gala, Xin Zhilei, Hu Ge, Tang Yan and Chen Long, as representatives of the crew of this year’s popular TV series “Flowers”, jointly participated in the Spring Festival Gala’s opening program “Inspiring Dragons”.
Among the four, Xin Zhilei, Tang Yan and Chen Long participated in the Spring Festival Gala for the first time. The TV series “Flowers” took three full years to shoot. In the film and television industry, such a long shooting time is rare.
The TV series “Flowers” is adapted from the novel “Flowers” which won the Mao Dun Literature Award. It tells the story of Bao, Lingzi, Miss Wang and Li Li who met on the beach in the early 1990s and fought against the storms of the times. The director of the play is Wong Kar-Wai, which attracts even more attention.
In March 2019, for the role of “Flowers”, Xin Zhilei met Wong Kar-wai in Hong Kong. Xin Zhilei shared her experience of meeting the director, stating that she felt she wasn’t suitable for the role and was initially very relaxed about it. However, after half a year, she received a notice from Wong Kar-wai that she would play Li Li in “Flowers”.
Xin Zhilei was not a professional actor and was born in a small town in Hegang City, Heilongjiang Province. She shared that she began working at a fast food restaurant in high school to help support her family. Her father suddenly became paralyzed and her mother was unable to work full-time, making making money her biggest wish. In 2005, Xin Zhilei entered the entertainment industry and five years after her debut, she won the opportunity to play the female lead in a movie. She has since starred in numerous film and television dramas.
Xin Zhilei spoke about her challenges in the industry, such as the three-year shooting period of “Flowers” and how she had to learn to walk and turn her head for the role. The challenges and uncertain filming schedule were discussed, with Xin Zhilei expressing her belief that the show must be shot, despite any obstacles.
After starring in “Preliminary Evidence”, a one-man show where she played multiple roles for 120 minutes, Xin Zhilei achieved a self-breakthrough and experienced the feeling of transcendence.
Xin Zhilei shared her experience of struggling with the character and the director’s expectations, and how she learned to persist and not give up on her dreams.
The journey of Xin Zhilei from a small town girl to a popular actor is a testament to her perseverance and hard work, and her willingness to overcome obstacles to achieve her dreams.
The interview was produced by Liu Bin, Wang Huidong, and Shen Gongfu, and conducted by reporter Wang Ning, with planning by Huang Ying, and directed by Yin Jianzhang, with camera work by Wang Yang, Wang Zhongren, and Gao Zhong.