00:04As the saying goes, overnight success takes about 10 years.
00:09Most actors have to work hard before they land that breakthrough role that transforms their lives and careers.
00:16Chinese stars are no exception.
00:18And in this video, we'll tell you about 10 inspiring stories of roles that changed Chinese actors' lives.
00:26Zhou Dongyu
00:28Zhou Dongyu had zero acting experience when his theme director, Zhang Yimou, picked her to star in 2010's Under the
00:36Hawthorne.
00:37Some people are simply born with that star quality, it seems.
00:40For this role, Dongyu quickly became a multi-award winning actress.
00:45She won Best Actress at the 56th Valladolid International Film Festival
00:50and Best New Performer at 20th Shanghai Film Critics Awards, among other wins and nominations.
00:58Talk about instant stardom!
01:00In 2021 alone, Dongyu starred in Under the Light,
01:04Moses on the Plains,
01:05Embrace Again,
01:07and The Year of the Everlasting Storm.
01:10Are you excited to see what she has in store for 2022?
01:14Ling Gunsing
01:16Ling Gunsing started out as an actor in various low-budget projects,
01:21from commercials to dramas to films.
01:25The one thing his early work had in common was that they were all low-budget.
01:30In the 2010s, his popularity rose.
01:33His big break came in 2014 via the taking of Tiger Mountain.
01:38He played one of the two main characters in this smash hit.
01:42It's one of the highest-grossing Chinese films ever,
01:46grossing $150 million.
01:49Since Tiger Mountain,
01:50he's appeared on Forbes' China Celebrity 100 for three different years.
01:55Most recently,
01:56Gunsing starred in My Bargain Queen.
01:59We can't wait to see what projects he has in store for 2022.
02:04Ren Jialun
02:05Ren Jialun has a pretty sad past.
02:08He used to be a table tennis player
02:11and trained alongside big names like Zhou Yu,
02:14but had to quit the sport because of injuries that left him unable to play.
02:19He was set to join a Chinese-Korean boy band,
02:21but quit for reasons we still don't know.
02:24He filmed for his first drama, Detective D, in 2014,
02:28but the air date was delayed for three whole years.
02:32Jialun's life-changing breakthrough role came in 2017.
02:36He played Li Chu in The Glory of Tang Dynasty.
02:40For his performance as Li Chu,
02:42he won Best Actor at the 4th Hengdian Film and TV Festival of China.
02:47He's been booked and busy ever since.
02:50In 2021 alone,
02:52Jialun starred in Miss Crow with Mr. Lizard,
02:55Never Say Goodbye,
02:56One and Only,
02:57and Forever and Ever.
02:58He's also set to star in the upcoming drama,
03:02The Blue Whisper.
03:03Arif Rahman
03:05Arif Rahman is a true example of a reluctant star.
03:09It all began when he ghost wrote lyrics
03:12for Filipino-Chinese pop star Janice Vidal's album,
03:16Morning.
03:16When he was revealed to be the lyricist,
03:19he was pushed into releasing his own album.
03:22His 2009 debut album,
03:24starting from today,
03:25would earn him the Best Newcomer Award
03:28in Hong Kong's Metro Radio Music Awards.
03:31Arif,
03:32who is of Chinese,
03:33Malay,
03:33and Arab descent,
03:35later tried out acting.
03:36His breakthrough role was the mainland Chinese rom-com
03:39One Night Surprise.
03:41Despite its low budget,
03:43One Night Surprise was a hit
03:44and turned Arif
03:45into one of China's hottest rising stars overnight.
03:49For this role,
03:50he won Best New Actor
03:51at the Chinese Film Media Awards.
03:54Most recently,
03:56Arif starred in Princess Silver
03:57as the male lead Zhongzhen Wuyou.
04:00He also starred in Special Chaos
04:02and Two Sisters in Chaos.
04:05He's set to star in the upcoming dramas,
04:07The Geek is on the Run
04:08and Ivy Monsters.
04:11Hu Yitian
04:12Hu Yitian dabbled in acting via a string of short films
04:16titled Cat Tree.
04:18However,
04:19he switched to modeling.
04:20But Yitian eventually found his way back to acting.
04:23In 2017,
04:25Campus Rom-com
04:25A Love So Beautiful
04:27made him one of China's
04:28most promising young stars.
04:30His breakthrough role was in 2019, however.
04:33He played Wu Bai in Go Go Squid.
04:36Even though it wasn't the lead role,
04:38his fame skyrocketed.
04:40Shortly afterwards,
04:41Forbes China included them
04:43in their 30 Under 30 Asia roster for 2019.
04:46This list refers to people under the age of 30
04:50who have had a significant impact
04:52in their line of work.
04:53Most recently,
04:55Yitian starred in DT Apple Dogs Time,
04:57Youth Should Be Early,
04:59and Hello the Sharpshooter.
05:01Are you excited to see
05:02what his next projects will be?
05:05Shen Ye
05:07Like her A Love So Beautiful co-star Hu Yitian,
05:10Shen Ye didn't intend to be an actor.
05:13She studied journalism and communication
05:15at Hunan Normal University,
05:17but her career path changed
05:19when her friend posted a picture of her online.
05:21Her beauty caught the eye of a talent agent.
05:25She made her acting debut in 2017's
05:27with Let's Shake It,
05:29but it was A Love So Beautiful
05:30that brought her recognition in China.
05:33But she became internationally famous in 2018.
05:36She played the female lead Dong Sancai
05:38in Meteor Garden,
05:40a remake of the 2001 show.
05:43It catapulted her to fame overseas,
05:45especially in Southeast Asia.
05:48It's amazing how a friend's photo
05:49can lead to life-changing opportunities.
05:52In 2021 alone,
05:54Yue starred in the Yin Yang Master,
05:56One Week Friends,
05:57Use for My Talent,
05:59and Be Yourself,
06:00the young star has been busy.
06:02We can't wait to see what she'll do next.
06:06Huang Xiaoming
06:07Huang Xiaoming is a tale of delayed fame.
06:10When he was only 7 years old,
06:12he was set to appear in a sea drama.
06:15However, he left the project
06:16because of his shy personality.
06:19It took 14 years for Xiaoming
06:21to finally make his acting debut.
06:23Three years later,
06:24he rose to stardom
06:26when he replaced Lu Yi
06:27in The Prince of Han Dynasty.
06:29He could have been a child star,
06:31but shyness got in the way.
06:32In the end,
06:33he still became one of China's top actors.
06:36Most recently,
06:37Xiaoming starred in
06:38The Glory and the Dream
06:39and Only Fools Rush In.
06:41What a busy man.
06:43We can't wait to see what he does next.
06:46Ju Jingyi
06:47Ju Jingyi's initial claim to fame
06:50was being the member
06:51of the CPOP idol group SNH48.
06:54She made her acting debut in 2016
06:57while still in the group.
06:58In 2017,
07:00she announced that she was going solo.
07:01A year later,
07:03she snagged her big break
07:04as an actress.
07:05Her breakthrough role
07:06was in Legend of Yunxi
07:08as the title character.
07:10Thanks to this drama,
07:11she gained a shower of praise
07:12and recognition.
07:14She bagged various awards
07:15for a performance
07:16in Legend of Yunxi
07:17and got named in Forbes China's
07:19Celebrity 130 Under 30 lists.
07:22Most recently,
07:24Jingyi starred in
07:25Love Under the Full Moon,
07:26Rebirth for You,
07:28and Catman.
07:28Are you excited to see
07:30what her next projects will be?
07:33Zhao Li Ying
07:34Zhao Li Ying is now
07:36one of China's top actresses.
07:37Unlike many Chinese stars, however,
07:40she had no drama school training
07:41or fancy education.
07:43Her first dip into showbiz
07:44was through Star Search Game,
07:46a singing contest.
07:47She won and signed a contract
07:48with the talent agency
07:49Huayi Brothers,
07:51but it wouldn't be until 2015's
07:53The Journey of Flower
07:54that her career
07:55would truly take off.
07:56This xian xia program
07:57became the first sea drama
07:59to surpass 20 billion views.
08:01She won Best Actress
08:02at the 28th China TV
08:04Golden Eagle Award
08:05for The Journey of Flower.
08:07Her career has continued
08:08to prosper from there.
08:09In 2020,
08:10South China Morning Post
08:12dubbed her
08:12the queen of TV ratings in China.
08:14Her journey to reach
08:15her breakthrough role was long,
08:17but she isn't ashamed
08:18of her humble roots.
08:20She has said,
08:21I was born in a village,
08:22but it was the experience
08:23of rural life
08:24that strengthened my strong will
08:26and gave me a firm
08:27and tenacious personality.
08:28It is these experiences
08:29that have made me
08:31who I am today.
08:32Most recently,
08:33Li Ying starred
08:34in The Legend of Fei
08:35and Who is Murderer.
08:36She's set to star
08:37in the upcoming drama
08:38The Story of Xing Fu.
08:41Xiao Zhan
08:43Also known as Sean Xiao,
08:45started out as an idol.
08:47He debuted as the main vocalist
08:48of X9,
08:49a c-pop boy band,
08:50in 2016.
08:51But he dipped his toes
08:53into acting too,
08:54co-starring with Wang Yuen
08:56in Superstar Academy.
08:57The drama was successful,
08:59accumulating more than
09:001 billion views on Tencent.
09:02However,
09:02the project that made Zhan
09:04a bona fide superstar
09:05was the xianxia drama
09:07The Untamed.
09:08He played the role
09:09of Wei Wuxian,
09:10the male lead.
09:11The series currently
09:12has 10 billion views.
09:14Ever since,
09:15he's been hot property,
09:16even landing a spot
09:18in the Guinness Book of World Records
09:19in 2020
09:20for his career achievements.
09:22Most recently,
09:23Zhan starred in
09:24Douluo Continent
09:25and Ace Troops.
09:26He's set to star
09:27in the upcoming dramas
09:28The Oath of Love,
09:30The Longest Promise
09:31and Where Dreams Begin.
09:33Did you enjoy hearing
09:34about these actors'
09:35breakthrough roles?
09:36Did we miss any of
09:37your favorite actors
09:37or big breaks?
09:38Don't hesitate to let us know
09:40in the comments down below.
09:41For more fresh
09:42c-drama updates and content,
09:44hit that notification bell.
09:48Follow for the lights
09:49of the square官م
09:55Bye.
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