Text: Lele
Pioneer Valley
One look, take Wong Kar-wai;
A work that got a CCTV Spring Festival Gala pass.
The "ambitious" Xin Zhilei finally realized her dream:
I just want to be popular, I just want to make money.
01
Walking into the crew of "Flowers" for the first time, Xin Zhilei couldn't believe that Shanghai was already so prosperous in the 90s.
She found the proprietress who opened a restaurant in Shanghai and got a more definite answer:
It costs 30 million yuan to open a restaurant, and the daily turnover is at least tens of thousands of yuan.
This string of numbers is astronomical for Xin Zhilei in the 90s.
Xin Zhilei grew up in Hegang, an industrial city separated from hip and affluence.
A family of five was crammed into one house, and when she couldn't live there, she was sent to live with her grandparents.
Her childhood memories are of her parents' meager salary, the dimness of a kerosene lamp, and the cramped and crowded room.
Whoever has a deposit of 10,000 yuan can be called a "10,000 yuan household", which is already a "big family" in the neighborhood.
This is far from something that Xin Zhilei can touch.
And his father was sick and paralyzed in bed, which made the poor family even worse.
When she was in college, Xin Zhilei went out to work part-time whenever she had time, while earning living expenses for herself and wanting to earn more money to subsidize her family.
During the work-study period, Xin Zhilei met the first noble person in her life, Donnie Yen.
Standing in the crowd, she could see beauty and difference at a glance, and Donnie Yen suggested that she become an actress.
Being an actor and making more money is very convincing to a rural eldest daughter who needs money.
Moreover, her first advertisement was to cooperate with actor Tony Leung.
The graduation was too smooth, and Xin Zhilei's dream of changing careers was ignited at once.
After that, she quit her local job, brought daily necessities, and started her dream journey to the north.
But this road has not been smooth.
Although she has worked with Tony Leung, she is a halfway monk after all, and she can't adapt to the life of an actor at all, and she is even nervous when she faces the camera.
At this time, Xin Zhilei realized that the gap between herself and professional actors was bigger than she imagined.
02
In order to chase this "more profitable" road, Xin Zhilei decided to go to Chinese opera for further study and learn professional knowledge.
A few years later, she was already able to face the camera calmly, and when she faced the camera again, she finally had the confidence.
However, there was no luck.
The starting point is to work with Tony Leung, who looks down on the rules of the entertainment industry.
When she really started to be in it, she found that the chances of becoming famous were too slim.
Even if there are roles, they are just poor little supporting roles with few scenes, and they are not even qualified to be on promotional posters.
There is no filming, which also means that the income is meager, and making money to support the family has become out of reach.
Poverty is the original sin of regret.
Since my father was sick and paralyzed, he has not left the house for many years.
His daughter has been working for many years, and he finally cautiously made a careful wish:
Can you buy me a computer, I'm so lonely at home and want to talk to your uncles.
It made sense, but Xin Zhilei refused.
It's not ruthless, it's the embarrassment of not having a job, and it's precarious.
There was even a time when she couldn't even remember when she had her last meal.
As a result, the desire to buy a computer was put on hold. Until her father's death, she failed to fulfill her promise.
Until now, every year on her father's death day, she burns a computer.
During the North Drift, her grandfather came to see her from her hometown, Xin Zhilei didn't have a big house, all she could do was to treat her grandfather to a full meal.
Looking at the prices on the menu, Grandpa hesitated.
The two of them ordered half a roast duck, and Xin Zhilei was helpless and guilty.
A computer and a roast duck have become Xin Zhilei's "inner demons".
I want to be red, and I want to make a lot of money.
The idea grew stronger and stronger, and her ambition was never hidden.
03
When Xin Zhilei was just a young actor, she learned that the film film "Yangtze River" was selecting actors.
In order to get the role of female number one, she did not hesitate to lie and deceive the director.
When the director asked her if she could swim, Xin Zhilei replied firmly: Yes, and she is highly skilled.
After getting the pass, Xin Zhilei only did one thing: sign up for a swimming class and soak in the water to learn to swim.
With the director's approval and no longer a landlubber, she is quite confident in the new film.
But when the filming really started, she was really dumbfounded:
The swimming that the director said is not in the swimming pool, but the real Yangtze River.
Every time she filmed a scene in the river, Xin Zhilei held the mentality of seeing death as if she were at home.
Die or fight for fame, she has no choice.
Fortunately, she succeeded, and she also relied on this work to step onto the international stage and embrace her idols.
It's a pity that this is a literary film, which has not caused much repercussions in China, and the box office is only a few million.
Succeeded, but did not become famous, and one step short.
With the "stepping stone" of "Yangtze River Map", Xin Zhilei can gradually receive more roles.
But with the exposure, netizens have a new understanding of her:
It's not easy to mess with, it's ambitious.
There is such a question on a certain website, what kind of face is not easy to mess with?
The answer with the highest likes is: Xin Zhilei!
The eyes are aggressive, and the corners of the mouth are downward, making people afraid to approach.
In fact, she's really hard to mess with.
When there are black fans attacking, she doesn't ignore them like other stars, but chooses to scold back.
"Gu Yao" in "Mr. Love" was attacked, and she replied directly:
It's okay to scold Gu Yao, but it's okay to scold me, I will beat someone.
On the variety show "The Birth of an Actor", netizens once again saw her "not easy to mess with" side, and her ambition was also growing savagely at this time.
When she reproduced the classic clip of "Golden Branch Desire" with Shu Chang, she was eliminated.
But Xin Zhilei was not convinced, and spoke publicly: I don't think she acted better than me.
A child star who has debuted for more than 20 years, a lonely newcomer, why not accept it?
The final result of this incident was that the mentor Song Dandan personally apologized to Xin Zhilei:
I'm sorry, the stage is too far away to see clearly, Xin Zhilei is really good.
After being scolded for many days for "losing the game and losing her demeanor", Xin Zhilei finally waited for recognition, and her ambition was finally no longer a fantasy.
Because there are more and more works she can perform.
For example, in "The Legend of Ruyi", she played the beautiful and bewitching Jin Yuyan, who has an exotic style, and she can perform charm with one look.
She's hard enough, too.
A scene where she was slapped was not real, and she begged to be beaten.
Huo Jianhua came from a distance, and with a slap on the face, Xin Zhilei was beaten to the ground, and her headdress was scattered.
Such a slap at least twice.
is also 85 flowers, she has already been left behind by Yang Mi, Tang Yan and others.
Fortunately, with the role of Kim Yuyan, her acting skills were finally seen.
After the bright and moving "Red Girl" in "Angry Qing Xiangxi", and the "Begonia Blossoms" in "Celebrating More Than Years", Xin Zhilei finally has a new label in the circle:
An actress who has good acting skills but is not too popular.
Until he met Wong Kar-wai.
04
When Wong Kar-wai was casting for "Flowers", Xin Zhilei came to the director with a vision of "Li Lee".
did not talk about the characters and the script, but introduced his own life experience.
After talking, Xin Zhilei did not drag the mud and water, and politely got up to say goodbye. When passing through a long corridor and seeing the poster of Wong Kar-wai's work, she only thought:
If only I were on top of it.
Soon after, Xin Zhilei received a message from Wong Kar-wai inviting her to play the role of "Li Li".
In order to play this role well, she spent two years learning dances such as tango and Latin to make her posture better.
In those two years, Xin Zhilei wore high heels no matter what she did, just to walk more beautifully.
Everyone in the circle knows that Wong Kar-wai likes to shoot actors walking.
Walking into the crew, Xin Zhilei knew the reason why Wong Kar-wai chose herself: I will always remember your eyes.
This is Xin Zhilei in "Embroidered Spring Knife", she plays a killer in the film, and she doesn't have many lines, but she has become the most eye-catching character.
Close your eyes and stroke the knife, open your eyes to duel.
With this one look, Xin Zhilei is known as the last highlight of Chinese martial arts.
Sure enough, in "Flowers", she is only the female number three, but she has become the most eye-catching character.
Li Li played by her is beautiful and charming, but she is not easy to mess with at all.
Don't talk about feelings, only talk about business and interests, as if breaking love.
But when she was separated from her lover, she showed the fragile side of a woman, holding her lover and crying uncontrollably.
Sadness, despair, fear.
The ups and downs of the business sea are vigorous and resolute, and the introverted and hidden in the feelings.
This ambitious actress is really on fire.
Whether it is the elegant and beautiful Li Li in "Flowers", or Xin Zhilei in "Flowers and Youth", she is undoubtedly the biggest winner in 2023.
Not only has the popularity increased, but the coffee position has also risen in a straight line.
Tied with actresses such as Tang Yan and Ma Yili, on the cover of magazines, and many luxury brands came to the door for cooperation.
Especially the stunning appearance on the Spring Festival Gala of the Year of the Dragon, the audience can better understand that Xin Zhilei, an acting school, has been waiting for her own spring.
Epilogue:
Xin Zhilei conquered Wong Kar-wai with one look, but behind it is ten years of hard work, and every role is carefully carved.
She also used her own experience to let the audience see that there is never any overnight success, only hard work and persistence every day and night.
——END——