Esther Yu facts for kids

Yu Shuxin (Chinese: 虞书欣; pinyin: Yú Shūxīn), known as Esther Yu, is a Chinese actress and singer. She was born on December 18, 1995. She was a member of The9, a girl group formed from the TV show Youth With You 2.

Esther Yu is famous for her roles in popular TV shows. These include Find Yourself (2020), Moonlight (2021), Love Between Fairy and Devil (2022), and My Journey to You (2023). She also starred in Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (2024).

Early life and education

Esther Yu was born in Shanghai, China. She is the only child in her family. Her parents are successful business owners.

For her college education, she went to LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore. She studied Fashion Media and Industries there.

Career journey

Starting out (2015–2019)

Esther Yu began her acting career in 2015. Her first drama was Border Town Prodigal, which aired in 2016. She also became known after appearing on the variety show Grade One Freshman.

In 2017, she played supporting roles in dramas like The Advisors Alliance and Ordinary Years. Her first main role was in the 2018 drama Youth. This show was based on a South Korean drama. In 2019, she starred in the romantic comedy My Amazing Boyfriend 2.

Becoming popular (2020–present)

In 2020, Esther Yu joined the TV show Youth With You 2. She quickly became one of the most popular contestants. She successfully joined the girl group The9 on May 30, 2020. The group later disbanded in December 2021.

In the same year, she gained a lot of fans for her role in the romantic drama Find Yourself. She was even nominated for an award for this role. She also played a detective in I've Fallen For You. Forbes China included her in their "Under 30 Elite" list for entertainment.

In 2021, she starred in the romantic comedy Moonlight.

In 2022, Esther Yu starred in the very popular fantasy drama Love Between Fairy and Devil. She also appeared in the environmental romance drama A Romance of the Little Forest.

In 2023, she starred in Sword and Fairy, based on a video game. She also appeared in the historical drama My Journey to You. She had a role in the film If You Are the One 3. In 2024, she was the main actress in another fantasy historical drama called Love Game in Eastern Fantasy.

Looking ahead to 2025, she is set to be the main actress in the romantic sports drama Ski into Love.

Acting roles

Movies

TV series

Variety shows

Music

Esther Yu has released several songs, many of which are theme songs for her TV dramas.

• "Stars" (2016) - from Grade One Freshman OST
• "Finally One Day" (2016) - from Grade One Freshman OST
• "Love Problem" (2019) - from My Amazing Boyfriend 2 OST
• "Ever Since I Met You" (2020) - from I've Fallen For You OST
• "Gwalla" (2020) - from MatriX
• "Here's Chu Li" (2021) - from Moonlight OST
• "Loss of Memory" (2022) - from Love Between Fairy and Devil OST
• "Wish to be with You" (2022) - with Dylan Wang, a song for Love Between Fairy and Devil
• "All Seems The Same" (2022) - from A Romance of the Little Forest OST
• "Sunny Day After The Rain" (2022) - from A Romance of the Little Forest OST
• "Oh My" (2023) - from her first mini-album Esther
• "Unfinished to be Continued" (2023) - from her first mini-album Esther
• "Bestow Dreams" (2023) - from My Journey to You OST
• "Try Everything" (2023) - with Ayanga, a special song for Shanghai Disney Resort
• "Hope" (2024) - from Sword and Fairy 6 OST
• "Pray" (2024) - from Sword and Fairy 6 OST
• "Surge" (2024) - from Love Game in Eastern Fantasy OST
• "Moonlight Thoughts" (2024) - with Ding Yuxi and others, a song for Love Game in Eastern Fantasy
• "Spicy Honey" (2024) - from her first studio album Spicy Honey
• "Laffy Taffy" (2024) - from her first studio album Spicy Honey
• "How Not To Be" (2024) - from her first studio album Spicy Honey
• "Girls Night Out" (2024) - from her first studio album Spicy Honey
• "Last One Standing" (2024) - from her first studio album Spicy Honey
• "Spicy Honey" (Chinese Ver. featuring Dong Bao Shi) (2024) - from her first studio album Spicy Honey
• "Laffy Taffy" (Chinese Ver.) (2024) - from her first studio album Spicy Honey
• "True Love" (2024) - from her first studio album Spicy Honey

Awards and recognition

Esther Yu has won several awards for her acting and popularity.

• In 2020, she won the Top 10 Popular Female Characters award for her role in Find Yourself at the 2020 TV Series Awards.
• In 2023, she was named Scream Goddess at the 2022 iQIYI Scream Night. She also won Notable Actress of the Year at the 2022 Weibo Awards.
• Also in 2023, she received the Most Influential Actress of the Year award at the 2023 iQIYI Scream Night for My Journey to You. She also won the People's Choice Award at the 2023 Asian Pop Music Awards for her mini-album Esther.
• In 2024, she continued to win awards, including Hot Actress of the Year at the 2023 Weibo Awards and Expressive Actress of the Year at the 2024 Weibo TV & Internet Video Summit. She was also recognized as Asia Pacific All-Round Artist of the Year at the 2024 iQIYI Scream Night.
• In 2025, she received multiple awards at the 2024 Tencent Video All Star Night, including Most Overseas Influential Artist of the Year, Most Popular TV Actress of the Year, and VIP Star of the Year for her work on Love Game in Eastern Fantasy and her music. She also won Appealing Actress of the Year at the 2024 Weibo Awards.