Xu Jinglei facts for kids

Xu Jinglei (Chinese: 徐静蕾, born on April 16, 1974) is a famous Chinese actress and filmmaker. She is known as one of the Four Dan Actresses in China. This title is given to the most popular young actresses of their time.

Xu Jinglei became well-known for her roles in TV shows like A Sentimental Story (1997) and Cherish Our Love Forever (1998). She also starred in films such as Spring Subway (2002) and The Warlords (2007).

She started directing movies with My Father and I (2003). She became one of China's most successful female directors. Her film Letter from an Unknown Woman (2004) won her the Best Director award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Early Life and Education

Xu Jinglei was born in Chaoyang, Beijing, China, on April 16, 1974. Her father worked in a light bulb factory and later started his own factory. Her mother worked in a chemical factory. Xu also has a younger brother.

When she was young, Xu studied calligraphy at the Beijing Children's Palace. Her father was strict and made sure she learned many Tang poems by heart. Because of her amazing calligraphy skills, she was recommended to Beijing No. 80 High School.

Xu first wanted to study make-up for the stage. She applied to The Central Academy of Drama but was not accepted. The next year, she was accepted into the Performing Arts Department at the Beijing Film Academy.

Career Highlights

Acting Journey

Xu Jinglei began her acting career in 1994 with the TV series My Deskmate. She became very popular for playing a policewoman in A Sentimental Story (1997). She also starred in Cherish Our Love Forever (1998), which was China's first "idol drama."

In 1999, she won an award for her role in the film Spicy Love Soup. She continued to gain success with many praised films. She won the Huabiao Award for Outstanding New Actress for I Love You (2002). She also won the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress for Spring Subway (2002). For Far From Home (2002), she received the Golden Rooster Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Later, she appeared in big movies like Confession of Pain (2006) and The Warlords (2007). She also reunited with her co-star Li Yapeng in Eternal Moment (2011). After 2011, she focused more on directing and managing talent. She returned to acting in the science fiction thriller Battle of Memories (2017).

Directing Films

Xu Jinglei directed her first film, My Father and I (2003), where she also acted. This film was one of China's first independent productions. It explored the relationship between a Chinese father and his daughter. For this film, she won the Golden Rooster Award for Best New Director.

Her second film as a director was Letter from an Unknown Woman (2004). This movie was based on a famous novel. It earned her the Silver Shell for Best Director at a film festival in Spain. In 2010, Xu directed and starred in Go Lala Go!. This film was about a young woman's journey in the workplace.

By 2014, Xu was recognized as a top female director in China. She was the first female director to have six independent films earn over 100 million yuan at the box office. She also won international film festival awards. She continued to direct romantic movies like Dear Enemy (2011) and Somewhere Only We Know (2015). In 2017, she directed an action thriller called The Missing. She also produced a web-series about aliens called My 200-Million-Year-Old Classmate (2018).

Other Activities

Since 2003, Xu Jinglei has taught acting at the Beijing Film Academy. In 2005, she started a blog that became very popular. By 2006, it was the most popular blog in the world, according to Technorati.

In 2006, Xu started her own company, Kaila Pictures Corporation. This company produced films and managed talent. She also launched a website, digital magazines, and an accessory line.

In 2007, she worked with Founder Electronics to create her own calligraphy computer font. It was called "Founder Jinglei Simplified" and was even used by Starbucks China. In 2008, she was named "China Environmental Ambassador." This was an honor given by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the United Nations.

Xu has also appeared on TV shows. In 2012, she was a judge on China's Got Talent. In 2018, she participated in a singing competition show called Crossover Singer. She also started a fund to support braille publications and education for children of migrant workers.

Personal Life

Xu Jinglei has had relationships with other artists. From 1994 to 2004, she was in a relationship with writer Wang Shuo. She later had a relationship with actor Huang Jue until 2010.

Since 2010, Xu has been in a relationship with Taiwanese-American singer and actor Stanley Huang. They worked together on the film Go Lala Go!. Since 2017, they have been living in the United States.

Filmography

Films

Television Series

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Xu Jinglei para niños