SoulMateisaromanticdramaabouttwobestfriendsreachingadulthood.Becauseofthechangesbroughtonbymaturity,thetwogirls’friendshipistestedandtheirlivesveerawayfromeachother.ManycriticshaveopinedthattheyoungZhouwasluckytowinonherfirstnomination,butthatherportrayaloftheimpulsiveandcontradictoryAnshengcapturedaudiences’attentionandconnectedwiththememotionallyasthecharacter’smoodshifted.
ALuckyStart
ZhouwasbornintoanordinaryfamilyinShijiazhuangCity,HebeiProvinceinearly1992.Beforeturning18,herlifewaslikethatofmostherpeersinChina:dominatedbycommutingbetweenhomeandschool.In2010,ZhangYimou,arguablythebest-knownandmostinternationallyrecognizedChinesedirectorworkingtoday,choseZhoufrommorethan8,000actressestostarinUndertheHawthornTree.AlthoughZhouwasaseniorhighschoolstudentwithoutanyactingexperience,theveteranfilmmakersensedherpotential.
HersentimentalyetvividportrayaloftheheroineinUndertheHawthornTreepromptedravereviewsbycriticsandspectatorsalike,andZhousoonbecameknowntothepeopleofherhometownafterwinningBestActressatthe56thValladolidInternationalFilmFestivalinSpain,theOutstandingNewActressAwardatthe14thChinaHuabiaoAwardsandBestNewPerformeratthe20thShanghaiFilmCriticsAssociationAwardsforherroleinUndertheHawthornTree.
Theluckoftheemergingactresscontinuedfromthere.In2011,shewasadmittedtotheBeijingFilmAcademy(BFA),China’smostrespectedfilmschool,whichhasproducedplentifulartistsandfilmmakersthatnowformthebackboneofthecountry’sfilmindustry.Whiletheschool’sadmissionprocessisoneofthetoughestanditsadmissionrateoneofthelowestinthecountry,Zhoumanagedtogetin.“Zhouappliedfortheactingmajor,buttheentranceexamcoveredbothactingandacademicsubjects,”notedBFAPresidentZhangHuijun.“Althoughheracademicscoreswerenotasgoodasheractingscores,weadmittedherduetoherobviousgiftforacting.”
ChangingtheStereotype
Foralongtime,Zhou’s“fortunate”and“smooth”startinthefilmindustryplayedalargeroleindiscussionsabouther.ShehasinspiredhighexpectationsfrombothfansandcolleaguesbecausealmosteveryactressdiscoveredbyZhangYimoushootstofame.Today,themostinternationally-famousformerZhangprotégésincludeGongLiandZhangZiyi,whostarredinFarewellMyConcubineandAngLee’sCrouchingTiger,HiddenDragon,respectively.
AlthoughZhouseemsontracktofollowherpredecessors’pathstostardom,she’salittledifferent.InthethreeyearsaftershewasadmittedtotheBFA,Zhoureceivedanumberoffilmoffersandstarredinseveral,butthecharactersalwaysseemedthesame.“I’malwaysthatinnocentgirlwithafaircomplexionandblackhair—thefirst-lovetype,”sheoncelamented.
Shefelttheneedtobreakoutofthepigeonhole.In2013,ZhouauditionedforasmallroleinBreakupBuddies,aroadmoviewhichlaterbecamethehighestgrossing2014domesticChinesefilm.DirectedbyyoungdirectorNingHaoandstarringtwoofChina’sbiggestcomedynames,XuZhengandHuangBo,thefilmhadalreadyattractedastrongcast.“Actually,thedirectorturnedmedownatfirst,”recalledZhou.“Butdayslater,hecalledmeinforanaudition.‘Ihavetolandthisrole’wasallIcouldthinkonthewaytotheaudition.Itwastheperfectopportunitytochangemyimage.”Duringheraudition,Zhouwasaskedtodosomename-callinginalocaldialect.“Itriedmybest,butIcouldn’ttelliftheyweresatisfiedwithmyperformancefromtheirexpressions,”sherevealed.Twodayslater,shewasnotifiedthatshehadbeencastasatrashyruralhairdresser,turningherpreviouslovable,innocentimageupsidedownandresultinginthemostmemorablefemalecharacterinthefilm.
AfterBreakupBuddies,Zhoubegantoreceiveawidervarietyofoffers,andsheendedupplayinganill-temperedgeniusinTheArkofMr.ChowandanundercoveragentinthespyTVdramaSparrow.“Istillneedtofurtherhonemyskillsbyplayingdifferentcharacters,”saysthe24-year-old.“Bydoingthis,IgetadeeperunderstandingofawidervarietyofpeopleImightnothaveotherwiseeverknown.Asanactress,ifIdon’tdeconstructmyselfviacontrastingrolesandchangesinenvironment,Iamafraidthatmyartwilllosevitality.”
MillennialChineseActress
Throughouthistory,thecinemaoftheChinesemainlandhasneverlackediconicactresses,andtheirstarpersonashaveembodiedboththefantasiesandfrustrationsofthepublic.Today,alotoffocusisplacedonthe“FourDanActresses,”atermoriginallycoinedinthe1920storefertopopularmaleactorsportrayingfemaleroles,nowusedtodescribethemostpromisingyoungChineseactresses.Thelatestlistofthe“post90s”generationofFourDanActressesincludesZhouDongyu,YangZi,ZhengShuang,andGuanXiaotong,basedona2016surveyofmorethan170millionnetizensand110professionalmediaandindustryinsiders.
AlthoughthegrowthrateofChina’sboxofficeslowedin2016(stilltotalinganimpressivefigureofnearlyUS$7.2billion),thecountry’sfilmindustryhasbeendevelopingrapidlyinrecentyears.AndthetastesofChinesespectatorshavebecomemorevaried,withromances,comedies,actionthrillers,sciencefictionandfantasyfilmsallfindingdemandingsectorsofthemarket.ThefilmindustryhascreatedahandfulofgoldenopportunitiesforChineseactorsandactresses,especiallyyoungones.
“Wewerebornatagoodtimeforthisindustry,andI’vefoundmanyopportunitiesasamillennial,”remarksZhou.“However,itisstillalittleearlytotalksomuchaboutgoals.Youngactorsandactressesneedagoodscripttoreachtheaudience.”
Zhounowseeshertradeasaservicetotheaudienceratherthanaself-satisfyingart.Asanactress,Zhouisnotyetaswellroundedasshewouldliketobecome.Butyouthishertreasure.“Iseldomworryaboutfindingmynextjob,andIdon’treallyhavetheburdensofsuperstars,”shesmiles.“Idon’tthinkI’vereachedthatlevel.Preparingmyselftoplayalotofdifferentrolesisstillmypriority.”