Xin Zhilei

In this Chinese name, the family name is Xin.
Xin Zhilei
辛芷蕾
Xin at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival
Born
Xin Lei 辛蕾

(1986-04-08) April 8, 1986
Hegang, Heilongjiang, China
Alma materHarbin Huade University (dropout)
Central Academy of Drama (training program) [1]
OccupationActress
Years active2011–present
AgentYun Zhi He Entertainment (New Classics Media)
AwardsVolpi Cup for Best Actress at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival

Xin Zhilei (Chinese: 辛芷蕾; pinyin: Xīn Zhǐlěi), born Xin Lei (Chinese: 辛蕾; pinyin: Xīn Lěi), is a Chinese actress.[2] She is known for her roles in the television series Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (2018), Joy of Life (2019), and Blossoms Shanghai (2023). Her notable films include Crosscurrent (2016), Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield (2017), and The Sun Rises on Us All (2025), for which she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.

Early life

Xin was born into a modest family in Hegang, Heilongjiang, where both of her parents suffered from poor health. She was originally given the name Xin Rui (辛蕊) by her mother, but when registering her on the hukou, her mother forgot how to write the character Rui and instead changed it to Lei.[3] Xin started cooking and helped care for her younger brother and sister since the age of six. While she studied fashion design at Harbin Huade University, her father became paralyzed, and Xin took on part-time jobs to support the household. Her father remained paralyzed for five years before his death.[4]

Career

While studying fashion design in Harbin, Xin began working as a model. A teacher recommended her to serve as a ritual girl for a TV station, where she was noticed by Donnie Yen and his then advertising agent in mainland China, Liang Ting.[5] In 2007, Xin signed with Liang Ting's agency, Star Union Skykee, after which she adopted the stage name Zhilei, originally suggested by a fortune-teller as Zilei (紫蕾) before being modified by Liang. Xin appeared in a 2008 advertisement with Tony Leung, directed by Stanley Kwan and shot by William Chang.[6] In the same year, she enrolled in a six-month training program at Central Academy of Drama.[7][8]

In 2011, Xin made her acting debut in the television drama Painted Skin (2011). In the same year, she was cast as the lead actress of Crosscurrent (2016), which languished for years because of budget overruns before Xin gained recognition for the film when it was selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival.[9] In 2016, she joined New Classics Media, which cast her in the TV series Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (2018), a sequel to the popular Empresses in the Palace (2011).[10] In 2017, Xin appeared in Lu Yang's wuxia film Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield, which attracted Wang Kar-wai's attention.[11] Xin gained wider popularity with her supporting roles in Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (2018) and Joy of Life (2019), both produced by her agency New Classics Media.[12]

In 2021, Xin was announced to have joined the cast of Blossoms Shanghai, the first television series directed by Wong Kar-wai.[13] The series premiered in December 2023 to critical acclaim.[14][15] Earlier in 2023, Xin starred in the Chinese adaptation of Prima Facie, a one-woman play written by Australian playwright Suzie Miller.[16] Her performance in this play earned her a Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Award. Xin starred in Cai Shangjun's film The Sun Rises on Us All (2025), which premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and earned Xin the Volpi Cup for Best Actress.[17][18][19]

Personal life

From 2018 to 2024, Xin was in a relationship with actor Zhai Tianlin.[20]

In 2023, Xin disclosed on Weibo that she had experienced molestation in childhood, writing: "I spent the next twenty years healing myself, and my brain would even actively erase that terrifying memory."[21]

Controversy

Contractual dispute

In June 2015, after years of financial difficulties and a stalled career, Xin sought to terminate her contract with her first agent Liang Ting after 8 years over the latter's alleged "inaction", leading to a public contractual dispute. In September of the same year, Xin filed a lawsuit against Liang, but ultimately lost the case and was ordered to pay damages for breach of contract.[22][23] In September 2025, after her win of the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, Xin reestablished contact with Liang and the two publicly reconciled on Weibo.[23]

Filmography

Film

Year English title Chinese title Role Notes
2012 Haunting Love 诡爱 Xiao Xiaoya Segment: Love Drift[24]
2013 Bunshinsaba 2 笔仙II Nana [25]
2015 Impossible 不可思异 Tian Jing [26]
2016 Crosscurrent 长江图 An Lu [27][28]
Blood of Youth 少年 Cellist Cameo
2017 Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield 绣春刀II：修罗战场 Ding Baiying [29]
2020 Yes, I Do! 我的女友是机器人 Chuyi [30]
The Rescue 紧急救援 Fang Yuling [31]
2021 Schemes in Antiques 古董局中局 Huang Yanyan [32]
2023 Various Geeks 失而复得 Feng Leqi [33]
2024 Upstream 逆行人生 Xiao Ni [34]
The Unseen Sister 乔妍的心事 Qiao Lin [35]
2025 You Are the Best 你行！你上！ Teacher Lin [36]
A Writer's Odyssey 2 刺杀小说家2 Ruyun Long [37]
The Sun Rises on Us All 日掛中天 Meiyun [38][39]
TBA The Perfect Blue 她杀 Fang Yan [40]

Television

Year English title Chinese title Role Ref.
2011 Painted Skin 画皮 Susu
2012 Fall in Love with You 偏偏爱上你 Li Jiaxuan [41]
2013 Woman Gang 女人帮 Gao Xinxin [42]
2014 Miss Dong 懂小姐 Miss Dong's close friend [43]
2015 Wang Dahua Revolutionary Career 王大花的革命生涯 Jia Jiafeng [44]
Hua Xu Yin: City of Desperate Love 华胥引之绝爱之城 Nangong Qing [45]
Embrace the Stars of the Moon 拥抱星星的月亮 Xia Mingyue [46]
2018 Mr. Right 恋爱先生 Gu Yao [47]
Happiness Chocolate 幸福巧克力 Zhong Ququ [48]
Battle Through the Heavens 斗破苍穹 Medusa [49]
Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace 如懿传 Jin Yuyan [50]
2019 Candle in the Tomb: The Wrath of Time 怒晴湘西 Miss Hong [51]
Over the Sea I Come to You 带着爸爸去留学 Lin Feng [52]
Joy of Life 庆余年 Haitang Duoduo [53]
2020 The Wolf 狼殿下 Yao Ji [54]
2021 Win the Future 输赢 Luo Jia [55]
2022 I Am a Super Star 超时空大玩家 Rao Aimin / Wang Sisi [56]
2023 In Spite of the Strong Wind 纵有疾风起 Lu Di
Blossoms Shanghai 繁花 Li Li / Chen Zhen [57]
2024 Joy of Life 2 庆余年（第二季） Haitang Duoduo
Lost Identity 孤战迷城 Qin Moqing
2025 Good Will Society 仁心俱乐部 Liu Ziyi [58]
2026 The Inner Eye 女神蒙上眼 Tang Yingying [59]

Theatre

Year English title Chinese title Role
2023 Prima Facie 初步举证 Tessa Ensler
2024

Reality shows

Year English title Chinese title Role
2017 The Birth of an Actor 演员的诞生 Contestant
2023 Divas Hit the Road 5 花儿与少年·丝路季

Awards and nominations

Zhilei receiving the Volpi Cup for Best Actress award at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in 2025.
Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2019 26th Huading Awards Best Actress (Period drama) Candle in the Tomb: The Wrath of Time Nominated [60]
Golden Bud - The Fourth Network Film And Television Festival Best Actress Candle in the Tomb: The Wrath of Time, Over The Sea I Come To You Nominated [61]
2023 7th Chinese Theatre Awards Best Actress Prima Facie Won
2024 32nd Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Awards Best Leading Performance Won [62]
2025 82nd Venice International Film Festival Volpi Cup for Best Actress The Sun Rises on Us All Won [17][18][19]
18th Asia Pacific Screen Awards Best Performance Pending [63]

References

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