She gained overnight fame and became everyone’s idol. At the same time, she also attracted all sorts of paparazzi gossip talk.

Under the glaring tiara of ‘Little Swallow’, how did she manage to live a normal life?

After ten years in the storms of the entertainment circle, let us learn how Zhao Wei matured.

Z: Zhao Wei

One highly anticipated movie of year 2007 has finally commenced filming, and that is [Red Cliff]. This movie has been the talk of the media. Some say that the female lead of the movie should be Taiwanese Lin Chilin. However, another actress has ‘snatched’ her limelight. So who is this actress? Well, she is our very own big-eyed Anhui-er, Zhao Wei.

Z: “My latest album showcases one of my attitudes. I guess since I entered the showbiz industry, I have always given people the impression that I am a strong and independent lady. I feel that my album is to bring this message clearly across: that even though we may be the weaker gender, we need not wait for other people to hold us before we can stand up. We should strive to be self-reliant.”

Zhao Wei had said the above statement in September 2007. At that time, she had snagged the highly anticipated role of ‘Sun Shangxiang’ in movie [Red Cliff]. She was also still studying her Masters at Beijing Movie Academy, and had just released her latest music album [Angel’s Suitcase]. Can one still find traces of ‘Little Swallow’ in Zhao Wei?

It has been ten years since [My Dear Princess]. The silly and naïve ‘Little Swallow’ enabled everyone to take notice of Zhao Wei, and she was propelled from a second year university student into one of the most popular idol in China. Her rise to stardom can be considered a miracle.

Z: “Qiong Yao (author of [My Dear Princess]) had always had similar female leads in her productions. It was the first time she chose a different personality, and that was me. I guess we both created the miracle.”

Until today, Zhao Wei could not decide if the overnight fame was a blessing or a curse. Then, she had to cope with everything and everyone, from filming, award taking, interviews, over-enthusiastic reporters and fans. She was scared, as everyone suddenly wanted to befriend her, and she dared not reject. Her every action was scrutinized and she was caught unaware. Of course, what came next were all the unfavourable rumours and criticism.

Z: “Perhaps because some of the artistes had taken the industry by storm by some of their (strange) actions, so the media felt that anything was worth doing, as long as the artiste found fame. Actually, all of us knew that it would take a lot of effort and time for one to understand fully what we are doing. We should not treat it as a pursuit of fame, but rather a thing we need to fulfill and complete.”

After [My Dear Princess], Zhao Wei had several acting engagements, where her role was similar to ‘Little Swallow’. Some people became discontented, and even proclaimed that Zhao Wei “could only act as Little Swallow”. So how did Zhao Wei manage to overcome that obstacle?

In year 2001, another Qiong Yao production took the audiences by storm. In that television serial, the silly ‘Little Swallow’ transformed into the pitiful ‘Yiping’. After the telecast, Zhao Wei found to her delight that people stopped calling her ‘Little Swallow’, and instead called her affectionately by her real name of Zhao Wei.

Z: “Actually, I think that I was able to click with Qiong Yao because I dared to merge my understanding with her works, and it worked out pretty well then.”

It was another successful collaboration between Qiong Yao and Zhao Wei, and it was a crucial step in transforming her career. However, to Zhao Wei, being successful was not just down to taking advantage of the opportunity.

The successful portrayal of ‘Yiping’ enabled Zhao Wei to break free of ‘Little Swallow’, and she started to take on roles of different personalities to challenge her acting skills technically. However, it was the same year that Zhao Wei experienced her worst fall – the “Japanese military costume” incident. Although Zhao Wei apologized over the episode at several media conferences, she discovered that the matter could not be resolved so simply.

The “Japanese military costume” incident affect Zhao Wei’s career adversely, and she began to become cautious. Around the same time, the media made a big hoo-ha about Zhao Wei breaking up with wealthy boyfriend Ye Maojing.

Faced with both career and relationship setback, Zhao Wei finally learnt the harsh conditions of the entertainment industry.

In year 2002, Zhao Wei starred in [Green Tea], a movie that few audiences understood. The next year, she participated in [Goddess of Mercy], another box office flop. As a result, the media labeled Zhao Wei as the ‘bane of box office’. Under such harsh criticism, can Zhao Wei still stick to her choices?

Z: “Perhaps some of the critics are not my fans. But I believe that all my works have some good in them. I will not just simply choose to act in something that I don’t believe in and waste my energy. This is also why my works are not a lot.”

In movie [A Time to Love], Zhao Wei again appeared to the audiences as a pitiful and tortured lady in love. Her brilliant performance garnered several awards at the film award ceremonies. Without excessive talk, Zhao Wei proved herself through her works that she is not one who is easily beaten. After that, be it the elegant ‘Yao Mulan’ in [Moment in Peking] or the cook in [Post Modern Life of my Aunt], Zhao Wei was able to bring surprises to the audiences. She has also learnt to relax herself in front of the media.

In 2006, Zhao Wei returned to her alma mater Beijing Movie Academy to start her Masters in Directing course. Many people were stumped. What did Zhao Wei choose to learn directing when her acting career was now progressing smoothly?

Z: “I guess it has to do with the influence in my family. We are very conservative, and believe that even if we may own the world now, we should still go and upgrade ourselves. I felt that even if I changed my course to other courses besides directing, I would still be able to help my acting indirectly, to absorb knowledge from another angle or outlook.”

Ten years ago, when Zhao Wei first found fame, she was the second year student in Beijing Movie Academy’s acting degree course. After a decade, she is still a second year student in the Masters course. But the frame of mind has changed.

Z: “I feel that the past ten years have gone by in a flash, because I’ve been doing something that I like and have a passion for, so I really feel that time flies…”

For the past ten years, people have made several evaluations of Zhao Wei. But perhaps to Zhao Wei, the most important thing is that she has lived her own life.

Translated by 小妹子