A talented young Chinese performer has reflected on his journey from a breakout pop star to respected actor, discussing his ever-evolving career, the challenges of playing complex roles, and his artistic vision for the future.
Jackson Yee, who rose to fame as a child star of the wildly popular Chinese boy band TFBoys, took to the stage in front of a huge global audience on Tuesday night as he performed on the 2025 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala -- an hours-long television extravaganza held on the eve of the Chinese New Year.
This marked Yee's eighth appearance on the annual gala show, and saw him deliver a duet with Chinese singer Li Yuchun as the pair performed a vibrant song and dance number which also brought guest performers from all over the world onto the main stage. Titled "China Fun," the catchy piece sought to celebrate China's growing popularity among international tourists and sent out an invitation to welcome more visitors to the country during the newly-arrived Year of the Snake.
Given his relatively tender age, Yee's regular appearances on China's biggest annual variety show is something of a rarity for such a young star, but reflects his versatility as a performer. Over the past dozen years, Yee has grown from a teenage idol into an accomplished actor who is now recognizable across the country.
"I think it's a good start for now, as many young moviegoers can remember my name. I'm only 24, not yet 25 years old now, and I don't know what roles I will play in the future. So there is no clear so-called 'ending point' for me. I'm just challenging myself at this stage," Yee said.
Yee has demonstrated his artistic depth by starring in many critically-acclaimed movies over the past number of years, covering a wide spectrum of roles, from historic period dramas to gritty, hard-hitting topics, with several of his films also breaking box office records in China. In his latest movie, Yee took on perhaps his most challenging role to date in the new film "Big World," which was released in time for China's ongoing Spring Festival holiday. Yee plays the lead character of Liu Chunhe, a boy who suffers from cerebral palsy but who bravely breaks through the shackles of his body and mind to overcome adversity in a truly touching story. In the weeks since its release, the film has already exceeded 750 million yuan (over 104 million U.S. dollars), proving it to be another box office hit.
According to Yee, the lead role he played in "Big World" has had the most profound influence on him compared to his past works, and he said he was still subconsciously staying in the character of Liu even long after filming was completed. But the young star said he enjoys playing such a wide scope of roles, and embraces the various challenges that come with them.
"Sometimes I think about why I like acting. I think that playing changing roles, or challenging a part of myself and magnifying a part inside myself that I don't know about, gives me a kind of excitement. It's what I'm curious about and what I want to try [these roles]," he said.
Before the filming began, Yee researched extensively, met with others suffering the same disability depicted in the movie, and then devoted himself to fully entering the right state of mind to portray his character.
"I remember that at the beginning of the filming, I stayed alone in a room. I imagined myself as a cerebral palsy patient, and I imagined myself as Liu Chunhe, pretending that a film crew had come to me to make a movie about cerebral palsy patients. Later I found that this way was impossible, because I always have to return to my own life. I can't always stay in that physical state, as I have to let my body rest. And it's difficult to enter such a state the next day. If I want to make the audience think that I am acting easily, I have to judge my acting by myself over and over again, and experience a lot," Yee said.
Given how his fame as an actor -- which sees him having nearly 100 million followers on social media -- contrasts sharply with the characters he plays, Yee says he tries to stay grounded and often reflects on how to truly immerse himself in these roles.
"I think for any actor with a certain level of recognition, choosing diverse roles and bringing them to real life and leaving a mark in the current era through these roles is our essential task. I feel lucky to have the opportunity to act. Sometimes, though, I struggle with whether I should be grateful for turning something I love into work, or cautious that this passion might fade someday. So, I believe it's important to maintain a kind of subconscious respect, while also, at times, blissfully enjoying the process," he said.
Young Chinese actor shares journey from teenage singing sensation to respected movie star
