Stephen Chow-directed Kung Fu Soccer surpasses 1.1 billion yuan
On July 16, actress Bai Lu announced in a social media post that she has parted ways with Huanyu Film, officially bringing their decade-long partnership to an end as she embarks on her solo career.
According to reports, Bai Lu has established her own studio, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her career.
Shortly after posting the message, Bai Lu's longtime mentor and the founder of Huanyu Film, Yu Zheng, also shared a lengthy post, saying that Bai Lu would soar to even greater heights. He urged everyone to continue loving and supporting her, adding that he also looks forward to collaborating with her again in the future, which he believes will undoubtedly mark yet another new peak.
Bai Lu, whose real name is Bai Meng Yan, was born on September 23, 1994, in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. She began watching Korean dramas at the age of 13 or 14, which inspired her to pursue her dream of going to South Korea to become a trainee.
In 2012, at the age of 18, Bai Lu traveled to Shanghai, accompanied by her mother, to audition for an overseas trainee selection held by a South Korean entertainment company. Unfortunately, she was not selected. After her dream of becoming a trainee fell through, Bai Lu went on to work as a Taobao model.
At the time, she earned around 300 yuan (approx. 45 USD) a day. During her busiest periods, she had to change into as many as 200 outfits in a single day. Fortunately, while working as a model, Bai Lu was discovered by a microfilm director and went on to star in a number of microfilms and short videos.
By a stroke of luck, one of the short films she appeared in caught Yu Zheng's attention. Believing that the young woman had "a story in her eyes," Yu Zheng promptly offered her an opportunity to join him.
Bai Lu once shared the story of how she signed with Yu Zheng. On the day of the interview, her mother believed that sportswear would better highlight her bright and cheerful personality, so Bai Lu showed up wearing a red tracksuit. While she was on her way home after the interview, she received an offer from Yu Zheng inviting her to sign with his company.
In 2016, Bai Lu officially signed with Yu Zheng's Huanyu Film, entering into a contract that would last for ten years.
Yu Zheng also devoted considerable time and effort to developing her career, successively casting her in dramas such as Zhao Ge, Untouchable Lovers, and Arsenal Military Academy. Bai Lu's popularity steadily continued to rise.
Bai Lu later scored her breakthrough with One and Only. In the drama, her character Cui Shi Yi, dressed in a bright red bridal gown on the day of her empress investiture ceremony, leapt from the city wall. Her line, "Zhou Sheng Chen, I've come to marry you," became one of the most unforgettable scenes for countless viewers and helped propel Bai Lu into the ranks of China's top-tier actresses.
After that, Bai Lu did not limit herself to idol dramas. She appeared in the realist drama Ordinary Greatness with an almost makeup-free look. Premiering in 2022, the series has consistently maintained a high Douban rating of 8.5 to this day.
Last year, Bai Lu starred in the television drama Northward, adapted from the Mao Dun Literature Prize-winning novel of the same name. She played Xia Feng Hua, a straightforward and tomboyish young woman who grew up along the Grand Canal.
As Huanyu Film's leading actress, Bai Lu has been the subject of persistent speculation since last year that she would not renew her contract when it expired. Earlier, a netizen asked Yu Zheng whether he would pressure Bai Lu into renewing her contract. Responding in the comments section, Yu Zheng wrote, "How could that be? She's a child I raised like my own daughter. She's free to stay or leave — it doesn't affect how much I care about her."
It is also worth noting that in June this year, Yu Zheng shared a heartfelt post expressing his best wishes. He wrote:
"Ten years — it may sound long, but it really isn't. Watching a little sapling grow into a towering tree has always been my wish. Perhaps I didn't do enough, but I really did my best, so I have no regrets. Bai Lu is exceptionally talented, and her future will undoubtedly be even brighter. This is only the beginning. Let's look forward to an even more glorious next ten years."
Source: Red Star News
