China’s Gossip Girl

Yang: launched own production company

She won’t be too familiar to WiC readers but the 25 year-old Chinese actress is definitely on the rise. Yang Mi’s acting career started when she was 4, playing a minor role in King of Beggars (1992). The young actress then went on to study at Beijing Film Academy.

Why is she famous?

It took her a while before she gained national fame. After graduation, she starred in five other films and nine TV series before becoming a household name thanks to her role in the 2006 TV drama, The Return of the Condor Heroes. More recently she starred in the time travel series Gong, which recorded the highest ratings for a drama series last year (see WiC98).

Why is she in the news?

In future, Yang will not only star in but also produce the Chinese spin-off of the US hit show Gossip Girl. The Mandarin-language 30-episode series about student life at the prestigious Shanghai International University, known to attract the rich and powerful, is expected to launch in November.

“Each week, the main characters’ trust, love and friendship are tested, with all the behind-the-scenes tales recorded in a blog,” the producers told Hollywood Reporter about the series. “In the beginning, they are confused and lost, however over time, they discover who they really are and eventually find the right path to pursue their dreams.”

It is Yang’s first time as a producer. She recently started her own production company, following in the footsteps of other Chinese starlets like Fan Bingbing and Zhang Ziyi. “Maybe people think I’m still too young to be a producer but I have been an actor for more than 10 years. I really wanted to do something challenging. And besides, young people need to expand their horizon and I’m also not afraid of defeat,” the starlet told reporters.

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