Wu Lei learn about friendship and love, understand meeting and parting
Before meeting “Wu Sanlang”, Wu Lei didn’t know that owning a dog was such a gentle and melancholy feeling. Although he was only a teenager, he already knew how to start a relationship seriously. The days together were like two friends growing up together. He knew that he could learn friendship and love, and would eventually understand meeting and parting.
Wu Lei’s golden retriever is the third in the family, and he calls it “Wu Sanlang”. It seems to have the “genes” of the Wu family, and it has a very gentle personality, is very friendly to everyone, and is easy to get along with. The day he was brought home, Sanlang was still a small one, and he has grown up to be a big and mighty one today. Even Wu Lei himself is very emotional: “Time flies, and I have grown up too.”
During the filming days, Sanlang was fostered at a relative’s house. When he sent him away for the first time, he felt a little unhappy. “He grew up with me and brought me a lot of joy. Although my mother always told me that I could visit him anytime when I missed him, I still felt reluctant.” After filming, Wu Lei had a “video call” with him when he returned to the hotel. “I played with him in front of the camera. Although he would bark from time to time, I don’t know if he really understood. But seeing him so lively and healthy, I was still very happy.”
After spending a long time together, he felt that Wu Sanlang could read his heart. When he was happy, it was happy with him; when he was upset because of doing something wrong, it stayed quietly by his side. It was a very subtle feeling. Whenever he talks about the trivia of his beloved dog, the boy becomes very detailed. “It has a lively personality and is very clingy. It’s afraid of strangers at first, but opens its heart to play with them once it gets familiar with them. It likes to eat canned food and has a small ball that it has played with since it was little. There are many ways to get close to it, and it especially likes me to hold it and put my hands on its shoulders…”
The most proud moment was when Wu Sanlang played a role called “Da Huang” in “Pal Inn”. “Everyone knows that small animals are not easy to control during filming. I’m proud of it. My Sanlang only listens to me and not others, haha…” On the set, he would not catch the frisbees thrown by others, but only those thrown by Wu Lei. He tied a piece of bread to the frisbee, “Sanlang’s eyes immediately turned green, and he bit the frisbee like an enemy, and that scene was filmed smoothly.”
The behind-the-scenes photo of him wearing Li Xiaoyao’s clothes and holding Sanlang went viral for a while. “It was easier to hold it when it was young, but now it’s getting bigger and bigger, and it feels a bit difficult…” He knows that the big golden retriever will be too old to walk sooner or later. Until then, he will still hold it like this and take a walk in the yard to bask in the sun. “I know that sooner or later I will face this day, just like everyone will face life and death. This is a lesson we all have to learn. But I still look at the bright side, keep my original intention, love it forever, and cherish the company I have now.”
The handsome young man has bright eyebrows and bright eyes, he stands like a Zhilan Yushu, his smile is like the bright moon in the arms*
*立如芝兰玉树 (stands like a Zhilan Yushu) is an idiom to call a promising young man with both moral integrity and talent. Originally a metaphor for the children of noble people, it is also used as a compliment to outstanding young people. 笑如朗月入怀 (bright moon in the arms) is an idiom to describes a man’s temperament and praises a person’s demeanor and smile.
Care and companionship, meeting and parting, after going through so many things, we still have love in our hearts
Golden Retrievers are often used as guide dogs. If you have the opportunity, would you participate in charity activities related to guide dogs?
As far as I know, golden retrievers are very smart. I once saw a dog IQ ranking list, and golden retrievers ranked fourth. They can be said to be one of the smartest dogs in the dog world. They are highly obedient and easy to train. Secondly, golden retrievers have a gentle personality and strong anti-interference ability. They can effectively reject temptation and are loyal to their owners. Golden retrievers are moderate sized and very convenient for their owners to lead. They are friendly and love to work, which makes people more willing to give them the work of guide dogs. If I have the opportunity, I would certainly be very willing to participate in such meaningful activities and do my part.
Have you ever seen stray animals at film and television bases or other filming locations? Have you ever tried to take care of them?
Occasionally I come across stray cats and dogs. I like small animals very much and I always want to touch and take care of them. Since I got Sanlang, I have deeply experienced the deep affection between animals and humans. If you treat it well, it will rely on you more. This kind of relationship is really warm.
There is a kind of life at the age of 19, with only a vague desire, and I can’t tell what moved me. Wu Lei has made it very clear, “I can’t imagine a life without acting.” Reach out and grab, step forward and do it. This is what an interesting life is like.
Wu Lei watched the stage play “War Horse” last summer and took the subway home on the way back. Wearing a baseball cap, a black mask, a cross-body bag, black trousers and a black and white striped shirt, there were not many people in the carriage, so there was no need to worry about being recognized. “It’s so late, everyone on the subway is looking at their phones, no one is looking at you. It doesn’t matter even if I’m recognized, I’m not… a wanted criminal, right?” He smiled slyly.
He recorded a short video for himself, like a trophy of stolen time. “All the anxiety comes from myself. It’s okay to be recognized, but I still want to travel comfortably. I long for some quiet time alone.” He once had a seven-day vacation, alone in the mountains, riding a horse and chopping wood. The morning sun shone on the sides of all objects, including leaves, green mangoes, stone steps and grass.
After that, when he entered university, he went to military training, morning exercises, playing ball games, and eating in the cafeteria with his classmates. He could always tell which window and which dish were delicious. He doesn’t need to wear makeup in class, and the acting department teacher doesn’t allow it. He enjoys appearing without makeup.
Like all people of his age, he is also keen on digital products. Recently, he has been shooting vlogs to record his life and travels. Under his lens, there are sunny beaches and exotic customs along the way, the playground and horizontal bars at sunset, and the tranquility brought by the stacks of books in the library. “I am also following the trend,” Wu Lei said, “It’s very interesting to record some small clips in this way.”
He also wrote a diary when he was a child. At that time he was more inclined to record his life, thoughts, what movies he had filmed, what difficulties he encountered, etc. “Text is a good form. It is powerful and requires patience, and video is the most direct method at the moment. Sometimes when I look back, I recall my state of mind and emotions at the time. From the initial embarrassment and small mistakes, I gradually got used to it and let it go. Sometimes I don’t know what to say, but I really want to share, so I repeat one sentence: “I’m doing this now…”
Draw energy from the character
When he was young, filming was very simple. He laughed when he was happy and cried when he was sad. But child actors are very different from adult actors. Under the systematic teaching of the school, Wu Lei learned theoretical knowledge and rethought his performance. As an “old actor” who has been acting for more than ten years, he has recognized the torment that must be faced in performance creation.
“Every time I act, I feel like acting is like being sick. It is uncomfortable and hard to endure, but just like being sick, you have to cure it. Every time I act, I feel like I am cooperating with a doctor to treat my illness. I tried my best to achieve the effect the director wanted. When they thought my performance was up to standard, my illness got better and I felt much better. But every time I finished filming, I didn’t hope that this serious illness would get better. I don’t think the treatment was thorough enough.”
He also draws energy from his own roles, and sometimes hopes to be like Li Cu in “Sand Sea”, who has a mischievous side, is afraid of right and wrong, but still bravely walks into the desert. From a confused student who didn’t know what was ahead, to a behind-the-scenes mastermind who protected his companions and marched forward, he completed the transformation from a boy to a man. As it says – making yourself a new self is a long story.
Q&A
How long did it take you to learn the song “We Are All Dreamers” performed in the Spring Festival Gala?
From the time I received the job, I learned songs, rehearsed, recorded and prepared tapes, and did live broadcasts. I have been practicing singing for three months. After all, singing is not my specialty, and I don’t have as much confidence in it as acting. The Spring Festival Gala is in front of Chinese people all over the world, so of course I want to prepare better, so I sing whenever I have time
Was that short dance difficult for you?
Although it looks simple and short, I actually practiced for six hours. Compared to learning a new fighting move and practicing a move with the martial arts instructor, it took me much longer. I also put my best effort into the dance at the birthday party, and after I finished it, I felt that I’m still an actor after all.
Have you set small goals for yourself this year?
I don’t really like small goals like daily check-in. I think everything should go with the flow, and as long as I move towards my big goal, things will get better and better.
What do you do in your spare time between filming and studying?
Listen to music, play games, read books, play basketball. This year, I went to college, so I read professional books and extracurricular readings recommended by teachers. The school will give me a reference book list. Before going to bed, I read my favorite books, usually novels, biographies, etc.
In the vlog, it says that men must carry a wallet. So what do you think are the three things that a tough guy must have?
I think about this question mainly when I am traveling. I will definitely bring my wallet, headphones, and mobile phone. Of course, a tough guy may not wear headphones, but he will also bring a grateful heart.
Why do we have such an obsession with wallets when payment is becoming more and more convenient?
As for wallets, I feel a little safer to have cash on you. And most importantly, you need to bring your student card to enter and exit our school. Without a student card, I cannot enter the school at any time, and we also need to swipe the card to enter our dormitory. Although the dormitory teacher is always very happy to see me. “Oh, are you going to film?” I said, “Teacher, you saw me yesterday…” Sometimes, before I even took out my card, the dormitory teacher opened the door.
Share your experience in choosing headphones and burn-in*.
I usually bring two pairs of headphones when I go out, and I have already adjusted them very well. I have chosen headphones that I’m very satisfied with, and they are good enough to make me “cool down”. So I would like to say to audiophiles that if you have the financial means, you should upgrade in one go, and don’t upgrade bit by bit, which will waste too much energy and money. Of course, it’s also good to keep working and earning money, and get closer to your dream headphones step by step.
Good and better are the questions facing 20-year-old Wu Lei. Becoming a good actor and a better person is the answer he wants to give.
Hengdian World Studios in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province is one of the three places Wu Lei is most familiar with. The other two are places near his home and near his school. Wu Lei, who started his acting career at the age of five, is very familiar with this most famous film and television base in China. He knows how to get around by bus and where there are delicious restaurants. This place seems like a hidden city. The world around it is changing but this place remains the same. He said that returning to Hengdian was like returning to his hometown. “The streets are still familiar, and the people are still familiar.” This is probably the daily life of an actor.
Wu Lei’s life seems to have been written into the word actor very early on. The first TV series he starred in when he was a child became the beginning of his acting career. “I think my acting career has been a tortuous journey, and each role is a small turning point. So my acting career is like an electrocardiogram, because each role is a transformation and turning point for me.” On the other end of the line was his voice imitating the electrocardiogram. It seemed that at that moment he had slightly shed his deep thoughts about his identity as an actor, revealing his playful nature as a teenager.
It seems that no actor has found the acting method overnight. He grew up in the crew, and those tricks and key points that seemed like martial arts secrets were taught to him by those more experienced actors through words and deeds. So he also began to think from the perspective of the character. “When I was a child, acting was more about imitation. The director told you what to do, and you just tried it. Now I will set a lot of frameworks for myself. I will really want to create a character, and then put myself in the shoes of this character and think from the perspective of this character, trying to integrate him into my own ideas, or design his background for this character, hoping to give this character more emotions and more different aspects.”
When he is not filming, he stays in his room watching old movies. Sometimes The Shawshank Redemption, sometimes Al Pacino’s performance in Scent of a Woman. He has watched these clips many times, “because those clips are so attractive to me and can give me strength. They let me see that an actor can actually convey such strong emotions and power to the audience through his performance. I feel that I have also been inspired and healed.”
It seems that when chatting with Wu Lei, we can’t avoid the topic of acting and actors. When asked about pleasing himself and pleasing others, he going around in circles and finally come back to acting. “I think these two things need to be connected, because if you feel happy pleasing yourself, you will try every means to please yourself, and you will forget the feelings of the people around you, and sometimes it is inevitable that you will be a little self-centered. But if you want to please others too much, you will forget yourself, and then you will lose yourself. So I think there should be a balance between pleasing yourself and pleasing others. I think this is actually one of the jobs of an actor. Because the role you play should not only realize your own value, but also be recognized and loved by the audience, so that this role can be objectively vivid and natural” As for Wu Lei outside of the actor, he doesn’t care so much whether he is liked by everyone.
I often wonder if a person will get tired after repeating the same work day after day for more than ten years? However, Wu Lei’s answer was still full of the passion of a young man. He still had a lot of curiosity about himself as an actor. “Sometimes when I’m acting, I often feel surprised at myself. I found out that I actually have this side and this kind of emotions. It’s been a long time since I’ve really been angry or sad. These negative emotions are actually rare in my life. But sometimes when I encounter such a scene, after I finish acting, I also feel that I actually have this side of myself in my body.” It is this passion and enthusiasm that has made this young man grow into “people” on the screen who are within reach.
Putting aside the macro topics of acting, what touched Wu Lei in life were the ordinary and trivial daily life. Those moments that made him feel like he was “really living”. “For example, a moment when you’re talking and playing with your friends, a moment when you’re alone looking out the window and hear the children playing downstairs, a moment when you’re laughing with your friends while playing games, or a moment when you’re washing dishes while cooking.”
Become an actor with great enthusiasm, and then live an ordinary life. It seems that there has never been a second different choice in his life. When asked, “If you could choose a new way of life, what kind of life would you most like to try?”, he only said, “I haven’t thought about this question. I like my current life very much.”
There are thousands of roads in this world, but please keep walking along the one you choose.
Wu Lei is in His Prime, Young Man that has Become Adult*
*及冠 means Crown. In ancient China, a man will have a ceremony wearing a crown when he turn 20 years old, which means he has become an adult.
“Youth” is not only an age stage. It is also a unique mark of this age: cheerful and vigorous. Young people are often curious about the world and are full of longing for the unknown. Although Wu Lei has just turned 20, he is already an experienced actor with nearly 15 years of experience. Due to the tight schedule, the filming started before 7 am, which meant Wu Lei had to prepare for the filming at 5 am. At the shooting site, he looked a little tired. In the cold winter morning, the light shines on the handsome eyes of the young man, and everything around him is warm. When the interview started, Wu Lei immediately restrained his somewhat lazy state. His eyes were clear and sincere, and he shared his story with us in his clear voice.
On his 20th birthday, Wu Lei released a set of film photos. In the photo, the young man in white stands on the snowy peaks. His eyebrows are like paintings, his eyes are like ink dots, and there is a smile on the corners of his lips. He has lost some of his youthful immaturity and gained a touch of trustworthy maturity.
From the time when he was a little boy playing the cute and clever little Nezha in “The Legend and the Hero”, to his teenage years where he played the 19-year-old Li Xiaoyao in “Pal Inn”, the hidden** senior Hu Yifeng in “The Whirlwind Girl”, and the intellectually disabled guard Fei Liu in “Nirvana in Fire”, to his adult life where he played the ill-fated genius Xiao Yan in “Fights Break Sphere” and the impulsive adventurous high school student Li Cu in “Tomb of the Sea”. For more than a decade, Wu Lei has continued to bring new works and new roles to meet the audience. The style of the work and the character’s personality are very different. Wu Lei’s acting skills are always on point, and the audience in front of the screen have also witnessed his growth along the way.
**: 深藏不露 is a person who has knowledge and talent but is reserved and does not like to show off his or her talents in front of others.
Although he already has a rich acting experience, Wu Lei is still full of expectations and awe for acting. Being young is not an invincible asset for him. On the one hand, he is pleased that he still has a lot of opportunities to learn and try, but on the other hand, he is also worried that his lack of experience will limit his ability to perform roles, and he hopes to accumulate and learn more comprehensively. When asked about his future plans, his answer was surprisingly simple: “To act well and be a good person. I will hone my acting skills and improve my basic skills. I have to work hard.”
Contrary to his handsome and gorgeous appearance and his unique experience as a child star, Wu Lei is steady and down-to-earth in real life, and he always defines himself as an “ordinary person.” He believes that all the characters he has played had extraordinary experiences. Those extraordinary lives are impossible for him to have in real life. Using the character to participate in other people’s stories and enriching your own experience while talking to the characters is also a wonderful journey of life. The boy is active and loves the new and interesting world. He enjoyed his performances in “Fights Break Sphere” and “Tomb of the Sea” very much.
At the time of the interview, Wu Lei was promoting the movie “Adoring”. In this movie, Wu Lei plays Chen Leyun, a talented fencer who suddenly becomes blind. How to play a blind person, how to show the psychological gap and despair of the character after he becomes blind, how to show the difference between a blind person and a sighted person through action, these are all difficult problems.
In order to overcome the difficulties, Wu Lei visited and observed blind people in advance, experienced the lives of blind people, and fully immersed himself in his role. Even the actors who were acting opposite him were blurred in his eyes. Wu Lei joked: “My eyes were always out of focus when I was acting, and I was always immersed in my own blindness. Others were just blurry figures, and I couldn’t see clearly how they were acting. Everyone was a mosaic in my eyes.” In “Adoring”, Wu Lei and Zhang Zifeng acted together, playing a pair of childhood sweethearts. Wu Lei said that the atmosphere between the two of them was relaxed, and Zifeng was a very nice person.
Perhaps it was because the staff member’s mobile phone suddenly rang with a ringtone similar to the sound of a game that gave Wu Lei inspiration, the topic suddenly jumped to games. If acting is the most frequent topic for Wu Lei, who is not talkative, then games are his second most active topic. Like every boy of his age, Wu Lei likes games and e-sports, so when he mentions the TV series “Cross Fire”, Wu Lei seems to have pressed a mysterious switch, and the frequency of his talk can even be doubled. “I really want to introduce Lu Xiaobei. He is a person who is in a wheelchair but is very good at playing games. This role is very complicated, and it is really fun for me to play it.” When he said this, you could feel the light in Wu Lei’s eyes, which was the excitement that was hard to conceal when he talked about how his favorite things and his career could be cleverly integrated.
Wu Lei cherishes the relationship between his colleagues in the crew. In his opinion, the most important thing for an actor is to maintain enthusiasm in shaping the character, and the second is to have confidence, not only in oneself and one’s role, but also in colleagues in the crew, believing that everyone can create excellent works together. In addition to being busy in the crew, Wu Lei also participated in many variety shows. Talking about the recently aired “The Inn”, Wu Lei said that the most useful skill he gained during the recording was riding an electric tricycle. Seeing that the writer (journalist) was amused, he emphasized seriously: “Really, this skill is very practical. We often use electric tricycles to pull large equipment or props in the crew, and I ride better than some professional staff!”
Even with his rich acting experience, Wu Lei is still touched by every wrap-up. For him, every time he plays a play or a role, he enters a different body and experiences a different life. When the play is finished, he is separated from the role and loses the body in the play. He will feel a sense of loss and emptiness. Wu Lei describes it as “the feeling of graduating from junior high school”: “Finishing a role is like graduating from high school. Although everyone says goodbye to each other, you actually know that this may be the last time you see each other in your life; the same is true when you leave the play. You know that you can never return to his world and you can never work with the crew again. Sometimes you feel lost and the feeling is very complicated. Of course, you may meet familiar people in the next play, but the state is different from this play.”
For Wu Lei, the biggest challenge in life is always acting. After reading the script and seeing the particularly difficult scenes, Wu Lei will be mentally prepared to challenge the difficulties. On the day of shooting, he will be very excited when he walks from the lounge to the set, like a soldier rushing to the battlefield, fighting to play a good role.
After each work is released, Wu Lei will take the initiative to understand the audience’s evaluation and cares about the overall performance of the work. He is grateful for the good reviews. As for the bad reviews, he will also carefully record and analyze them as a reference for future performances. He defines the relationship between himself and his fans as a relationship of mutual companionship and growth together. The presence of fans always makes him feel relaxed and powerful. When he feels that the work is hard, he will think: “Fans are also working hard to support me, I can’t let them down”.
Outside of acting, Wu Lei is just a simple boy. His wardrobe is filled with loose and comfortable clothes. Outside of work, he wears whatever he wants. The only thing that can be associated with fashion is a variety of hats. When he need to vent his stress, he listen to music, play games, read books, or go for a run. He switch to the random play mode to enjoy the random surprise. He will be very happy if he randomly listen a song that he like.
Wu Lei has no particular preference for movies. He will watch any movie that has good reviews. The more special ones are “The Intouchables” and “Scent of a Woman”, one of which gave him the strength to keep going in adversity, and the other made him appreciate the charm of acting. “I really like Al Pacino. When you watch the works of a great actor, you will be yearning for it,” Wu Lei said. “Of course, I will also watch the works of my favorite (Robert Downey Jr.)” Wu Lei playfully added his own recommendation.
20 years old is really the best time of life. The purest curiosity and natural sensitivity about the world still exist, and there is also the tolerance and responsibility cultivated in the process of growth. If the young Wu Lei is an unpolished jade, the current Wu Lei has begun to emit a soft glow under the polishing and nurturing of time. His early fame did not make him lose his clear self-awareness. Sincerity, steadfastness and simplicity are still his most precious qualities. Just as the audience who grew up with him expected: Wu Lei has grown into a gentle and steady gentleman, but in his bones he is still a fearless and cheerful boy.
Q&A
What was the last movie you watched in the cinema? What are the most memorable scenes?
After the filming of “Adoring” was completed, I watched “The Wild Goose Lake”. The part about the gangsters’ sports meeting made me laugh, and the part about them at the station and the restaurant left a deep impression on me.
Among Marvel heroes, besides Iron Man, who is your favorite superhero?
Doctor Strange.
Will you update the VLOG that has been inactive for a long time?
There is still a plan to update, but I just haven’t found the right time.
Do you stay at home or go out to relax during your break?
Both are fine. I stay at home more than the average person, but if I want to go out, I can go to a faraway place by myself.
Share your secret to controlling your body shape with your fans?
I can control myself freely. I won’t gain weight even if I eat more and exercise less, right? (Writer: Fans will be angry if you say that, right?) Haha, it’s no use to make fans angry.
To live, to win, to use life to create life again.
Thirteen years ago, Wu Lei filmed the TV series “The Sword and The Chess of Death”, in which he played the role of “Guan Yunbao”, the son of the hero “Yan Cangfeng”. In the stills, 8 years old Wu Lei is not much taller than the desk, wearing a garcinia-yellow cloth scarf, with the collar of his warm white underwear is exposed. His head is slightly tilted forward, and the child’s round, almond-shaped eyes look at the audience in front of the camera, like the lovely peach tree in full bloom in spring in Van Gogh’s oil painting “Peach Blossoms in Bloom” (1888).
Thirteen years later, Wu Lei starred in the comic-adapted TV series “The Long Ballad” as the East Turkestan Tegin Ashile Sun. In the trailer, Ashile Sun’s long black hair is tied into a helmet, and the silvery desert wind blew it away. In the young man’s cold eyes, the lively child named “Guan Yunbao” seemed to have disappeared long ago. Wu Lei still reminds people of Van Gogh’s oil painting “Peach Blossoms in Bloom”, with the scorching peach tree in the center of the painting. However, the growth of young people is more like the spring itself evolving in the wind, rain and cold rather than the bright petals burning in the transparent sunlight – the latter is longer, vivid and meaningful than the former.
“You are a person who is not surprised when things happen. A battle-hardened warrior”
The air leaked out from the half-open door. Wu Lei walked briskly out of the lounge and walked towards the well-lit shooting location. He put the hood of the sweatshirt on his head, like an ancient knight putting on a cape. This “cloak” now protects the owner’s face, which is slightly aggressive due to entering the shooting mood.
Since entering the entertainment industry in 2005, Wu Lei has appeared in dozens of film and television works. In the audience’s memory, he is the innocent and wonderful Fei Liu in “Nirvana in Fire”, Li Cu in “Tomb of the Sea” who is burdened with a huge secret; he is the blind middle school student Chen Leyun in “Adoring”, and the wheelchair-bound Lu Xiaobei who never give up in “CrossFire”. He is also the Wu Lei who performed ten poses in ten seconds under the flaming red light at this moment, and was praised by the editor as having “an extremely high production rate.” Wu Lei during the filming is like the embodiment of the sound coming from an empty stage, his eyebrows raised high, and his still posture with a serious expression flashed quickly on the monitor screen. The next second after the filming ended, Wu Lei squatted down to take a rest. Unexpectedly, a new smile suddenly appeared. He was completely different from the wild one in the red shadow just now, who was more like the brave and capable Ashile Sun.
In “Nothing But You” Wu Lei, who portrayed Song Sanchuan once said that, tennis is a very romantic thing, a sport associated with all seasons, wind, sunshine, rain and snow. Each ball is a unique encounter. As an actor, he experienced the changing seasons, filming in winter as beautiful as flowers and in summer as cold as snow. While the seasons may be fictional, the works are real, and every character and the moments unique to that character are irreplaceable.
Starting from the age of 5, Wu Lei has always wanted to be an intelligent actor. He has mentioned in interviews multiple times how great it is to describe a newcomer actor. As a newcomer, he had the enthusiasm and longing for this profession, and his initial passion remained strong. After many years in the industry, he was most afraid of becoming a mere performer in his job. He was even more afraid that certain neglects during performances would turn into bad habits because habits become second nature. When something becomes second nature, it becomes difficult to even recognize it as a bad habit, let alone change it.
Therefore, Wu Lei approaches every performance by forgetting the past and starting anew. When a wise person who reflects on their actions takes on the same task with dedication for 18 years, his passion for acting and sincerity as an actor shine even brighter.
1. “Youth must be a swift horse.”
Wu Lei enjoys cycling and horseback riding. During his cycling trip to Xinjiang, he had many interesting encounters with fans. In his “Fly Close to The Ground” project, he shared breathtaking views of glaciers, starry skies, and sunrise while riding in the -30°C cold of Ulan Butong. With vast landscapes, the young man rode alone across the snowy plains, embodying both unexpected romanticism and youthful vitality.
In “Amidst A Snowstorm Of Love” and “Nothing But You” Wu Lei portrayed male leads who were athletes. The harsh and brilliant world of competitive sports, along with the years of training, has left a significant impact on athletes. This is something Wu Lei has been continuously studying and incorporating into his roles.
“Sports bring the most immediate benefits of health and freedom to me. The process of sports certainly comes with its challenges, and solving these problems is also quite interesting. However, professional athletes are a different story; they experience peaks and valleys, are plagued by injuries, so they delve more into researching their competitive state, techniques, and expressions. All of these are crucial when shaping a character, as you need to quickly reach a level where the audience isn’t taken out of the story, which can be quite a challenge.”
When Wu Lei received the script for “Nothing But You” he felt that the phrase “We are all hot blooded fools” described Song Sanchuan perfectly. “Song Sanchuan is someone who maintains sincerity, balance, and boundaries in both his career and his relationships. At that time, I hoped that when people first saw Song Sanchuan, they would think, ‘Hey, this person seems like an athlete,’ and to me, that would mean I had succeeded halfway.”
When officially playing Song Sanchuan, Wu Lei believed finding the right playing style was crucial. He privately studied Rafael Nadal’s matches and playing style because he considered Nadal a very resilient athlete. Song Sanchuan, choosing to switch from badminton to tennis in his late athlete years, repeatedly falling and getting back up, must also possess this resilience. While portraying snooker player Lin Yiyang in “Amidst A Snowstorm of Love” Wu Lei studied active players like Trump and Selby, two prominent snooker players of their time. Finding these anchors and then developing the character around them makes it more realistic and vivid.
Samuel Johnson once said in “The Rambler” to be passionately committed to any endeavor, one must first love life. Wu Lei always vividly remembers the local details and stories beyond filming locations. “When I went to Finland, it wasn’t particularly cold, and I saw many locals going to those outdoor seaside pools and tried to join them. But a few seconds later, I quickly got out; it was too cold. However, the most memorable thing was seeing the aurora there; it was truly breathtaking.”
Despite spending years on set and growing under the spotlight, it hasn’t caused him to lose his keen sense of real-life experiences. Acting ultimately boils down to the study of human nature: interacting with others, engaging in self-reflection, listening to other people’s stories, and portraying one’s own script effectively.
When playing the role of Lu Xiaobei, Wu Lei had a chance encounter with someone in the elevator who had a cast on his leg and was using crutches. He immediately observed how, when one leg is injured, people instinctively shift their weight to the other side. So, he naturally incorporated this detail into his character’s movement habits.
In the highly acclaimed “Love Like The Galaxy” there’s a scene where Ling Buyi swiftly grabs a spear, mounts a horse, and rides off seamlessly. Netizens praised this moment, likening the young general, described in the novel as “silver saddle on a white horse, swift as a shooting star,” to coming to life in that instant. The fluidity in front of the camera was the result of solid training behind the scenes. Whether on set or in his daily training, Wu Lei had his fair share of falls from horses. During the filming of “My Country, My Parents” he once fell from a horse due to the need to shoot while holding a rifle. He calmly got up, stepped away from the horse’s hooves, and immediately told the director, “I’m okay, Brother Jing, I can get back on the horse.” Being willing to remount after a fall is a testament to his admirable courage.
2. “Plants in Spring”
Not long ago, Wu Lei’s film “All Ears” was scheduled to be released on September 9th. The movie focuses on an unique profession, eulogists-Wen Shan (played by Hu Ge), a man who hovers between the deceased and the living, offering solace to others and being comforted in return. This marks the third collaboration between Wu Lei and Hu Ge. In the film, Wu Lei portrays Xiao Yin, a character who exists and yet doesn’t exist, he is himself, but also a reflection and duplicate of Wen Shan.
Wu Lei had a deeper thinking of his role. He said, “Xiao Yin is very special. I have to portray my unique self while also convey Wen Shan’s qualitiess. Xiao Yin and Wen Shan have a contradictory yet unified relationship, and this style of performance is both refreshing and challenging.” Understanding these characters and interpreting their stories provides Wu Lei with new life experiences each time. The journey he shares with the characters also brings him many new reflections about himself and life.
“Dwelling By The West Lake” which wrapped in 2022, is the second film in Director Gu Xiaogang’s “Shanshui Painting” series. Before this, Gu directed his first feature film, “Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains,” which became the closing film for the Critics’ Week at the 2019 Cannes International Film Festival and earned him the Best Director award at the 13th FIRST Youth Film Festival.
As a native of Hangzhou, Gu Xiaogang’s work is deeply influenced by his hometown. The English title of the new film is “Dwelling by the West Lake,” and the narrative clearly revolves around West Lake. In the new film, Wu Lei’s character is named Mu Lian, and when combined with the classic folklore of “Mu Lian Rescues His Mother,” one can faintly infer the theme of maternal redemption in the movie.
In Wu Lei’s mind, Hangzhou is a poetic, beautiful city surrounded by greenery and filled with a sense of storytelling. Working with director Gu Xiaogang and other directors he collaborated with before is quite different. “Working with Director Gu, there’s a wilder feeling to it. Many times, you have to rely on more instinctive physiological reactions to perform because he’s very good at creating a ‘natural’ environment for actors. That’s one of the things that sets him apart from the directors I’ve worked with before. For example, Director Fei (Fei Zhenxiang) is very joyful and he knows how to relieve the pressure for actors on set.”
“When I was filming ‘Love Like The Galaxy’ there was actually a lot of pressure, and it was emotionally intense every day. He knew how to make me relax. Director Gu would spend a lot of time in the ‘unseen’ aspects, working hard to create a better emotional journey for us actors and our characters. But much of his efforts are off-camera and for me, these were significant sources of help, unique experiences and valuable learning experiences.”
Nietzsche once said, “What is important is not the eternal life but the eternal vitality.” Seeing Wu Lei is like seeing a vibrant tree. Although he hasn’t grown into a towering giant, he is already lush and thriving. Bathed in sunlight, the marks of growth are concealed beneath the dense foliage, and the tree continues to firmly root itself in the soil and fearlessly grow upward.
Karir Wu Lei sebagai aktor dimulai dari masa kecilnya dimana dia masih belum tau apa-apa. Pengalaman yang dia dapatkan dari tempat syuting berlari dalam hampir semua ingatannya, sekaligus memberinya kebijakan hidup yang berbeda dari orang lain: pandai berbicara, cerdas dan juga secara alami bersikap santai, itu semua merupakan karakter pribadi yang meresap ke tiap latar belakang yang disentuhnya. Seperti semilir angin musim semi, segar dan membebaskan, membuat “lapangan” menjadi penuh vitalitas.
1. Menyakitkan, Tapi Tidak Terasa Pahit
Setelah jam 9 pagi, Wu Lei datang melangkah dengan sendalnya, dan angin terasa panas. “Aku merasa sudah sangat lama tidak melakukan wawancara offline!” Segera setelah dia menerima outline, dia langsung membolak-balik halamannya. Dia terlihat sangat bersemangat dan dengan cepat memasuki kondisi untuk bekerja. Dalam rumah tua lokasi pemotretan, Wu Lei adalah yang termuda dari semua orang. Sikap dan cara bicaranya penuh dengan energi dan kelincahan. Selain itu, dia menyesuaikan diri dengan kondisi dan pandai menghidupkan suasana, membuat orang-orang tertawa dari waktu ke waktu.
Dia baru saja menyelesaikan syuting drama [Nothing But You]. Karena memerankan protagonis pria yang merupakan atlet, Wu Lei menjaga kebiasaan fitness-nya dan berada dalam kondisi prima. Figur tubuhnya yang sesekali terbuka saat pemotretan terlihat jelas dan mulus. Di lokasi pemotretan, walaupun dia enggan dengan permintaan untuk membuka 1 kancing jaket denimnya lagi, tapi hasilnya sangatlah impresif. Terdapat banyak diskusi tentang Wu Lei di internet terkait kebugarannya, terutama terkait interpretasi karakter dan syutingnya. Khususnya dalam drama hit musim panas [Love Like The Galaxy] dimana Wu Lei berperan sebagai Ling Buyi, terdapat adegan dia terluka dan diperban. Tekstur otot dan juga figurnya terlihat solid, menunjukkan kerja kerasnya.
“Secara rasional, aku melakukan pekerjaanku. Secara emosional, aku melakukannya untuk karakter yang kuperankan”. Tetapi pandangan Wu Lei terhadap latihan fisik sangat tulus. Itu untuk pekerjaan, tanpa ada makna lebih dalam. Baru-baru ini, dia juga berpikir tentang permasalahan dalam pembentukan kebiasaan. “Aku mencoba membuat beberapa kebiasaan yang baik, tetapi semuanya gagal tanpa kecuali, semuanya gagal. Misalnya tidur cepat dan bangun pagi, tak ada yang dapat aku lakukan, aku terus gagal. Untuk hal-hal yang tak terlalu terkait pekerjaan, aku tidak bisa persisten. Jadi aku merasa bukanlah orang yang disiplin. Sekarang, banyak orang yang mengatakan aku disiplin, aku merasa malu”.
Latihan dan pengendalian diet telah menjadi salah satu kebiasaan baik Wu Lei saat ini. “Sejujurnya, tentu saja akan ada perjuangan dan pikiran untuk menyerah. Proses ini tidak mudah dan tidak nyaman. Jadi pengaturan terkait latihan lebih tentang persiapan untuk pekerjaan, dan penyesuaian latihannya juga berdasarkan desain karakter yang diperankan. “Secara pribadi, [Nothing But You] lebih realistis. Setelah adegan aku membuka baju selesai difilmkan, aku lebih jarang fitness dan lebih fokus dalam latihan bermain bola. Kemudian aku syuting film [Dwelling by the West Lake] dengan kak QinQin, aku juga tidak fitness dengan intens seperti dulu. Aku hanya perlu berlatih fisik sampai mengeluarkan keringat”.
Wu Lei lahir di akhir tahun 1999. Di dalam hati penonton dan netizen, lebih banyak imej dari film dan drama TV ketika Wu Lei masih anak-anak dan remaja. Persepsi kebanyakan orang mulai berubah dimulai dari peran dan fisiknya yang sehat. Mungkin dari foto, mungkin dari pemotretan majalah, atau screenshot dari wawancara. Akumulasi dari hal tersebut perlahan-lahan menunjukkan perubahan figur – Wu Lei telah tumbuh dewasa. Berkat lingkungan yang semakin berkembang, ekspresi dan komunikasinya menjadi lebih rileks, dan pemikirannya juga menjadi lebih jernih dan spesifik.
“Ketika karakter yang kuperankan menderita, aku juga menderita, jika mereka bahagia, maka aku juga bahagia”. Wu Lei juga menyadari hal ini setelah mengevaluasinya, bahwa ini adalah salah satu alasan kenapa dia bisa tetap menjalankan latihan fisik. “Dalam hidup, aku mengalami beberapa sinkronisasi dengan karakter yang kuperankan. Hal ini membantuku berjalan di jalur yang sama dengan karakterku melalui perubahan fisik dan emosi. Walaupun terkadang aku mengeluh karena menderita, ini bukan hambatan psikologis, aku hanya merasa itu sulit. Misalnya ketika aku benar-benar tidak bisa mendorong, maka akan sangat sulit untuk mendorongnya. Aku merasa sakit, tapi tidak terasa pahit”.
Tentu saja, ada banyak alasan kenapa Wu Lei tidak merasa pahit. Tapi salah satu alasan paling detil adalah pengalaman memuaskan yang dibawa oleh interpretasi karakternya. Wu Lei mengingat kenangan di lokasi syuting dan ketika dia menggambarkan detil kecilny, dia tidak terlihat seperti seseorang yang baru berusia 22 tahun, tetapi seperti orang yang lebih dewasa. “Setelah adegan selesai difilmkan dan sutradara berteriak “cut!”, terkadang aku merasa ada di dunia lain. Aku merasa telah mengalami suatu hidup yang lain.Walaupun aku hanyalah orang biasa, tetapi dengan cara ini aku merasa mengalami hidup yang kaya. Aku berpikir ini adalah hal yang sangat menarik dan aku merasa beruntung”.
2. Hilang dalam Angin, Seiring Berjalannya Waktu
Musim panas ini, Wu Lei mendapat banyak perhatian untuk perannya sebagai Ling Buyi dalam [Love Like The Galaxy]. Penonton dan netizen kagum dengan pembawaan artistiknya yang matang dan tajam, caranya menunjukkan sensitivitas dan kekayaan emosi, serta tiba-tiba menyadari bahwa anak laki-laki yang biasanya memainkan versi masa kecil dari sang protagonis, kini telah tumbuh dewasa serta mampu berdiri sendiri mengambil peran yang berat dan kompleks.
Dibandingkan dengan masa kecil yang masih hijau dan hambar, keragaman dan spesialisasi dari profesi aktor membuat Wu Lei semakin merasakan pertentangan, konfrontasi dan bahkan gabungan antara energi yang dia miliki dan emosi yang memenuhinya. Dia mulai mencoba mengontrolnya dengan lebih mahir. “Untuk aktor, dunia spiritual yang kuat itu sangat penting. Oleh karena itu aku juga menyimpan energi sebanyak mungkin untuk mengurangi pertentangan internal. Jika kondisi mentalku tidak baik, apa yang bisa aku berikan untuk peranku?”
Pembentukan dan penampilan sebagai Ling Buyi adalah, untuk batas tertentu, suatu realisasi yang baru dari kekuatan spiritual Wu Lei.
“Banyak orang bertanya, adegan apa yang menurutku paling impresif dalam [Love Like The Galaxy], dan aku akan mengatakan adegan dimana aku membunuh ayahku. Bagian pertarungannya merupakan yang terlama, ketegangannya adalah yang tertinggi. Adegan itu membutuhkan mental yang sangat kuat”. Saat mengingatnya, Wu Lei menunjukkan sedikit kesedihan dan menghela napas, “Bagaimana cara mengatakannya ya. Jika adegan ini harus kuperankan lagi, bagaimanapun juga aku tidak akan melakukannya. Karena adegan itu sangat menyakitkan. Aku mendengar orang lain berkata bahwa pada saat itu aku setiap hari menderita di lokasi syuting”.
Meskipun demikian, penempaan yang menyakitkan itulah yang membawa kesempatan besar dan dampak jangka panjang. Wu Lei mengatakan pengalaman memerankan Ling Buyi memberinya perasaan yang kuat atas hatinya sendiri, dan juga kekuatan mental di tulangnya. “Di masa mendatang, aku akan terkejut jika aku melihat kembali ekspresi Ling Buyi. Sungguh, aku tidak menyombongkan diri. Aku hanya belum pernah melihat diriku seperti itu. Kelahirannya kembali dan perubahannya dapat dianggap sebagai hal yang membuatku merasakan hidup yang luar biasa. Ketika aku kembali bekerja, aku merasa diriku lebih tangguh”.
Ketika [Love Like The Galaxy] sedang ditayangkan, Wu Lei sedang syuting [Nothing But You] dan syuting serta latihan fisik setiap hari membuat Wu Lei sangat lelah. Dia menyebutkan dalam wawancara ini bahwa setiap dia tidak sanggup latihan dan tidak dapat mengangkat barbell, dia akan menyebut nama Ling Buyi di benaknya. Efek dari sugesti psikologis ini jelas terasa. “Hasilnya aku dapat mengangkat barbell, luar biasa”.
Pengamatan yang peka, pemahaman dan ekspresi penampilan aktor muda secara jelas ditampilkan oleh Wu Lei. Dia merenungkan pengalaman tampilnya berulang kali, melakukan PRnya dan membentuk karakter yang dimainkannya secara psikologis. “Terus terang, aku harus membuat orang yang tidak cocok untuk ada di kehidupan nyata ini, orang dengan sikap dominasi, penahanan diri dan cinta mendalam yang aneh, supaya dapat ada dalam drama dengan logis. Aku juga harus membuat penonton menjadi tertekan”.
Kemudian saat syuting [Nothing But You], Wu Lei juga menangani hubungan cinta Song Sanchuan bersama wanita berusia lebih tua dengan “menyelesaikan masalah”. Mungkin ada stereotif, bahkan prasangka terhadap karakter yang diperankan serta perasaannya, tapi semuanya dapat dia tampilkan dengan logis untuk mengembalikan kesetaraan hubungan emosional.
Wu Lei memberikan pemikirannya terhadap kondisi antara penampilan sebagai karakter dengan bagaimana karakter tersebut tertulis di naskah asli. “Pertama-tama dilakukan restorasi, yang kedua adalah pembentukan ulang. Sebagai contoh, banyak hal yang sepertinya masuk akal dalam naskah sebenarnya tidak masuk akal di dunia nyata. Kemudian para aktor harus mengatasi hal tersebut dengan cara mereka sendiri. Suatu dialog, suatu adegan, kami harus mencari cara untuk membuatnya terlihat meyakinkan dan lebih menggugah perasaan penonton”.
Setelah syuting [Love Like The Galaxy], Wu Lei mengambil hiatus dan saat masa tenang itu juga dia mengucapkan selamat tinggal pada Ling Buyi. Bagaimanapun juga, dibutuhkan banyak usaha dan energi untuk menorehkan goresan dalam masa mudanya. Tetapi ketika dia menyebutkan tentang “bermain” lagi, nada suara Wu Lei terdengar kalem. “Bukan berarti kita harus melepaskan satu karakter sebelum dapat beralih ke yang lain. Jika jarak waktu antara kedua drama relatif singkat, maka aku akan segera beralih ke keadaan berikutnya yang sesuai. Tapi untuk Ling Buyi, pada kenyataannya aku membiarkan saja semua mengalir, hilang dalam angin seiring waktu, dan menghilang dari tubuhku”.
3. Remaja Biasa
Pemotretan hari itu berjalan mulus. Semua orang dapat merasakan vitalitas dan keinginan kreatif Wu Lei, termasuk caranya memobilisasi energi dan mengontrol suasana. Dia sangat terbiasa dengan hal ini. Terutama pada pengamatan dan perhatian pada detil. “Ya, aku dapat mengamati emosi orang lain, termasuk perubahan kecil dalam suasana. Kepekaanku pada area ini terutama saat aku sedang tampil. Tapi dalam hidup, aku sengaja mengurangi untuk melakukannya. Hal ini karena aku tidak mau menjadi terlalu sensitif. Bukan berarti sensitif itu jelek, tetapi jika kalian tidak terlalu sensitif dalam hidup, maka kalian akan bisa lebih bahagia”.
Wu Lei telah berakting sejak kecil sehingga telah bertemu dengan berbagai jenis orang dan hal. Pertumbuhan Wu Lei pada penampilan dan komunikasi interpersonal telah cukup sinkron, menunjukkan ketajaman dan kepintaran yang alami. Dia sama sekali tidak pemalu dan orang-orang cepat merasa akrab dengannya. Orang-orang tidak perlu mengkhawatirkan halangan bahasa atau rasa malu dalam percakapan dengannya. Dia dapat mengerti pemikiran orang-orang yang tak kentara dan juga mengembangkan topik pembicaraan dalam waktu yang tepat.
Meskipun demikian, dia sendiri merasa bahwa semuanya berjalan alami dan tidak ada yang disengaja. Meskipun ada banyak hal di dunia orang dewasa yang berbeda dari masa kanak-kanak, namun ketulusan dan fokusnya tidak berubah. “Jika kalian ingin mengatakan ‘perubahan’, aku pikir itu semua terjadi secara alami. Lakukan apa yang ingin dilakukan. Mainkan peran yang ingin dimainkan. Lalu waktu membuat terjadi reaksi kimia padaku”. Dengan catatan kecil ini, nada bicaranya menjadi bersemangat lagi.
Tanpa make up dan keahlian karakter yang diperankannya, Wu Lei merasa dia hanya “remaja biasa”. Dalam waktu luangnya dia senang bermain game dengan kawannya, memainkan game vampire, dan bahkan bermimpi menggenggam kapak besar (di game). Saat memainkannya setiap hari, “Aku rasa itu adalah waktu bahagia yang jarang bisa kulakukan, bermain dengan teman-teman baik yang telah kukenal bertahun-tahun, bertingkah konyol dan berteriak ‘tolong’. Tentu saja, Wu Lei juga memiliki masalahnya sendiri. “Rambutku rontok! Aku dulu benar-benar sebal dengan rambut rontok, apa-apaan ini”. Menatap cermin dan menghela napas, “Sekarang semakin tipis, dan dengan pertumbuhan, kau juga akan kehilangan sesuatu, termasuk rambutmu”.
Sebelumnya Wu Lei merekam vlog “Ride for the Rationale”, bersepeda dari Quanzhou ke Xiamen, berkemah di Ulan Butong, melewati lapangan bersalju. “Dingin sekali. Aku masih bersemangat memikirkannya. Aku seperti remaja sekolah. Sayang sekali aku tidak pergi ke tempat paling penting yang sudah kusiapkan, jadi semuanya hanya fokus di bagian aku pergi ke lapangan bersalju”. Wu Lei masih merasa sedikit menyesal dan berharap memiliki waktu untuk terus melakukan mini-variety show ini dan merekam kondisi dia dalam setahun dan memori masa mudanya.
Walaupun masih terdapat momen ketidakpastian, terutama menghadapi naskah dan karakter baru, tekadWu Lei sangat kuat. “Aku hanya harus bekerja keras. Semua orang memiliki emosi. Paling tidak, aku berada pada jalan yang kucintai. Terkait orang-orang, cukup untuk bertindak pandai pada saat penting dan kritis, serta sedikit lebih rileks pada saat lain. Kita akan menghadapi semua masalah yang memang harus kita hadapi. Jadi jangan khawatir tentang itu sebelumnya”.
Q&A：
Q：Sebelum memerankan peran baru, apakah kamu memiliki ritual khusus untuk memberi ruang bagi jiwa baru?
A: Sejujurnya, tiap karakter yang kuperankan adalah seakan-akan aku masuk ke dalam kehidupan orang lain. Lingkungan aku hidup akan berubah sesuai dengan dunia karakter tersebut. Aku akan berusaha yang terbaik untuk hidup dengan cara yang mirip dengan karakter yang kuperankan dan mengalaminya setiap hari. Aku juga akan memperhatikan detil dalam hal pakaian, makanan, tempat tinggal dan transportasi. Dulu aku bahkan memilih parfum tersendiri untuk tiap karakter. Tetapi sekarang aku malas memakainya, karena aku menyadari klo karakter yang saat ini aku perankan tidak berminat untuk menggunakan parfum.
Q：Apakah menurutmu sekarang masih ada sisa Ling Buyi dalam dirimu?
A: Dia meninggalkan jejak ke setiap langkahku. Tidak ada “kejahatan” yang sempurna di dunia (tertawa). Aku menyatakan dalam wawancaraku sebelumnya bahwa ketika aku tidak bisa mengangkat barbell aku akan memanggil namanya dalam hati, dan ketika aku melakukan tugas yang sulit. Ketika aku sangat lelah dan ingin beristirahat aku akan memikirkan dia. Aku merasa seperti memiliki suatu pegangan. Juga, bersikaplah pintar ketika waktunya menjadi pintar, dan hidup dengan lebih rileks”.
Wu Lei Galaxy 