Tag: Men’s Style LEON

[Interview] Wu Lei Interview for Men’s Style LEON Magazine (December 2017)

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Wu Lei’s Coming of Age Ceremony Goal: To be a Good Actor

Wu Lei has both the youthful vigor of a young boy and the capable and steady sense of a grown-up. Whether it is confidence, rigor, and dedication at work, or liveliness, casualness, and humor in life, he can switch seamlessly with ease. Wu Lei does not want to be a star, but an actor, a good actor.

Wu Lei is very busy. On the day of the interview, he had three activities. He was very tired, yawning, with a tired face and a pair of sleepy eyes. Just before work, he relied on a cup of iced American coffee to fill his stomach and support his energy for the day.

At the beginning of the interview, Wu Lei cheered up, blinked his long eyelashes, with a smile in his eyes, and answered every question seriously, with a sense of professionalism and stability, even though he will only turn 18 in December this year.

But Wu Lei is still a child after all. During the interview, he would occasionally open his eyes wide and exclaim, “Did you just see it? A cat.” He would also laugh out loud at a joke made by the staff, and even act out a scene on his own because the filming props were interesting.

In real life, he is no different from other boys. He loves to play, is a bit lazy and doesn’t like to clean up. He is curious about all the new things around him. While waiting for the photo shoot, Wu Lei even played with the handles in the room. But once he changed into his clothes and got into work mode, even though Wu Lei was unwell on the day of the shoot, he still conscientiously completed every movement required by the photographer, changing poses over and over again without getting tired of it.

Although he is only 18 years old, he has been in the industry for 13 years. From “Tang Buku” in “Home with Alien” to “Little Yang Guo” in Yu Zheng’s version of “The Return of the Condor Heroes”, from “Hu Yifeng” in “The Whirlwind Girl” to “Fei Liu” in “Nirvana in Fire”. Next year, the movie “Asura” starring Wu Lei and accompanied by Tony Leung and Carina Lau will be released soon. Wu Lei is proving himself step by step with his strength. As he said, “Every actor doesn’t want to be stereotyped, so I really want to grow up, leave behind the identity of a child star, and show a more diverse and mature image of a man. Although I don’t like being called the national brother all the time, I can understand that the audience may still have fond memories of my past image. But I hope that in the future audiences can evaluate me as a good actor, that’s enough.”

A good actor is probably the only definition that Wu Lei, who is about to become an adult, wants to have. What Wu Lei wants to do is not to be a star, but an actor, a good actor.

Q&A

Will there be any special plans for your 18th birthday this year?

Wu Lei: I don’t have any plans at the moment. In previous years, I celebrated my birthday while filming on the set. I may celebrate it at work this year. And I will take the college entrance examination next year, so I will pay more attention to the college entrance examination than my birthday. If possible, I would like to give myself a short vacation around my birthday to adjust my life and work status.

Are you looking forward to adulthood?

Wu Lei: I tend to let things take their own course, but sometimes I feel like I want to become an adult sooner.

For example, what?

Wu Lei: For example, I was shooting for “Men’s Style” this time (laughs). When I was shooting last year, I always felt that I was still a boy. It was a bit strange to shoot for a men’s magazine.

What do you want to do most when you grow up?

Wu Lei: I want to learn how to drive. Although I have not done any special research on cars, I think driving is a must-have skill for every man.

Having debuted as a child star, are you eager to transform yourself now that you have grown up?

Wu Lei: Every actor doesn’t want to be stereotyped, so I really want to grow up, leave behind the identity of a child star, and show a more diverse and mature image of a man. But I have a calm mentality, so I’m not so anxious about this matter. And I think as I try more different roles and show more different characters in the future, the audience will gradually notice my growth.

But you don’t seem to like the title “national brother”?

Wu Lei: It’s a little better now. If the audience has fond memories of my past image because they like me, that’s fine. But who wants to be a younger brother forever? I will grow up eventually

You once said that you really wanted to try a villain role, is this still the case now?

Wu Lei: I’m a bit hyped up, and I get easily excited when filming. So I really want to challenge the kind of externalized character image that is completely different from my personality. I think it must be very exciting

How do you usually hone your acting skills?

Wu Lei: Read more professional books to improve your knowledge. More importantly, learn from seniors on the set and observe their working condition.

What kind of person are you in life?

Wu Lei: Some friends say that I am quite mature, but I myself think that I’m quite naive and sometimes have a venomous side. However, when I’m working, I become particularly stubborn and strong, especially when it comes to acting. There must be no ambiguity. That’s my bottom line. I even care about some details that are actually completely outside my control, such as props. If I find that my props are not good enough on the set, I will directly communicate with the prop teacher to see how I can improve the props to be more realistic

What does it feel like to be handsome since childhood?

Wu Lei: In life, I don’t feel that I’m very handsome. Only when I do well in filming and acting, I will feel that I’m quite handsome today. When I’m not working, I can even stay at home playing games in an old man’s shirt without washing my face for a day.

What are your leisure activities?

Wu Lei: Sports, such as playing basketball, swimming. Yesterday I also took the time to run 3 kilometers in 20 minutes.

Do you pay attention to what others think of you?

Wu Lei: The audience’s comments can help me expand my thinking and gather ideas. I also read the comments from fans on my Weibo. They kept urging me to post on Weibo, but it’s not that I didn’t post, but I was filming in the desert some time ago. Do you know what’s in the desert? There’s nothing, no internet, no takeout.

How would you most like to be described and evaluated by the outside world?

Wu Lei: A good actor, that’s enough.

Source: Men’s Style LEON Magazine

[Interview] Wu Lei Interview for Men’s Style LEON Magazine (October 2016)

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Wu Lei: HOT Inside and Outside

Wu Lei is always seen with a sunny smile in the media, but what attracts everyone’s attention is the “Fei Liu” he played in “Nirvana in Fire” – a very stubborn child who hardly smiles. As an actor, a certain level of depth is needed to support the role and make it three-dimensional. “Fei Liu” makes everyone realize that Wu Lei is a big boy with a bright smile, but his eyes are brimming with content when he is serious.

When I saw Wu Lei, he was struggling to tear open the outer box of a courier package. He first used the key at hand to cut the seal, and then tore off a corner with his bare hands. His technique was very manly. Even though his finger was scratched, he still declined the help of the staff around him. In addition to the excitement of a big boy receiving something he loves, his face also showed concentration and persistence. As a big boy who is surrounded by people all day and does not need to do anything himself, his focused expression has revealed some masculine charm.

As a child star, the general pattern is that they are extremely cute when they are young, but they tend to grow crooked or become rebellious when they grow up. Wu Lei did not develop according to that pattern, but gave a very positive example. Fei Liu seen in “Nirvana in Fire” is still the same as the little Nezha back then, with clean and smart eyes. Transformation is a challenge that every actor, especially child stars, must face. How to combine the character setting with one’s own personality, let everyone witness a boy slowly grow into a man, and live each stage of life full of vivid details as the starting point of the future, this is a long and challenging proposition.

During the interview, Wu Lei was putting on makeup and had to keep a blank expression. When asked whether he is a slow-to-warm-up type, Wu Lei said that he is a very hot person inside and outside. To enhance his persuasiveness, he turned his head slightly and looked over. His smiling eyes flashed with confidence and playfulness, and his dark eyes were full of spirit. He was still expressionless but unquestionable. Perhaps this is what an actor is like. It is enough to just use his eyes.

Q&A

When did you realize that you like acting? Is it possible to change your career path in the future? If you change, what kind of work do you want to do?

When I first started acting, I just thought it was fun. Although I was young, I knew I liked acting. So I liked acting from the beginning, and it has never changed until now. Some people think that acting is hard, and one shot may have to be shot many times. When I finish a shot, especially when it meets my expectations, I will enjoy the satisfaction very much. It’s like making a three-pointer in basketball, which is a very refreshing feeling. So far, I will choose to be an actor as my career. If I have to have a second choice, I will choose to be a director.

As a spokesperson for the “post-95s” actors, your image has always been a sunny boy. Have you ever experienced a rebellious period?

I don’t seem to have an obvious rebellious period. Perhaps because I have played some roles in the rebellious period, I have experienced the contradictory psychology of the rebellious period during the acting process, and also realized my possible rebellious behaviors through the roles. This should be the advantage of an actor, and you can have different experiences through the roles.

You once said that you hope to be a man like “One Piece”. Can you describe what kind of man that is?

Luffy is a symbol of the kind of man I admire. He is responsible, capable, and cool. Responsible means having a sense of responsibility, and capable means being confident. Being cool is the least important of the three. In fact, when it comes to the most important thing, I think the first one is kindness. The first criterion for me to choose a friend is also kindness. First of all, he must be a good person.

How do you view a man’s appearance?

I think appearance is important for everyone. It’s not only actor who cares about their appearance. Of course, inner qualities such as kindness are always more important than outer qualities. I often take selfies and share them with my fans on Weibo. It is a trend for men to care about their appearance, and their inner qualities can be better reflected through their appearance.

What kind of books do you like to read? How do you enrich yourself when you are busy at work?

I like reading history books recently. I will read anything related to history. On the one hand, I like to read the specific historical facts, and on the other hand, I also like to read the authors’ analysis of these events. I have filmed a lot of period films and I feel that I should know more about this aspect. Of course, reading is not the only way to learn. There must be something I can learn from others. Even chatting with people around you can learn a lot. No matter how busy you are at work or how many things you have to do, you can always find opportunities for “input” as long as you pay attention.

If you use characters from Jin Yong’s novels to describe yourself, which one do you hope to be?

I would choose Ouyang Feng, haha, you didn’t expect it! Although Ouyang Feng is a villain, I think he is very cool and a martial arts fanatic with a bottom line. If I have the opportunity in the future, I would like to play some villains, such as Ouyang Feng. This is very challenging and exciting for an actor.

Nowadays, as an actor, you have to face a large number of fans every day. How do you view the crazy behaviors of fans? What do you think “Leimi*” value most about you?

I must first remind fans to pay attention to safety, this is the first priority. As for what “Leimi*” like about me, I’m not really sure, maybe they like different things, I just need to do my best. It is not good to care too much or not care at all about other people’s opinions, keep improving yourself.

*Leimi is the name of Wu Lei’s fandom. It literally means Lei fans.

Which work are you currently filming or about to start filming? What are your criteria for selecting scripts? Will you intentionally seek breakthroughs?

I’m currently filming the movie “Asura”. Everything about this movie is confidential, so I’m not in a position to say more. As for the criteria for selecting scripts, I will not deliberately choose different types of roles, as long as I like them. Even if it is the same role, you can interpret different feelings, which is the fun of acting. Of course, a bigger challenge will bring greater satisfaction, which is what I look forward to.

Source: Men’s Style LEON