[Interview] Wu Lei Interview for NYLON (November 2018)

It is not a “teaching example of how to speak”, today it is just the young Wu Lei

In “Tomb of the Sea”, he plays Li Cu, who grows up rapidly in a complex environment; in “Fights Break Sphere”, he transforms into the passionate young man Xiao Yan who fights back all the way; in “Shadow”, the heroic young general Yang Ping who is dedicated to defending his country, inevitably makes the audience feel “can’t let go”. As an actor, Wu Lei feels that the hardest thing to break through is himself. “First, I have to make myself feel that I have made a breakthrough, and then I can make the audience feel the same way. I have to overcome this hurdle myself first.” He has been working hard on this.

This boy

The day I interviewed Wu Lei was during the National Day holiday. The day before, Beijing was still gloomy and windy, but this day it became sunny and clear; this was just how I felt when I saw Wu Lei, full of sunshine. The young Wu Lei arrived at the shooting site with a backpack on his back. After greeting everyone, he quickly entered the dressing room to start preparing for work. From time to time, you can hear the cheerful chats between Wu Lei and the staff in the dressing room. This relaxed atmosphere gradually dissipated the tense atmosphere in the air, and at the same time swept away the fatigue of holiday work, and our conversation also kicked off.

Outside of work, Wu Lei’s biggest hobby is playing games. He said playfully that his favorite thing in life is filming, and the thing he hates most is someone knocking on the door while he’s playing games. Of course, you would guess that the still childish Wu Lei must feel most relaxed when filming and playing games. At this moment, the young Wu Lei declared, “I get up in the morning and open the window. It’s sunny outside with a breeze, and I feel very relaxed; or it’s drizzling outside, and I also feel very relaxed, after all I grew up in Shanghai. Of course, I also feel relaxed when I’m working. I’m especially lucky to be filming and creating with a group of staff. At that time, I feel very happy and relaxed.” This contrasting cuteness inadvertently reveals Wu Lei’s delicacy.

Wu Lei, who has a delicate appearance and an absolute height advantage, has participated in many blockbuster filmings, and his momentum is no less than that of professional models. Wu Lei, who recently is the ZARA Greater China brand ambassador, can definitely become a professional model, but he admits that he is not such a fashionable person, and his clothing and fashion concept is “simple and comfortable is the most important.” Although he has achieved some success in fashion, compared to fashion, Wu Lei has always been more fascinated by acting.

Capricorn boy

I believe that most people’s first impression of Wu Lei is Fei Liu, who is next to Mei Changsu in “Nirvana in Fire”, but this is not Wu Lei’s debut work. Wu Lei, who will be 19 years old at the end of the year, just enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy in September, but he entered the industry at the age of 3. Counting the years, Wu Lei is really a “veteran”.

After the military training, Wu Lei has transformed his expectations for school into a more intuitive “beauty” after entering university. We can feel the seriousness and affirmation in his eyes. Rationality is synonymous with the earth sign Capricorn. Wu Lei also has his own clear ideas on how to balance study and work. “Study hard and recharge well during college”, but it is inevitable that “if I encounter a role I like, I will still go out to film, and I will come out to work and participate in activities during the holidays.” When talking about the zodiac, Wu Lei said that he did not understand it, but when talking about Capricorn’s love of work, he couldn’t wait to agree that “I love work, I love work very much.”

In recent years, Wu Lei’s works seek quality rather than quantity. Whether it is Li Cu who grows up rapidly in a complex environment in “Tomb of the Sea”, the passionate young man Xiao Yan who fights back in “Fights Break Sphere”, or the young general Yang Ping in “Shadow” who is so heroic and dedicated to defending his country that many people feel “can’t let go”, each of his roles has left a deep impression on the audience. As an actor, Wu Lei feels that the most difficult thing is to break through himself. He hopes that everyone can see a different version of himself in different plays every time. “First, I have to make myself feel that I have made a breakthrough, and then I can make the audience feel the same way. I have to overcome this hurdle myself first.” Wu Lei has been trying to do this.

Shining Actor

Wu Lei, who has been acting since he was a child, encountered some setbacks in his role in the TV series “Tomb of the Sea”. When Wu Lei talked about this challenging role, he felt more immersed in it: “I think Li Cu is a relatively complex character with inner struggles and an extremely rebellious personality. He is an uncontrollable character. The plot that happened to him is also relatively complicated. He is a person who has grown rapidly in a short period of time. When I first started to figure out this role, I felt that it was not easy to play. But fortunately, the plot line is relatively long, and I have a lot of time to explore.” As a professional actor, Wu Lei is also looking forward to being able to perform more challenging roles that are in sharp contrast to himself. “I dare to play any role. The greater the contrast, the more I look forward to it!”

The day before the interview, Zhang Yimou’s new film Shadow, in which Wu Lei participated, was released. After the film was released, the audience called the emotional scenes between Yang Ping, played by Wu Lei, and Princess Qingping, played by Guan Xiaotong, “five-minute love”. On this point, Wu Lei seriously said that such love does not exist, “Love needs time to cultivate”, “Yang Ping is a simple character, fighting for his country and his father”, “How can it be love on the battlefield?” In this film, in addition to cooperating with director Zhang Yimou, he also co-starred with veteran actors such as Hu Jun. “Although I didn’t have many scenes, I still learned a lot.” When talking about the filming process, Wu Lei was more humble: “There is no specific one, but that period left a deep impression on me. It was very hot, and it was the hottest time. I wore armor and sweated profusely every day. But you can see that everyone on the set was sweating profusely but still worked very seriously and professionally at their jobs, including Director Zhang, who stared at every shot in front of the monitor without slacking off. You can always feel Director Zhang and his team’s passion and professional attitude towards the film, which left a deep impression on me and is also my role model.”

When talking about acting, Wu Lei always speaks with excitement. Even when talking about other topics, he will mention acting, as if he is always proud of his job. Looking at Wu Lei like this, he must be more than just handsome. The job of an actor is also silently making him shine even brighter.

Source: Nylon

[Interview] Wu Lei Interview for NYLON (September 2020)

Farewell to “Lu Xiaobei”. In the new semester, let senior Wu Lei accompany you to conquer the stars and the sea

Recently, the online drama “Cross Fire” ended. Wu Lei used a line from “追梦赤子心” to bid farewell to Lu Xiaobei, putting an end to this period of youth – “It is better to burn out than to linger on, and for the beauty in your heart, do not compromise until you grow old.”

Perseverance, vigor and progress, not being swayed by so-called stereotypes, and interpreting life in the way they like, this is Lu Xiaobei, Wu Lei, and all young people of Generation Z. It is the beginning of another September school year, with the stars and the sea in front of us, and the cover boy of Nylon’s new issue – Senior Wu Lei will accompany you to fight together.

Although summer is coming to an end, the story of dreams is still going on. When you were watching CrossFire, did Xiao Bei often make you cry and laugh, and sometimes you wanted to shout: “So handsome!”? Sometimes, like Tang Monk*, chicken soup comes to mind. I can sum it up in one sentence: “There are thousands of northern chicken soups, and there is always one bowl that suits you.”

Of course, as long as everything to the game scene, you can prepare yourself to scream. Okay, let’s stop playing around. In fact, the reason why we are moved by Lu Xiaobei in “Cross Fire” is because of his liveliness, tenacity, unremitting pursuit of his dreams, and the enviable friendship he developed with his teammates and friends along the way.

During our meeting with Wu Lei in the September issue of NYLON, we also had an in-depth chat with him about Cross Fire, a work that made him want to post an 18-grid Weibo to commemorate its completion, and the changes that the role of Lu Xiaobei brought to him.

In addition, Nylon also invited five young boys and girls – Su Hang, Yoii Wang Youyi, Sen Wung, Long Yi, Qiu Ming AKi, to start a weekend camping with Wu Lei ⛺️! What is the most precious and beautiful quality of Generation Z? What is the most admirable lifestyle for young people? Let Sanshi brother* tell you in detail!

Persistence, passion, and vigor. He is a member of Generation Z and also himself

With a sunny smile, sometimes joking, and sometimes listening attentively to the staff’s introduction to the filming, this youth idol who has been involved in the entertainment industry since the age of 3 has undoubtedly demonstrated all the good qualities that Generation Z or today’s young people should have.

“Sometimes I want to make myself more mysterious, but sometimes I want my presence to be noticed by others. In short, I think Generation Z is a very active but difficult to define group.”

Since starring in his first commercial at the age of 3, Wu Lei’s cute image and full acting talent left a deep impression on the director at the time. He then appeared in many film and television dramas including “The Young Warriors” and “Heroes Come from Young Age”. With his extraordinary talent, unremitting efforts and vigorous enterprising spirit, he has left his steady footprints in the entire industry.

Wu Lei, sitting on the chair at this moment, shows the childishness and vigor unique to his age. “I’m not as profound and thoughtful as you think,” he said jokingly when we asked him to describe what kind of personality traits young people should have today.

But having spent his childhood and teenage years in the ever-changing entertainment industry, Wu Lei is undoubtedly more calm and steady in dealing with people than many of his peers. He knows how to be grateful and is more willing to work hard for his ideals, which is also related to the training and teachings given to him by the industry.

“Every work I perform in, or every character I portray, is a choice I make, and I look forward to every new experience,” Wu Lei said. For a young actor, the success or failure of a work actually determines, to a certain extent, his/her career development in the next few years, or even the direction of his/her entire acting career.

With the popularity of many film and television dramas such as “Fights Break Sphere” and “Tomb of the Sea”, Wu Lei’s increasingly rich and solid acting skills have repeatedly won recognition and affirmation from professionals and the public.

From urban dramas to fantasy works, Wu Lei is constantly learning the philosophy of life while exploring his acting path. “I always remind myself to stay true to my original aspiration and to keep my original ideal. This is my motivation to move forward, and it is also what this industry has taught me about being a person and doing things.”

Wu Lei, who is still in the stage of exploring life “freely”, believes that he has a responsibility to young fans. “As public figures, we (actors) should set the right example for young people today. While gaining the love of fans, we should work hard to do what we should do and become better.” When talking about the fans who have always given him encouragement and care, Wu Lei smiled. “When I think of them, I will be more determined in the direction I want to go. They give me the strength and courage to move forward.”

With personality and edges. His treasure boy Lu Xiaobei

With the popularity of “Cross Fire”, Wu Lei’s mature and youthful acting skills have once again become the focus of people’s attention. After creating many popular images, Wu Lei today admits that his judgment and consideration of works have become more objective. “The script is what I value most when judging a work now. It’s back to the work itself. As long as the plot and character setting interest me, even if it is challenging for me, I will not hesitate to ‘face the challenge’: in addition, a team that gives me a sense of security and enough trust will also allow me to go all out to experience the lives of the characters in the play.”

As Wu Lei himself said, as he gets older, roles with increasingly complex plots and increasingly angular personalities are the ones that most inspire his fighting spirit and desire to perform. In the hit TV series “Crossfire”, which is about young people struggling in the world of online games, Lu Xiaobei played by Wu Lei is such a flesh-and-blood character, the passionate young people of today. “This is a youth film based on e-sports, but at the same time, it also reflects the real psychological activities of many contemporary young people. The complex and intricate plot is certainly attractive, but the sincere interaction between the characters is what really touched me.”

Wu Lei thinks that Lu Xiaobei in the play is full and lively. Like many young people, the companionship between him and his teammates and friends on the way to pursuing his dreams is the fulcrum and skeleton supporting the entire work. He also believes that this kind of mutual support between teammates and friends is the most valuable emotional treasure that should be cherished and protected in our lives.

Wu Lei, who has been extremely talented and worked very hard since he was a child, seems to see his own reflection in Lu Xiaobei, “He (Lu Xiaobei) is the character who gives me the most courage. Perseverance is his character.” The most striking feature among them is that whenever I feel tired, I will feel the strength he gives me.”

Dare to speak up for his own ideas. His definition of fashion

Speaking of fashion trends topics that young actors of Wu Lei’s age seem to be very concerned about, this big boy in comfortable clothes once again reveals his uniqueness as a young man of Generation Z. “I don’t think that paying too much attention to appearance is a must for young actors today. A truly “fashionable” person should respect his or her own ideas, make himself or herself more comfortable and confident. This is the definition of fashion in my mind.”

Wu Lei, who dresses comfortably and low-key in private, is extremely concerned about environmental protection. Whether he is participating in the National Geographic’s “Planet or Plastic?” themed road run or calling on young people in public to make their own contributions to the ecological environment around them, this positive and sunny young actor has never forgotten his social responsibilities. In his words, “When small forces come together, we can create huge waves.”

Wu Lei believes that his support for environmental protection and his call for young people to bravely pursue their dreams are all due to his most authentic and natural mentality. As a representative of Generation Z, he also believes that young people today should not blindly cater to other people’s ideas, but dare to speak out for their own opinions. This is a trend and coolness that transcends superficiality.

“Chasing your ideals and being carefree are both ways of life. Whether you choose to strive for success or just be comfortable and do what you set your mind to do, you deserve respect.” Wu Lei even said that even now, in the fast-paced life, he would leave himself enough space to breathe, pause, and reflect before starting again.

Even though he wanted to give himself more time to relax and settle down, his love for acting and his tenacity from the heart always made him spend more time than others to figure out and polish a role he loved. When we asked him how his personality has changed, Wu Lei replied with a humble smile that his personality has not changed much.

But he breaks through himself in each work, devotes all his efforts to it, and then continues to accept new challenges. It is hard not to see his increasingly mature transformation, not only in his acting skills, but also in his mind.

Perhaps from another perspective, Wu Lei today is indeed no different from his original self. He still guards his persistence and original intention in pursuing his dream. When the industry and the audience applaud and embrace him, what he gives back is always more and better than others can imagine.

Source: NYLON