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[Interview] Wu Lei Interview for Harper’s Bazaar (October 2018)

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Wu Lei: Growth is always happening

“With great power comes great responsibility.”

This is a line from a superhero, and it’s also a line that Wu Lei likes.

From a child star to a leading actor in a big drama, how much pressure will it be to grow up under the expectations of everyone? This question cannot be answered by you and me, but you must “tag” Wu Lei to answer.

2018 can be said to be a “Wu Lei year”, especially in the second half of the year, when he directly started to dominate the screen. In a schedule that is so busy that it is hard to breathe, searching and watching your own emoticons is one of the best ways to relax and make Wu Lei laugh to tears. The focus is not on the pictures, but on the imaginative words that netizens have added – “I’m only a teenager. I’m so tired. I’m dancing ballet in the desert.”

The interesting screenshots and the imaginative emoticons are really hilarious, and the key is that they are all true. He’s just a teenager, and it’s just very tiring – of course, that’s not Wu Lei in real life, that’s Li Cu in “Tomb of the Sea”, a leading actor whom he played with great enjoyment and sadness.

“There are green screen shots and many real scenes. It is very exciting to run and fight. It really feels like an archaeological excavation. Li Cu is not a perfect male protagonist, he is just a high school student, and because of his family background, his character is flawed. He is quite extreme and not very good at making friends. In fact, he doesn’t have many friends around him. I think it’s interesting and challenging for an immature and mentally fragile teenager to experience such an adventure, but sometimes it’s a bit sad – he’s in such a bad situation, and this male protagonist is not pleasant.”

The high school student who impulsively searched for treasure in the desert during the summer vacation turned into a counterattacking teenager in “Fights Break Sphere” in the autumn.When Wu Lei knew that he could act in this drama, he described his mood as “stupefied”.

From the perspective of honing his acting skills, he want to challenge playing Li Cu. But from the heart of a young man, Wu Lei is more excited to play Xiao Yan. “It’s very inspiring, from being a loser to finally achieve his goal and become the strong man of his dreams.” Needless to say, he is a huge fan of the original book.

“I went to class during the day and read at night. I hid under the covers and used the flashlight on my phone to stay up late to read.”

As a young celebrity, Wu Lei is very busy. “It’s much better now. I remember when calendar software was first introduced, it was really scary. I felt dizzy when I opened it. There were all kinds of notes and colors, and the whole calendar was like a rainbow.”

Gradually, he got used to the current rhythm. At least in Wu Lei, this energetic young man, we can deeply feel the saying “human potential is infinite”. “Fights Break Sphere” following “Tomb of the Sea” and Zhang Yimou’s new film “Shadow”, has also released a promotional special. Wu Lei, who is wielding a big sword, can make people feel his heroic spirit across the screen. From “Tomb of the Sea” to “Fights Break Sphere”, and then to “Shadow”, Wu Lei has challenged action scenes of different difficulty and types, and has done a good job in helping these action scenes to shape the characters. This is inseparable from the foundation he has trained in martial arts since he was a child, and his temper of striving for perfection in every action.

Compared to those young men on the screen, Wu Lei in real life has the same brilliant innocence, as well as admirable high emotional intelligence and thoughtfulness. When he encounters a question he is not sure about, he will stop and calculate the interview publishing cycle. “Well, it should be available for publication by then.”

“Rebellious period? I’m probably still in it now. I tend to stick to my own ideas, and sometimes I have some arguments with my family over work, but I never do anything out of line… Yes, yes, I’m seriously attached to my mobile phone. What app do I use most? WeChat is the most used, Weibo is the second, and the others are tied for third. As long as I download and use various software, I basically won’t delete them. I keep them all in my phone.”

As he gets older and has more room to shape his roles, “Young Hero” Wu Lei is gradually being asked a new question: “Will you consider taking on art films?”

“I will consider it if there is a suitable one. There are many kinds of art films, and I want to choose the ones that are close to reality and down-to-earth.”

In early August, Wu Lei unveiled his wax figure at Madame Tussauds Shanghai. The most vivid interpretation of this running pose is perhaps in this sentence. “I insisted on choosing this pose despite all the opposition. Everyone thought that I should choose a more handsome martial arts pose, but I think this running pose is more representative.”

“No matter how far you go, you must remember why you set out.” From taking the first step in his acting career at the age of 6 to becoming a promising teenager at the age of 18, Wu Lei has never slacked off and will continue to move forward with all his strength in the future.

Source: Harper’s Bazaar

[Interview] Wu Lei Interview for VOGUE ME (April 2018)

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Wu Lei: Young Jianghu

For Wu Lei, the true presentation of youth is perhaps that even if he can only hear the other party’s voice through the phone, he can safely call him “elder brother (ge)” or “elder sister (jie)”. He speaks with full breath and laughs heartily. While chatting, he even broadcasts the details of himself drinking soy milk. Although he is already 18 years old, the burden of the adult world has not slowed down his pace. When the answer is not certain, Wu Lei likes to confess his thinking process. If the conclusion of growth is difficult to express verbally, he will leave it to his footprints.

The Boy Who Reveal His Punchline

Wu Lei’s speech has its own “puchline”. If you don’t listen to the whole thing, you can never guess what his last sentence is. For example, when talking about his experience shooting the cover of Vogue Me in New York with the popular model Lily Nova, Wu Lei said that he was still quite nervous, but the answer had nothing to do with being uptight or being shy. It was just “because the foreign girl was very tall,” Wu Lei said seriously on the other end of the phone. In the story “Tomb of the Sea” derived from “Grave Robbers’ Chronicles”, he is Li Cu, an ordinary boy who “beaten all the way”. Facing the role, Wu Lei already has his own methodology: “First, we need to look at his characteristics in life and then fit in. He… failed the college entrance examination, I can’t learn from him!” Compared with explorers or superheroes, Li Cu is more like a person who discovers a story, and this story has not been told in the original book. Wu Lei also carefully studied the history of “Grave Robbers’ Chronicles”. When talking about the unfinished work, he immediately became a “representative of readers”: “Hey, it’s normal that it’s not finished. Isn’t it often the case with San Shu’s novels…”

“I don’t have any obsession, except acting”

When reading “Fights Break Sphere” as a child, Wu Lei never thought that he would become Xiao Yan one day. The similarities between the two are persistence and unwillingness to admit defeat, but the difference is that the boy living in the world of Dou Qi is “too awesome”. “I can’t do Xiao Yan’s decisiveness now,” Wu Lei paused for a second and added, “Oh, of course, I guess I can’t do it in the future.” When filming “Fights Break Sphere”, Wu Lei, a fan of the book, felt that Xiao Yan’s weapon, the Heavy Xuan Ruler, was different from what he remembered, so he “shamelessly” went to the director for a long time. After discussing many times what this “black object” should look like, Wu Lei succeeded, and he was one step closer to the Heavy Xuan Ruler he wanted. When being interviewed, Wu Lei was actually preparing to catch a flight. He had to finish eating and changing his makeup within half an hour. The boy who grew up in the crew no longer thought it was a big deal. He said that he had no obsessions in life, and it didn’t matter what he ate or wore. Only in acting did he have persistence where he isn’t easily persuaded by others.

Calm love

In the movie “Asura”, he, Tony Leung Ka Fai and Carina Lau have to work together to present a “trinity” state. Wu Lei has mentioned more than once that it feels like taking an exam every day. Fortunately, in addition to taking the exam, he also found opportunities to replenish himself. “Brother Ka Fai once told me that what an actor should be like must be passed down,” Wu Lei thought for a while and explained, “I think professionalism is what Brother Ka Fai said ‘an actor should be like’.” Talking about acting, he put away a lot of his previous cheerfulness. We asked, “So what do you think is the level of achievement that would at least exceed the standard in your heart?” Wu Lei thought for a long time, trying to find a word that was closest to his experience, but when he saw that the atmosphere was about to become as serious as the interview with the old artist, he decided to give up thinking for the time being: “I’ll drink some soy milk first!” Then he really took a sip, and then paused and said: “Maybe it’s just that I can continue to have a calm love for the role.”

Young Jianghu

In Zhang Yimou’s film Shadow, he played the young warrior Yang Ping while observing the director’s work. “He is the most energetic person I have ever seen. It feels like he is focused on his work 24 hours a day. Moreover, the director already knows how to shoot the scene before filming. He is efficient and energetic on the set.” The bigger the play, the clearer Wu Lei is. Whether it is a movie, a TV series or an advertisement, it is an objective fact that actors are surrounded by hundreds of people. It is precisely because of this that the final result is not the credit of the actor alone. Speaking of the relationship between artists and the audience, Wu Lei said honestly: “Of course I care about everyone’s evaluation of me and the role. To put it bluntly, the actors’ jobs are given by the audience. Many seniors have talked to me about their own suggestions and experiences. I can do these things now because of everyone’s words.” In the practice of acting, Wu Lei is a child who has absorbed the “strengths of a hundred schools”, so you will find a sense of brotherhood in him that is not too unruly.

I’m getting older

Wu Lei admitted that he has very high requirements and expectations for himself. However, when we asked him what specific efforts he made in private, Wu Lei tore through the routine and said: “Exercise, and then nothing else.” When talking about the changes that have happened to him in the past two years, Wu Lei chose to continue to be honest: “Well… I’ve gotten older.” After a round of jokes, Wu Lei told us seriously that he actually uses a time period as a unit of self-management, “I will determine the schedule for the next day every day, and then strictly follow the plan, or just relax the next day. In short, once it is determined, the plan will be completed.”

Oh, yeah!

When chatting with Wu Lei, you will find that his thoughts are always so jumping. For example, Wu Lei said that he likes to record variety shows because it is like “a holiday, I can treat it as a game and play it seriously.” Like most boys, Wu Lei also devotes most of his time to animation and games when he is not working. So when he heard someone complain that he was too serious in the game session of the show, Wu Lei responded: “I’m very serious. When recording, I only think about how to play the game well and what to eat after recording.” At this point, Wu Lei suddenly asked back: “Eh? You haven’t recorded a variety show before?” One second ago, he was still explaining a complex attitude by playing games seriously, and the next second, his jumping thoughts in his brain began to become active again. He actually jumped directly from the serious attitude when participating in variety shows to his relaxed state in fashion occasions: “Compared to variety shows, participating in fashion events feels like going to a party for me, wearing beautiful clothes to meet good friends.” For Wu Lei, growth is nothing more than the accumulation of daily life. However, the most unexpected thing is that after we said goodbye, Wu Lei suddenly came back to the phone and said, “Oh yeah! I remember now! Didn’t we just get stuck on ‘what do you think is the level of achievement that would at least exceed the standard in your heart’?” This time, Wu Lei said with certainty, “Ongoing passion to explore the inner world of the character.”

V: What is something that must be in the refrigerator?

Wu Lei: Fresh fruits and vegetables

V: What is the most meaningful gift you have ever received?

Wu Lei: Everyone’s love and support

V: Do you talk a lot in private?

Wu Lei: A lot!

V: When you are with friends, are you the one who is responsible for being funny or the one who is responsible for giggling?

Wu Lei: Both~

V: What is your favorite and least favorite aspect of your personality?

Wu Lei: Persistence, and too much persistence…

V: When you are interacting with friends, what qualities do you care about most in them?

Wu Lei: Just be happy with friends, be sincere and simple.

V: Can you recommend a good movie or book that you have watched recently?

Wu Lei: I don’t have time to watch movies recently because I’m studying. When I have time, I will read some detective books.

V: What is the song that has been played the most times recently?

Wu Lei: (This is a secret)

V: Do you have obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Wu Lei: I have it when I’m filming.

V: People always say that you have boyfriend power. What do you think boyfriend power is?

Wu Lei: Responsibility.

Source: VOGUEme

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

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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 Bazaar Men (November 2018)

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This passionate comic about Wu Lei is hard to put down once you pick it up

If I don’t act, someone else will have to act it. So I’ll act.

Wu Lei

Whenever we look back at the many roles played by actor Wu Lei, we can’t help but forget that he was just a big boy who just celebrated his coming of age last year. He started shooting commercials at the age of 3 and started acting at the age of 5. In this bizarre adult world, Wu Lei is like the resolute and determined male protagonist in a boy’s comic, who devotes all his passion to it once he has decided what he wants.

When Wu Lei, who has his youthfulness faded and his facial lines became more firm, wearing a silver-white top and a diamond pendant with the word “Leo” on the brim of his hat half hanging between his eyebrows, he looked like a noble and cold prince in the ice and snow kingdom.

“Maocai” Boy, His quirky mix of styles is very real and enjoyable

Unfortunately, the coolness lasted only three seconds. A short question and answer instantly broke Sanshi didi*’s act…

*三石弟弟 is Wu Lei’s nickname

Q: You ranked first in the country for acting major. Were you surprised when the results came out?

Wu Lei: A little bit, but it’s okay. I’ll just work hard and prepare well.

Q: How was the exam? What did you perform?

Wu Lei: It was like passing levels. Each level was a different test. I performed sword dancing.

Q: What’s the most delicious dish in the school cafeteria?

Wu Lei: Luosifen**, Xiang Guo***, and wonton are all delicious.

**螺蛳粉 (snail rice noodle) is Chinese noodle soup and specialty of Liuzhou, Guangxi.

***香锅 (spicy stir-fry hot pot) is a type of Chinese dish from Chongqing.

Q: Without considering realistic factor, where would you like to live?

Wu Lei: Anywhere is fine, wherever my family is.

Q: The actor you most want to work with?

Wu Lei: Robert Downey Jr.

Q: What movie did you watch recently?

Wu Lei: The Godfather

Q: Describe yourself with a dish?

Wu Lei: Maocai****

****冒菜 is a stew-like dish originating from Chengdu. It is composed of a variety of vegetables as well as meat and/or fish in a stock made of mala sauce.

Describe yourself as “Maocai”? Trying to follow the brain circuit of Sanshi didi*, I think Wu Lei is telling everyone that he is fragrant, spicy and delicious! Well, Wu Lei is equal to Maocai, and the recent problem of what to eat is solved! But thinking about it carefully, he does look like a “Maocai” boy. Wu Lei has the vigorous aroma of a sunny boy, quick-witted and agile aura. Occasionally, he raises his eyebrows and smiles with a contrasting feeling of slight evil charm, equally piquant.

You can feel a kind of “mixed” or “conflicting” youthfulness from him. It is not simply immature and green, nor is it extremely passionate. He is lively and sunny, but also gentle and calm. His low-key and gentlemanly gestures and words cannot hide the sharpness of his youthful spirit.

Have you heard of Wu Lei’s six treasures for filming? Autumn clothes and long johns. Electric fan and ginger soup. Hot water thermos and foot soaks.

The warm-hearted Lei who has a 24-hour ultra-long standby time has a “six treasures words” that he always mentions to his fans. In short, it means to keep healthy in winter and cool in summer. He has already started to maintain his health at the age of 18. The auntie fans with motherly heart said they can relax.

After all, Wu Lei has been working in the crew for decades, and wearing winter clothes in summer and taking cold water in winter is already common. For filming, which requires endurance, keeping the body in the best condition at all times is also a manifestation of professionalism.

Wu Lei’s hard work and dedication at such a young age are amazing. He put on the 15 kg (30斤) armor without hesitation, experienced it with all his heart and deposited this heaviness in the image of the character Yang Ping. As a senior fan of “Fights Break Sphere”, after overcoming his psychological pressure, he tried his best to restore the Xiao Yan in his heart. He also challenged himself to play Li Cu, who is completely different from himself. When the play and life overlap, Wu Lei, like Li Cu in the play, was admitted to the university he had dreamed of for a long time with high scores.

Even though he said “acting itself is an art of regret”. But for the audience, it is hard to associate each role he has played with the same person, which is already an improvement. Besides, in addition to his improving acting skills, our Sanshi didi*’s high emotional intelligence is always online and will never disappoint people.

In addition to the famous age difference and girlish jokes, there are also various seductive scenes that are so exciting that ten issues are not enough. Straight men can learn from Wu Lei’s self-taught skills.

Soul Painter*****: One of a kind genuine leather watch

Some people appear mature and steady, but they are still young and immature at heart. Recently, Sanshi didi* wore a black suit to show his growing male hormones, and demonstrated the fashion rule that “a suit must be paired with a watch”. This limited edition watch is a new hand-painted work by Wu Lei brother who has just acquired the skills of a soul painter. He can do such a cute and funny thing seriously. He is really a delicate boy.

*****Soul painter is a slang for someone who draw badly

It seems that even after years of running wild in the bizarre entertainment industry, Wu Lei still maintains his original purity, just like the ordinary yet dazzling boy around him. He is indeed just a freshman who has just entered college, can play basketball and likes e-sports. He is sunny and considerate and often receives Mentos from excited girls on the way to the canteen, then gently says thank you and smiles warmly.

Even when facing fans, he would ask them to go home early, help them with their heavy suitcase, and he will wait online for the anniversary celebration from his fans. These two-way interactions will suddenly make you forget that he is the actor Wu Lei. He is just Wu Lei, no different from other freshmen.

Finally, here is a little easter egg of Wu Lei’s cover photo shoot. If you are still not satisfied, continue to experience the critical strike of Sanshi didi’s appearance.

Source: Bazaar Men