Liu Shishi

The miscalculation that turned into a success

Liu Shishi had no intention of stepping in front of a film camera. Her training at the Beijing Dance Academy was focused exclusively on classical ballet, but an accidental audition in 2004 changed her plans. That day she was accompanying a friend and ended up starring in The Moon and the Wind without having read a single page of the script beforehand.

Early reviews were harsh about her lack of acting technique. But her physical presence and the discipline she had learned at the ballet barre won over casting directors for period dramas. So she began landing supporting roles in martial arts series while refining her dramatic range.

And then came the year 2011.

The premiere of Scarlet Heart became a ratings phenomenon across Asia that nobody saw coming. Her role as Zhang Xiao (a 21st-century woman who time-travels to the Qing dynasty) put her at the center of the industry. That production not only brought her international fame but also introduced her to Nicky Wu, her future husband.

In 2013, the specialized press included her on the list of the new four Dan actresses. This recognition placed her among the figures with the greatest commercial potential of her generation. But she preferred to keep a low profile and stay away from the major social events in Beijing.

Creative Independence Outside Tangren

After a decade with the agency Tangren Media, she decided not to renew her contract in 2016. She wanted to manage her own schedule and choose projects with more dramatic weight. The move was seen as a significant financial risk in a market where agencies control nearly all advertising contracts.

The gamble paid off.

In 2017, she starred in Lost Love in Times (a fantasy series where excessive digital effects were removed to focus on choreography). The production stood out for its use of real locations and costumes that avoided the saturated colors typical of Chinese television at the time. During that shoot, Liu Shishi insisted on performing most of the high-risk scenes herself, without using stunt doubles.

After a long break for motherhood, she returned to work in 2020 with To Dear Myself. It was a necessary change of direction, moving away from silk robes and historical dramas. She played a working woman in contemporary China facing housing problems and workplace pressure.

But the public was calling for her return to the wuxia genre.

In 2023, she accepted the lead role in A Journey to Love. The series reached one hundred million views in less than 48 hours after its release. Critics noted that her fight choreography was far more polished than in her early days, thanks to her classical dance training.

In 2024, she starred in Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Love in Pavilion, taking on a role that was even more physically demanding. The production used real-time virtual filming technology to reduce post-production time. The project's total budget exceeded 300 million yuan.

Her advertising contract with Omega was extended after sales of the Constellation model rose 12 percent in the Asian market.