MINI PROFILE OF CHEN XING XU
Despite being born in Shenyang on March 31, 1996, Chen Xingxu 陈星旭 is as much a Beijinger as those born in the capital since he spent his childhood there and studied there. He attended elementary school at Beijing Haidian District Foreign Language Experimental School, later was from middle school to high school a student of the Beijing Dance Academy Affiliated High School,. |
He is also known as Oliver Chen, or Xiao Chen.
PERSONAL DATA
My Boss, ep.29 Cheng Yao's dad needs help about a "weird guy"!
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CXX eating 生煎包 |
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singing and playing the piano in 2019 |
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嫌弃 Xiánqì (disgusted) |
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Sources to this section and in part, next one: social media, fan accounts (FB, Instagram, Weibo, Youtube), Wikipedia, biodata articles, and a compilation of interviews and talkshows from August 2019. - Most pictures are linked to the videos they are from or to their sources. The GIF (except for the Morticia Addams one) are made by me from videos from YT, Weibo etc re-cut and adapted, including the title one :-)
A LIFE ON SCREEN
His mother had settled in Beijing for business and to allow her son, who got spotted by child talent scouts, reportedly at the zoo, to get into castings for commercials, as early as 1999 when he was only three years old.
Shortly after, he was cast as young "Shi Hai", guest child actor, for the 2001 war and family TV series The Years of Passion Burning 激情燃烧的岁月 Jiqing ranshao de suiyue. One website reports him as also having had child roles in 2003 drama Cao Xue Qin 曹雪芹(playing as Liu'er) ; 2006 Jiang Men Feng Yun 将门风云 (as young Zhou Nanzheng) ; and You Are My Life (as young Tang Hao).
He was just 10 years old when he was cast in his first main role in 2007 Shining Red Star 闪闪的红星, as "8 years old Pan Dong Zi" child soldier in the Red Army of the 1930s, while also having support roles in 2-4 other 2007 TV series a (Another Lifetime of Fate: The Legend of Meng Li Jun/ Eternal Happiness 再生緣, playing as young Crown Prince ; Golden Marriage金婚, playing as young Dabao ; Scorching Sun 烈日炎炎 [Lie Ri Yan Yan] playing as Luo Liangku ; Qiu Hai Tang 秋海棠, as young Yuan Shaoheng). Two years later, he was cast in a young brother role in the beautiful 2010 movie Under the Hawthorn Tree, directed by Zhang Yimou, and starring Shawn Dou and Zhou Dongyu.
* Playlists:
- Cao Xue Qin, cuts from episode 29 and from episode 30 (Chinese only)
- Jiang Men Feng Yun, 35 episodes war drama (Chinese only); unfortunately, the cut showing CXX has been deleted from Youtube
- Shining Red Star, 22 episodes, on YouTube (Chinese only)
- Eternal Happiness, young crown prince cut from episode 4 (Chinese only)
- Scorching Sun, cuts from episodes 23, 25, 26, 29, 31, 32 (Chinese only)
- Qiu Hai Tang , cut from episodes 16,17, 18, 20, on YouTube (Chinese only)
- Under the Hawthorn Tree, cut from the movie on YouTube (Chinese only) ; full movie with English subtitles.
Debut drama in 2001 | Young Chen Xingxu, 10 years old in 2007 Red Star | Child actor in the Zhang Yimou 2010 movie. |
He was cast in other guest roles in 2012 Su Dong Po (TV series, playing as young Song Zhezhong) ; 2015 Beijing and New York (romance movie, playing as Shaonian Lanyī) and 2017 Once Upon a Time (三生三世十里桃花, movie, derived from the novel that inspired the famous drama Eternal Love/Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms, playing as Li Yiguan), until his emerging as young star in 2017.
** Playlist:
- Su Dongpo, 6 cuts from the drama, on YouTube (Chinese only)
- Beijing and New York, short cut from the movie, on YouTube (Chinese only)
- Once Upon A Time, short cut from the movie, on Youtube (Chinese only) ; full movie with Englih subtitles on Bilibili
His breakthrough came with the 2017 drama adaptation of the famous wuxia novel by JIn Yong : The Legend of the Condor Heroes 射雕英雄传, where he played the co-star main role of "Yang Kang", adoptive son of the Jin prince and rival of hero "Guo Jing" played by Yang Xuwen.
The series was a mammoth undertaking with over 100,000 extras and 99 actors, filmed over several months until late August 2016. It was produced by Huace Film & TV in collaboration with iQiYi, Jianxin Picture and Perfect World Pictures. In his desire to stay as close as possible to the landscapes and events in the original novel, the director took the team all over China, from the northern Tonghu Grasslands in Inner Mongolia and Tianzhu Grasslands in Gansu Province to the Yellow River Stone Forest (Huanghe Shilin) in Jingtai County, Gansu province. The series was filmed primarily at the Xiangshan Film and Television City in Zhejiang Province, but other filming locations include Hengdian World Studios, Xiandu Scenic Area in Jinyun County and Xianju County in Zhejiang Province. Filming was taxing the actors both physically (heat, injuries), and mentally : "Chen Xingxu suffered a breakdown and had to familiarize himself with the original work and script, receiving guidance from seniors such as Miao Qiaowei (Michael Miu), until his worries gradually dissipated."
*** Playlist : The Legend of the Condor Heroes, complete 52 episodes with English subtitles, with VIP on iQiyi (or on YouTube, some episodes missing)
FANDOM - From then on, he became a star with a fandom, named Xiao Xing Xing 小星星(Little Star), and a rapidly increasing following. As of January 2024, he has 8.577 million fans as counted on his 陈星旭--CHEN先生 Weibo page (8.721 million by Feb.23, 2024) ; his studio Weibo page included 637,000 registered "little stars", rising to 672,000 by end Feb 2024. |
iQiyi 52 episodes Originally on Dragon TV , Jan 9- Apr 17, 2017 | Chen Xingxu at 20 as "Yan Kang" in the Legend of Condor Heroes 2017 | Goodbye My Princess (2019 historical drama set in Liang dynasty) | CXX as Li Cheng Yin / Gu Xiao Wu / Prince |
Having graduated, Chen Xingxu established his position as upcoming movie and TV series star with his main role in the best historical drama of 2019: Good Bye, My Princess /East Palace 东宫, based on a novel by Fei Wo Si Cun. (special mention here about the March 21, 2019 article written by JojoOnDatBeat, about this drama - it is lavishly illustrated and explanatory).
He was subsequently invited to his first TV variety show in the April 27, 2019 edition of Happy Camp. Nevertheless, he did only win "Most valuable commercial actor" at the 2nd Tencent Modern Night Out awards, and Goodbye My Princess although nominated, did not get home wih the coveted Huadings awards of 2019.
**** Playlist : Goodbye My Princess, 52 episodes with several languages subtitles on Viki (or on YouTube with English subtitles.)
Among his other work, there was
- 2019 Youth China in the Headlines 头条里的青春中国 (patriotic movie for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC) cameo as himself;
- 2020 Wolf Killing Action 滅狼行動 (war web movie) playing as Zhou Yang:
- 2020 The Best of Times 最好的时代 (a modern business romance 36 episodes TV series) playing as Li Yanfeng; [available with English subtitles on Youtube]
- 2020 The Enchanting Phantom 倩女幽魂:人间情 (a romance fantasy web film adapted from the 1987 film A Chinese Ghost Story) as Ning Caichen ;
- 2021 The Glory of Youth 号手就位 (49 episodes patriotic military TV series) as Ouyang Jun; [27 episodes available with English subtitles on YouTube]
- 2021 Truth 真相 (32 episodes thriller TV series) as Lin Yuanhao; [available on Viki with several languages subtitles; and on YouTube with English subtitles}
- 2021 Fall in Love 一见倾心 (36 episodes Republican era/"minguo" TV series) as Tan Xuanlin, pairing with Zhang Jingyi as Mu Wanqing; [available on Viki with several languages subtitles; and on YouTube with English subtitles]
- 2023 The Starry Love 星落凝成糖. (His appearance in Hello Saturday in 2023 was mostly about his first xianxia role as Empyrean Prince Shao Dian You Qin in the TV series) This one was also known as "Love When The Stars Fall". It was adapted from the novel "Xing Luo Ning Cheng Tang" (星落凝成糖) by Yi Du Jun Hua (一度君华 ) and mentioned as third drama in the "Honey trilogy" that includes two other famous dramas, though unrelated for subject matter : Ashes of Love (an unrelated xianxia drama) and Skate Into Love (a sports drama). [available on Viki with several languages subtitles; and on YouTube with English subtitles]
He is not a frequent guest on variety shows, focusing on interviews linked with the promotion of his movie and drama work.But he is scheduled to appear in 2024 on Hello Saturday with Victoria Song, in connection with his role in :
Our Interpreter (我们的翻译官) the original script TV series produced by Huace Films was scheduled to air in January 2024 on Hunan Satellite TV and Mango online. The drama was shot in Fujian province [around Xiamen, renamed "Xiahai" in the story] from October 27, 2022 to January 19, 2023.
The 36 episodes TV series revolves around the romantic and business conflicts and reconciliation of "Xiao Yicheng", chief technology officer of 语译天下 (Yuyitianxia, Translation World) Company, and "Lin Xi", a star interpreter working with Huasheng, a local translation company in Xiahai [Glimpses of Gulyangyu island and the iconic surfboard twin towers]. It targeted more mature audience, and was also opted by Rakuten Viki for the international audience (Viki is reputed for better subtitling in English and other languages), while also being uploaded to the Croton Mega Hit channel of YouTube (Croton is a subsidiary of Huace Films, specializing in production, and also streaming and international media business).
From CXX's Weibo : Our Interpreter, Today at 19:00, Xiao Yicheng is waiting for you in the conference room.
Coincidentally, another TV series, the romantic comedy My Boss was scheduled to air from January 8, 2024 but got slotted in from January 4, a few days before Our Interpreter, bringing a strange sense of competition between the actor's roles in the two different dramas.
My Boss (你也有今天) had been produced by Shanghai Ningmeng Film and Television Media Co., Ltd., shot from April 28 to August 4, 2023 [in a coastal city south of Shanghai] to be released on Youku and Linmon Media (YouTube). The romantic comedy was also opted in for the Rakuten Viki platform. Domestically, it gained attention as a sweet show fit for the younger audience, and earned by January 14 an impressive 9000 heat index, driven by romance and fluff fans and by the fans of the web novel it is adapted from : "What Comes Around Goes Around" (你也有今天) by Ye Fei Ran (叶斐然).
The novel [web translation], title of which literally translates as "You Too Got Today", tells the story of Qian Heng 钱恒, the founder of Jun Heng Law Firm, and Cheng Yao 成瑶, a rookie lawyer, who unexpectedly became roommates with her boss for a short period. He was cold and only interested in results and money, as his name "Qian" (钱 =money) announced, but he also suffered from insomnia.
Dramapanda described the battle for airing spot : "My Boss started airing first on Youku at 18:00 [Jan.4]. Our Interpreter, initially set for a 20:00 premiere on Hunan TV / Mango TV yesterday, January 8, took everyone by surprise when it was suddenly rescheduled to air at 12:00. My Boss followed suit, announcing a shift to an even earlier time at 11:00 on the same day. The unexpected plot twist off-screen has gotten people joking that Chen Xingxu’s fans would have a hard time keeping up since it looks like the platforms airing his shows aren’t willing to be outdone by the other. ... To think he has a third drama, iQIYI’s Ni De Huang Yan Ye Dong Ting 你的谎言也动听, opposite Zhang Yuxi which has yet to secure an air date."
***** Playlists (dramas still airing as of Jan.23, 2024)
- My Boss, starring CXX and Zhang Ruonan, 36 episodes, is available on Viki with several languages subtitles
- Our Interpreter, starring CXX and Victoria Song / Song Qian, 36 episodes, is available on iQiyi (with regional restrictions) or Viki with several languages subtitles, and on YouTube with English subtitles.
"Watching for the plot"My Boss (2024) from CXX Weibo«It's rare to find a generous and warm-hearted capitalist like you» | "The plot looks handsome": some drama watchers had fun gently and gleeful lampooning the comedy, using well-chosen pictures from the Chen Xingxu Weibo social media pages!(No, Morticia Addams doesn't feature in CXX's recent dramas, but she would surely have appreciated to sink her teeth in this beefy body, lol) |
Continued : " FUTURE CXX PROJECTS"
Mini Profile of Chen Xingxu (continued) :
BACK TO THE FUTURE CXX dramas....
Upcoming drama ( filming went on from March 2021 to July 2021!) should have been Guardians of The Land 山河表里 . It featured Chen Muchi as "Nan Shan" an Chen Xingxu as "Chu Heng", among many artists who were cast in The Starry Love next, and was adapted from the novel "Shan He Biao Li" (山河表里) by Priest, scheduled for 30 episodes on Youku. The scriptwriting had taken a year and was in collaboration with the author. It was a modern adventure and fantasy TV series, "about agents who, while chasing drug traffickers, discover a hidden land full of shadows." -----Alas, it was "based on a BL novel", and adaptations of such material is now banned from airing, due to the government's guidelines banning BL dramas. It didn't help, that actor Chen Muchi got embroiled in a scandal in November 2023 about his love life, being shown in suggestive pictures with a female singer, and allegedly challenged for being a bad gay boyfriend to another male! Therefore: GotL belongs to the numerous shelved projects that will gather dust for many years or never see light. But you can read an English translation of the novel's 55 chapters online, or listen to a fanmade audio version in Chinese.
Your Lies are Beautiful (2024) |
So, next up would be iQIYI’s Modern Romance Drama 你的谎言也动听 (Ni De Huang Yan Ye Dong Ting , Your Lies Are Beautiful) adapted from the novel of the same name by Er Yue Sheng (二月生). The drama, scheduled for 36 episodes, was produced by Beijing iQiyi Technology Co. and shot from September 19th, 2023 to January 16, 2024, when a trailer (in Chinese at the moment) was released together with wrapping pictures. The drama pairs Chen Xingxu with Zhang Yuxi.
Synopsis (Baidu, translation) :"A rescue medical team and volunteers came to a disaster area in southwest China. Among them was actress Qin Fei. Everyone said that she came just for show. However, Qin Fei worked hard and even put her life on the line to save others in critical moments. While toiling through day and night, Xing Zhizhi, the captain of the medical team, recognized Qin Fei's inner tenacity and kindness, and the two deepened their understanding of each other. Qin Fei also remembered an accident that she had suffered many years before, while participating in a dance competition. The young doctor who saved her life and rekindled her hope at the time was Xing Zhizhi. It was fate that brought them together again, to support each other in life and work. Xing Zhizhi once again participated in an important rescue mission, and Qin Fei regained public recognition through her hard work. Qin Fei said to Xing Zhizhi, you saved lives with your life. You promised me that you would come back safely. I believe everything you say, even lies are beautiful"
EDIT OF MARCH 2024 -- among upcoming projects will be Love on The Turquoise land, which was first rumored to feature Chen Zheyuan. More about it in the new post added to this thread.
MiniProfile last updated Jan.23, 2024
Link back to beginning of Chen Xingxu mini profile
feel free to add data in replies !
Jennifer:Is he also starred as a guest role in a drama with Ethan Juan and Zhu Xudan? There is another CXX support role rumor cast added in MDL
From checking cursorily in Baidu and MDL there was a project started years ago (2018) for 长风破浪/ "The Wind and Waves" described on Baidu as a period emotional 52 episode drama directed by Fu Wei and Zhou Jiankui , starring Ethan Ruan , Zhu Xudan , and Wang Tianchen , and starring Wan Zilin and Wu Yongwei . It further described it as "[a] play adapted from Chun Shan Leng's novel " Despite Tenderness ". |
It tells the story of an army commander, Yu Haoting, who met Gu Wanning, a woman with a rough fate. The two went from being enemies to having similar interests, and their relationship gradually eased and they fell in love. " There was a poster (the same one that's on the MDL page for "TBA Love in a Fallen City") and even a clip, but no mention of CXX ; it stated that it was to air in 2022, but Baidu now has a mention, that it has not been released. I suppose it has been scrapped halfway then.
Another website reported CXX as playing a "cameo role" in that drama announced for "2020". So, likely CXX could have walked on set and disappeared without a real role, if anything. Not exactly like Alfred Hitchcock who was known for that sort of brief appearances (but with a purpose, as a sort of signature of the movies Hitchcock directed: sometimes, only his profile was seen, or he got off a train and disappeared in the crowd of travellers... He is the "granddad model" most cinephiles think about, when "cameo roles" are mentioned ; other passersby on sets are usually anonymous, unimportant and not credited, hired as "extras"). We are not likely to know why CXX could have fleetingly been seen in this drama that will likely never be aired, if it was ever finished.
On the MDL page for "Love In A Fallen City," awwdrama 18 days ago wrote : "This" thread, based on the title of the novel (一生孤注掷温柔), should be deleted/combined with this other thread: https://mydramalist.com/746341-guang-ming-zhi-lu.
Drama is now titled 长风破浪 (was titled as 金色征途)." --> GOLDEN JOURNEY
This could be supported by the Baidu search engine too ; although there is much less info about cast and crew, neither there nor on MDL. Baidu states : ""The Wind and Waves" is produced by CCTV and iQiyi , and is jointly produced by Ruyi Pictures, Enlightenment Pictures, and Oriental Panorama. It is directed by Yao Xiaofeng and written by Weng Liangping . A spy drama of the Republic of China starring Wang Yibo , Li Qin , and Wang Yang , starring Zhang Tianyang and Gao Lu , with a special appearance by Wang Xueqi , and a friendly appearance by Yang Kun. Directed by Yao Xiaofeng." |
On the GOLDEN JOURNEY page on MDL, MarissaDanelle 20 days ago explained it as a "Republican Spy Drama #长风破浪 starring #WangYibo #LiQin #WangYang [that] has obtained the broadcasting license today, with a total of 40 episodes. It will be broadcast on iQIYI and CCTV." She supported her info with :
https://x.com/ForCdrama/status/1740288237833474331?s=20
https://x.com/ultra_melons/status/1740305608220578233?s=20
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02dwKp75GHREBA9HeoLFAGpDGzMPnSmCzFWrfEzPayN3dVQ72jtbMnjAtj9qXq5upjl&id=100019426495293&mibextid=Nif5oz
She said it is scheduled to air sometime in First quarter of 2024 (January to March)
MJN VIP 4 months ago wrote : "Some recent heresay info I found today:
"#WangYibo and #LiQin #GoldenLife has just open Weibo account. The drama is so lowkey, The drama was launched in January and they finished filming in May. No Reuters photo or booting ceremony."
But there is now a document shown in the photo section for that drama.
Until it airs or other news, all this is "unconfirmed melon"...
BTW, at this point in his career, I can't see very well that CXX would accept a role as support or even SML. Although he does seem to appear in the support cast listed by MDL for the possibly upcoming CCTV and Tencent 40 episodes wuxia drama Hero Legends. But there is nothing confirming it at this point, esp. nothing clear about CXX would be in it. All there is about it is unconfirmed melon.
Really good profile for new fans.I watched Goodbye my princess first a long time ago. i remenber i was so hooked on the plot and really thought he was a great actor, but the plot was too sad so i never rewatched. Fall in love was so good and he was so flirty and sexy. Im currently watching My boss, loving the fun plot, and Interpreter im struggling is a bit boring. I dropped a lot of xianxia dramas so i didnyt start Starry Love but im planning now because i've decided to be a Xiao Xing Xing.
sandrusca:Really good profile for new fans.I watched Goodbye my princess first a long time ago. i remenber i was so hooked on the plot and really thought he was a great actor, but the plot was too sad so i never rewatched. Fall in love was so good and he was so flirty and sexy. Im currently watching My boss, loving the fun plot, and Interpreter im struggling is a bit boring. I dropped a lot of xianxia dramas so i didnyt start Starry Love but im planning now because i've decided to be a Xiao Xing Xing.
The Starry Love is a great drama, funny also. You should start watching it. I rarely recommend dramas and drop series I don't enjoy.
MARCH 2024 news about another upcoming drama :
New Project
Love on the Turquoise Landadapted from the novel "Xiao Qi Qing Rang" (枭起青壤 "Owl Rises from Green Soil") by Wei Yu (尾鱼), Director: Tian Li, He Tan. Production: Tencent/WeTV. Number of episodes TBA. Synopsis: The fantasy and suspense modern romance tells the tale of a female sculptor Nie Jiu Luo, descendant of the 'Tangled Army" going back all the way to the first Han emperor. She gets involved with Yan Tuo, who seems to be under the control of a mysterious woman. The pair's search for the truth the truth behind Lin Xi Rou, reveals a world beyond their imagination, the secret of earth owls, mysterious powers, and immortality. On June 7, 2021, the play was selected into the 2021 Tencent Video film and television list. On June 19, 2023, the play was selected into the Goose Factory 2023 drama list, and a concept poster was released. Cast projected :
According to this Weibo post of 2024.01.02, shooting should last 150 days, perhaps from March 2024. |
Debates and fan wars : There were contradictory rumors until January 2024, some saying Chen Zheyuan rejected it, some saying Dylan Wang was approached but would not be available. In February, it became clearer that Chen Xingxu would take the ML role. All three actors had expressed an interest in working with Dilireba (who is among their "favorite actresses" as they openly mentioned), but criticism by anti-fans of actors or actresses went flying, blurring the issues Some were blaming it on the subject of the always touchy billing, equal or not, where actresses who signed up first do not like to concede, especially if they feel they have more status than "latecomer" MLs. It is a fact that billing usually relies on fame : Reba has 80 million fans on Weibo (although Zhao Liying has 90.9m, and Yang Mi 112m). Looking at Weibo counts, CZY has "only" 13-14 million, CXX 8-9m, WHD 20m, etc, but then, no male actors of that generation come close in following (Yang Yang has 52m). Some were blaming it on CZY not conforming to the picture they had in mind, looking "too young" ; this got nasty with a few fans throwing insults on both sides, which snowballed. There was also another issue that screen-time had been altered to better showcase SFL... Anyway, all these are matters to be debated by agents for either leads or by those who decide for themselves in business deals, because they have their own company (like CXX and Wu Lei). Their fandom should not be dragged into it, made to look like they were spearheading fan wars, intrusively and callously overrunning the arena, because of some over eager ones (or who knows, perhaps also pro trouble maker "black fans" trying to sow discord) ! As of March 11, 2024, the Chen Xingxu choice is the one that is retained. As a commenter informed: the two leads will be on a flight to Ningbo on March 15, to shoot the drama. Link back to beginning of Chen Xingxu mini profile |
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