How teen prodigy Ouyang Nana rocketed to fame

It takes a certain kind of charm and charisma to silence a room when you’re 18 years old. Ouyang Nana, rising star and one of the most talked about names in fashion and entertainment, has that effect when she glides into the interview room. Travelling to Hong Kong at the invitation of high-end jeweller Cartier, the globetrotter is camera-ready in her simple white dress and understated confidence.

This confidence is key when you come under as much scrutiny as Ouyang has done. In a few short years, the teen star has carved a name for herself in China and afar. As the leading actress in Jackie Chan’s sci-fi film, Bleeding Steel, she was praised by the kung fu star for her talent. She also joined Chan in co-producing the Chinese version of A Whole New World. She has already worked with established screen idols Andy Lau, Huang Xiaoming and K-pop star Choi Si-won.

“I have been very lucky working with these superstars,” Ouyang says. “I’ve noticed that although they excel at what they do and are famous, they are still humble. I have kept this in mind.”

Her down-to-earth attitude is likely key to her success as an internet KOL (key opinion leader) to millennials and Gen Z, with a following of more than 11 million people on Weibo. Having starred in blockbuster movies, TV dramas and reality shows, Ouyang has rocketed to such star-studded fame that new fans may not even know that she hails from a musical background. The teenager is, in fact, a talented cellist with several album releases. Her earnings in the first half of 2018 were reported to be as high as HK$70 million.

At the tender age of 13, her rare abilities won her a full scholarship to Curtis Institute of Music in the United States – one of the world’s highest ranking music schools. “When I told my parents that I wanted to study in America, they asked why [I wanted to go] so far away from home. I explained in High School Musical, everyone has a locker, and I wanted one too,” Ouyang recalls.

Her early experiences cemented the way for her international debut. Her cello virtuoso performance put her onstage with American rapper Wiz Khalifa at the 2018 Breakthrough Prize hosted by Morgan Freeman. “Music is my passion and I’ve never considered it as work. Unlike Taipei, in Boston it snows heavily. On my daily 15-minute walk to classes, I thought if I ever stumble, I better fall face down, because my cello is on my back”, jokes the classical music aficionado.

When the young cellist quit the prestigious conservatory to devote her energy to her thespian ambitions, it ignited fierce debates on social media and she was slated for prioritising money and fame over academic study. “Entering the industry means you’re always under a magnifying glass, to be thoroughly examined,” she says. Comments on her Weibo posts are sometimes vicious and hurtful. Actress Zhang Ziyi also publicly frowned on Ouyang’s acting skills in the reality TV show, The Birth Of Actors .