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Alice Yan

Mainland movie creator Jia Ling has become the fourth actress in China whose total box office take from the films she starred in has exceeded 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion).
The other three are Ma Li with 19.37 billion yuan, Zhou Dongyu with 12.25 billion, and Zhang Xiaofei with 10.04 billion, according to the mainland movie industry statistics app, Dengta.
One of 41-year-old comic actress Ma’s most famous movies is the 2022 science fiction offering, Moon Man.
She plays a leading role in famous director Zhang Yimou’s recent legal drama film, Article 20.
Ma is so popular in China that she has been invited to play skits on the most-viewed CCTV annual Spring Festival gala show eight times.

Zhou, 32, was selected by the film master Zhang Yimou to play in his 2010 movie The Love of the Hawthorn Tree.
She is regarded as one of the most accomplished actresses in China after winning the most prestigious film awards in the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan before she reached 30.
Many of Zhou’s films are of the art and literary genre.
Zhang Xiaofei, 38, only became a household name in China after the success of Jia’s movie Hi, Mom which was released two years ago and in which Zhang plays the heroine.
Zhang, a good friend of Jia, also participated in her latest work Re La Gun Tang, or You Only Live Once.
Jia, the world’s highest-grossing woman movie director, enjoys huge popularity on the mainland because audiences like her upbeat and easy-going character, while admiring her hard-working and persistent spirit.
Jia, 41, started her career as a humble cross-talk performer and comic actress who struggled to make ends meet and lived in a small rented underground flat in Beijing 20 years ago.
Her fame has grown gradually over the past decade thanks to her appearance on CCTV’s Spring Festival gala shows and her participation in a number of art programmes.
Hi, Mom, which is Jia’s first film as a director, tells the story of her mother, Li Huanying, who was killed in a road accident. It was a huge hit, taking in 5 billion yuan (US$695 million) at the box office.
Her second movie as a director, Re La Gun Tang, adapted from the Japanese 2014 film 100 Yen Love, has grossed 3.4 billion yuan at the box office since its debut on February 10.
Jia is the leading actress in both films.

For her second movie, she lost 50kg in weight to portray a fat, jobless and decadent woman who learned boxing to find the new direction in life.
Jia’s dramatic change in physical stature won her massive plaudits on mainland social media.
Her box office achievement has become a topic of heated discussion online, although opinions are divided over Jia’s success.
“Jia Ling has again demonstrated her talent. Go for it, Sister Ling,” said one of her fans on Douyin.
But others do not think highly of Jia.
“I think she is just good at marketing. Her first movie is about missing mum while the second one is encouraging. Both topics could easily attract the public’s attention,” said one online observer.


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Trending in China

Chinese star Jia Ling  whose latest movie and drastic physical transformation make headlines becomes 4th mainland actress to gross over US$1.4 billion

Actress-director, Jia Ling, far-left, has become the fourth female star in China to gross over US$1.4 billion at the box office in mainland film history after Zhou Dongyu, top middle, Zhang Xiaofei, far-right, and Ma Li, bottom middle. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo

Box-office blockbusters: only these four women have taken in more than US$1.4 billion for their movies in China’s film history. Photo: nbd.com.cn

Actress-director Jia Ling has risen to stardom from humble beginnings thanks to her upbeat and easy-going style. Photo: nbd.com.cn

China man uses deepfake technology to disguise himself as late father in videos to save frail grandmother from heartbreak

A caring man in China has used deepfake AI technology to imitate his late father in daily video calls to keep his death hidden from his frail grandmother. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

The dead man had been suffering from a rare form of cancer before he passed away. Photo: Douyin

It is not uncommon for people in China to use AI technology to keep the death of a loved one from relatives. Photo: Shutterstock

What is a lucky face? Woman in China told by many online that her face suggests a personality that will help husband get rich

What is a lucky face? A woman in China is told by many people on mainland social media that her face suggests she has a personality that will help her future husband become rich. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Sohu/Douyin

Ancient belief in China has it that the face of this woman will help her future husband attract friends and get rich. Photo: Weibo

Many people in China have marvelled at the woman’s face which is of a type favoured by matchmakers. Photo: AFP

Animal-loving China woman sacrifices life  in US with daughter to shelter 2,470 stray dogs and cats, incurs US$70,000 in debt over 15 years

The story of a 66-year-old woman in China who has spent the past 15 years looking after thousands of stray dogs and cats, sacrificing her family life and running up debts of US$70,000 in the process, has captivated mainland social media. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo

Dong Shuzhen gave up her clothing business to devote her life to saving stray cats and dogs. Photo: Weibo 

Dong employs a team of 11 workers to make sure the strays are fed and cared for. Photo: Weibo

Fallen stars in China: celebrity brushes with the law, censored by authorities or self-imposed exile. Where are they now, will they shine again?

The shamed stars of China: celebrities who have fallen foul of the mainland authorities, and where they are now. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo/Baidu

Actress Fan Bingbing “disappeared” and was then embroiled in a tax evasion scandal. Photo: EPA

Actor and singer, Kris Wu, is serving time for rape in China and will be deported on his release. Photo: AP

Mainland Chinese actress Zheng Shuang found herself at the centre of a storm over surrogate births. Photo: Beijing Enlight Pictures  

Actor Zhang Zhehan was caught in a political storm after photos of him at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Japan, which honours war criminals, went public. Photo: Weibo

Actor and singer, Li Yifeng, was shunned by fans and sponsors alike when it was discovered he had been visiting prostitutes. Photo: Weibo

Zhou Libo, was plunged into political hot water for his style of comedy and was also jailed twice for sexual assault, extortion and drug possession. Photo: Handout

Award-winning Taiwan actor, Ke Zhendong, was jailed for drug abuse in 2014. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong actor Jaycee Chan, the son of movie legend, Jackie Chan, was arrested at the same time as Ke Zhendong, and likewise, served time in prison. Photo: Reuters

Enchanting merman: chubby male mermaid at China theme park becomes overnight sensation by shaking belly, making funny faces at visitors

An ample merman in China has become a sensation at a mainland aquarium and online, thanks to his underwater antics. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

The self-deprecating merman mocks himself by pinching his ample belly. Photo: The Paper

Visitors to the aquarium love the man’s underwater antics, which have been viewed millions of times on mainland social media. Photo: The Paper

News

People & Culture

China Personalities

From humble beginnings, actress-director hits box-office jackpot
Star stirred controversy by losing large amount of weight for recent role


The 41-year-old embarked on her professional journey as a humble cross-talk performer and comedic actress who struggled to make ends meet in Beijing 20 years ago.


Asian cinema: Chinese films

Fame and celebrity

Chinese star Jia Ling whose latest movie and drastic physical transformation make headlines becomes 4th mainland actress to gross over US$1.4 billion

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}From humble beginnings, actress-director hits box-office jackpot Star stirred controversy by losing large amount of weight for recent role

From humble beginnings, actress-director hits box-office jackpot

Star stirred controversy by losing large amount of weight for recent role