Li Xian (actor)


Li Xian is a Chinese actor, known for his roles in the films Feng Shui and Who Sleeps My Bro, as well as the TV dramas Tientsin Mystic, Go Go Squid!, Flourished Peony and In the Name of Blossom. He ranked 19th on the 2020 Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.
IG mr.lixian

Early life

Li was born on 19 October 1991, in Xianning and grew up in Jingzhou, Hubei. He attended the Jingzhou Middle School. In 2009, he planned to study STEM in college, but failed the college entrance examination. He retook the exam and was admitted as an acting major at Beijing Film Academy in 2010. For the convenience of entry, he changed his given name from "晛" to "现", which means "present".

Career

Li began his acting career with a minor role in Wong Jing's film Feng Shui. He followed with a role in romantic teen film Singing When We're Young. He made his small-screen debut in web series City of Fantasy. He garnered attention for his role in the coming-of-age web series, Who Sleeps My Bro, which he reprised in the eponymous feature film adapted from the web series. He then made an appearance in the music video for the song I Am Jiang Xiaobai by Zhang Qi and the music video for the song Medals by Lu Han. Li was cast in the esports romance film Love O2O and web series Medical Examiner Dr. Qin. Li had his first starring role in the thriller detective web series Tientsin Mystic. He then appeared in the film The Founding of an Army.
Li's breakthrough role came in the esports romantic comedy television series, Go Go Squid!, based on the web novel Stewed Squid with Honey. The series was the most-streamed series in 2019. Li earned his first nomination for the Huading Award for Best New Actor in 2019 for the role.
Li then starred in the costume drama Sword Dynasty ''. In 2020, Li participated in the CCTV New Year's Gala, where he performed "Hello 2020". In the same year, he had three films out: The Enigma of Arrival, Love Song 1980 and Soul Snatcher. He also made a cameo in Leap, the Chinese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. In 2022, Li starred in the historical drama A Love Never Lost'' which, however, was pulled from the air soon after its premiere for unspecified reasons.

Personal life

Li has listed Ha Jung-woo, Oguri Shun, and Ryan Gosling as his favorite actors.

Controversy

Homophobia

Li's attitude towards the gay community has sparked controversy several times. In 2012, Li posted on Weibo, "I am not gay, and I am repulsed by homosexuality." In 2015, Li posted on Weibo, "First of all, I want to clarify that I am straight, my sexual orientation is normal, and all my friends know this. But on Weibo, I am unaccountably mistaken as gay. I don't know why Every time I see comments on my Weibo, I feel embarrassed and helpless, and explaining doesn't help."
In October 2017, rumors emerged that Li was slated to star in the TV adaptation of the popular BL novel Silent Reading, sparking controversy due to his previous homophobic remarks. The author later denied the rumors. In 2020, Li starred in the film Soul Snatcher, based on a BL novel but stripped of its gay content due to censorship in China.

Filmography

Film
YearEnglish titleChinese titleRoleNotes
2012Feng Shui万箭穿心Ma Xiaobao
2013Singing When We're Young初恋未满Da Wei
2016Who Sleeps My Bro睡在我上铺的兄弟Xie Xun
2016Love 020微微一笑很倾城Yu Banshan
2017Deadly Love玩命试爱Fang Zhibin
2017The Founding of an Army建军大业Luo Ronghuan
2018Nuts奇葩朵朵Xu Zicong
2019The Captain中国机长Luo XiaolinCameo
2020The Enigma of Arrival抵达之谜Xiao Long
2020Leap夺冠Cameo
2020Love Song 1980恋曲1980Liang Zhengwen
2020Soul Snatcher赤狐书生Bai Shisan
2021Schemes in Antiques古董局中局Yao Buran
2023I Believe靠近我一点Yu Kefeg
2024She's Got No Name酱园弄Zhang Baofu

Television series
YearEnglish titleChinese titleRoleNotes
2014City of Fantasy奇妙世纪A Liang
2016Four Ladies翩翩冷少俏佳人Ding Zihui
2016Who Sleeps My Bro睡在我上铺的兄弟Xie Xun
2016Medical Examiner Dr. Qin法医秦明Lin Tao
2017Rush to the Dead Summer夏至未至Qing YunCameo
2017Tientsin Mystic河神Guo Deyou
2018Only Side By Side with You南方有乔木Chang Jianxiong
2018Women In Shanghai上海女子图鉴Chen Xiaowei
2019Go Go Squid!亲爱的，热爱的Han Shangyan
2019`Sword Dynasty剑王朝Ding Ning
2021Go Go Squid 2: Dt. Appledog's Time我的时代，你的时代Han Shangyan
2021A Love Never Lost人生若如初见Liang Xiang
2023Meet Yourself去有风的地方Xie Zhiyao
2024Shooting Stars群星闪耀时Xiang Yuan Sheg/Hua Zhen
2024Will Love in Spring春色寄情人Chen Maidong
2025Flourished Peony国色芳华Jiang Changyang
2025A Love Never Lost人生若如初见Liang Xiang / Yu Bu Gu

;Short film
  • 12 Years, we see it first
  • Confess
  • Interstellar Gift
  • Somehow I love You
  • 11Left
;Variety show
  • ''The Theory of Relativity''

Awards and nominations

Li's role as Guo Deyou in Tientsin Mystic earned him a nomination for Best Web Drama Actor at The Actors of China Awards and a popularity award from Netease Awards In 2019, his role as Han Shangyan on Go Go Squid! earned him a nomination for Best Newcomer at the Huading Awards, and a nomination at for Best Actor at The Actors of China Awards. He won Quality Actor of the Year at the Tencent Video All Star Awards and popularity awards from Weibo Weibo TV Awards, and iQIYI All-Star Carnival. He has also been recognized by GQ's Men of the Year, Esquire's Man at His Best Awards, and the Film and TV Role Model Annual Ranking. He won Best Choice of Multi-Screen Communication for an Influential Actor. The Beijing News selected him as an Entertainment Person of the Year, and he earned a spot in Forbes China's 30 Under 30 list.
He ranked 19th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.