Meet Yang Mi: C-Drama’s Favorite Leading Lady

Ethereal beauty. Topnotch talent. Box office and viewers magnet. Singer. Lady Boss.

If you’re new to C-Drama and there’s a Chinese actress you have to know first, Yang Mi is the one. Here are seven things you might not know about her:

1. She was a child actress who made a big comeback

The 34-year-old actress started her entertainment career early on and even acted as a child in the martial arts movie King of Beggars with legendary actor Stephen Chow. She scored roles in other acting projects but had to take a hiatus to focus on her studies. Yang Mi made a triumphant return to acting in 2004 and achieved even greater fame with several successful C-Dramas and films such as The Return of the Condor Heroes (2006), Beijing Love Story (2012), A Clear Midsummers Night (2013), The Interpreter (2016), Eternal Love (2017), and Legend of Fuyao (2018).

2. She’s known for her fantasy and period dramas, but also has a large body of work in different genres

Yang Mi is one of the most recognizable faces in C-Drama often appearing on fantasy and period dramas. But she has also made a mark with her diverse acting experiences which includes working on modern dramas, mystery, horror and even romantic comedies.

She is also set to star in the highly-anticipated Novoland: Pearl Eclipse next year with actor William Chan under Tencent.

3. She’s also a singer and reality show judge.

When she’s not acting, she sings. She released her debut album Close to Me in 2012 and even recorded songs for her acting projects. Her noteworthy songs were featured in Beijing Love Story and Palace. She was also a judge in China’s Got Talent, skillfully taking on the role to screen and find amazing talents on a reality show. She was also the Chinese voice of Mei Mei on Dreamworks’ Kung Fu Panda 3 Chinese release.

4. She’s a real-life girl-boss 

 Beyond Yang Mi’s epic beauty and talent, she is also a lady boss and owns her production company JayWalk Studios or Jiaxing Media. Her dramas The Interpreter, Negotiator, The Flame’s Daughter, and Eternal Love were all produced under her company.

Originally known as Yang Mi Studio, it was established by Yang Mi and her two managers Zeng Jia and Zhao Ruoxiao, and has under its belt some of the most promising stars in Chinese drama such as Eternal Love co-stars Dilraba Dilmurat, Vengo Gao, Maggie Huang, Vin Zhang, Bambi Zhu, and Daisy Dai. She also has a roster of up-and-coming talents and second-lead talents, most of which get projects under JayWalk Studios.

5. She’s a multi-awarded and influential powerhouse actress

She is also a multi-awarded star and was named as Tencent Video Star Awards’ TV Actress of the Year 2018, 5th China Television’s Best Actress 2018 and 24th Huading Awards’ Best Actress 2018 among others. She also ranked 9th at the 2019 Forbes China Celebrity List. In 2020, she was hailed as Weibo Awards Ceremony’s Weibo Goddess and Charity Influential Figure.

6. She’s a big fashionista and endorser for a lot of high fashion brands, and has attended the Met gala

Fans often watch out for what she wears in big events, as both Chinese and top fashion houses vie for a chance to dress her up. She is currently the face of Michael Kors, Stuart Weitzman, Victoria’s Secret, Estee Lauder, Calzedonia, Adidas, and more. She once endorsed Versace but left the brand following the controversy on a t-shirt design that challenged the One China policy.

Yang Mi also attended the Met Gala in 2017, and even made waves when she wore a Michael Kors sheer gown that gives the illusion of skin with sequins—making it look as if she was in her birthday suit. Talking to Vogue for the Met Gala, the designer explained: “She lives this incredible jet set life, and she looks chic every step of the way, and that’s very Michael Kors.”

7. She was married once, but now divorced

She was married to Hong Kong actor-singer Hawick Lau in 2012 but the marriage fizzled out and announced their divorce in 2018. The couple was blessed with a daughter named Noemi.

To complete your Metro.Style crash course and primer on Yang Mi, check out her noteworthy dramas.

Eternal Love. Yang Mi’s epic xianxia C-Drama raked in over 50 billion views and was considered the most-watched television drama in China. The actress essayed the role of Bai Qian who attempted to re-seal a demon lord but in the process, was sent to the mortal world. She falls in love with Ye Hua (Mark Chao) but their romance was almost always filled with challenges. Eternal Love is a drama about a love story set in three lifetimes.

Legend of Fuyao. An empowered woman offscreen, Yang Mi takes on the role of an equally strong woman onscreen as Meng Fu Yao. Her character was adopted as an orphan and served as a slave in the Tai Yuan Kingdom. After dealing with tragedies, she vowed to search for ways to lift the curse in her life with the help of the Crown Prince of Tian Quan—Zhangsun Wu Ji (Ethan Ruan).

Negotiator. Set in a modern drama this time, Yang Mi plays Tong Wei who is considered a genius negotiator and an asset of the US-China Business Council. She meets Xie Xiao Fei (Z. Tao), a sole heir of a big corporation who has no interest in the business. Their regular bickering soon evolved into romance complicating their relationship.

The Interpreter. In this C-Drama, Yang Mi is Qiao Fei who is a postgraduate student who plans to become a professional interpreter. She meets Cheng Jiia Yang (Huang Xuan) who mentored her in Paris and is an excellent French interpreter. The two initially had a less than stellar relationship but their connection develops into something more. As the two grows closer, Gao Jia Ming (Gao Wei Guang), Qiao Fei’s ex-boyfriend and Jia Yang’s adopted brother, enters the picture.

Palace. In this drama, Yang Mi is Luo Qing Chuan—a modern day girl who loves history and who happens to have accidentally travelled back in time to Qing dynasty. She finds herself stuck in a power struggle among the princes as they battle for the throne. Luo Qing Chuan’s historical knowledge and her smart thinking help her survive the political storm in the palace.

Intrigued by Yang Mi? Unveil the mystery behind her success. Catch her hit C-Dramas in various streaming sites: Netflix, iQiyi and WeTV.