Working In Progress

Yu Shuxin, I can always return to myself

by MarieClaire Now
2023-09-19 12:00

Some people excel at analyzing the world rationally, while others are adept at experiencing it through feeling. Yu Shuxin belongs to the latter. Yet not everyone of this kind can, like her, lay out their emotions so minutely, so openly, without the slightest attempt to hide. When it comes to the things she loves, Yu Shuxin can repeat them endlessly. This is true in her daily life and just as true in the little updates she shares on Weibo or in the acting projects she looks forward to—consistency runs through it all.

Naturally, her career in the performing arts is no exception. She takes on more and more roles, with increasingly important parts, and the attention and discussion surrounding her continue to grow. Yu Shuxin is focused and hardworking, grateful too for the small measure of talent she possesses. Most importantly, through acting she keeps reaffirming who she is, and the different sides of herself. From this, she has also gained a deeper kind of confidence:
“I will always be able to return to myself.”

01
“As soon as I put on a costume, I look just like someone from ancient times.”

NOW: The drama My Journey to You is set to air this year. How did you first come to take on this project?
Yu Shuxin: It was Xiao Si (the director) who called me and said he wanted me to play this role. When I read the character introduction for Yun Weishan, I felt she wasn’t very similar to the kind of personality I usually show. So I asked him why he chose me. He said he wanted to turn something others thought impossible into something possible—that would give him a real sense of accomplishment. Recently, when I went to do dubbing for the role, I asked him again how he came to think of casting me. He told me that after talking with me before, he felt I had many different sides and that I could really carry this role. That’s why he chose me.

NOW: Yun Weishan’s personality isn’t very similar to yours. Could you tell us more specifically?
Yu Shuxin: She’s completely different. You’ll understand once you watch it—there’s nothing about her that’s like me, apart from the fact that she looks like me.

NOW: Because her original identity is that of a “spy,” she tends to be a bit more reserved, keeping many things to herself.
Yu Shuxin: Yes. But it’s not just that—she also has a wide range of emotions.

NOW: How did you prepare for playing her?
Yu Shuxin: I read through the entire script, over and over, until I was very familiar with it—to understand what had happened to this person and what her personality was like. Some things aren’t written in the script, so you have to design them yourself or ask the director. The director is also the screenwriter of this drama, so he would tell me about events from the character’s past that aren’t shown in the script. After that, I just immersed myself in that world and lived in it.

NOW: My Journey to You is also the director’s first time directing a longer drama series. What was special about working with him?
Yu Shuxin: He’s incredibly meticulous. He doesn’t let a single detail slip by, and he treats every character with the same seriousness as the male and female leads—even the minor roles and background actors. For every scene and every emotional beat, he makes sure nothing is overlooked. His command over the entire production was very precise and thorough.

NOW: From the time you first read the script to finishing the drama, did you feel any changes in yourself?
Yu Shuxin: For the first two months after filming ended, my thoughts and emotions were very sensitive—quite similar to Yun Weishan as a character. But I’m a strong person. After traveling for two or three months and coming back, I had returned to being myself again.

NOW: You’re able to quickly return to your own state.
Yu Shuxin: Yes. For example, after acting in a very sad scene, I’ll adjust myself as soon as possible and step out of it. I don’t let myself stay immersed in the role to the point that I can’t pull away.

NOW: You’ve acted in modern romance dramas, as well as historical, xianxia, and time-travel series. For you, does each genre require a different approach to acting?
Yu Shuxin: Of course. Every character is different, and the way of performing is also different. For example, when filming xianxia before, the movements and expressions might be more exaggerated. Sometimes the camera zooms in very close, so it focuses more on the eyes and subtle facial expressions—viewers can see those changes more clearly.

NOW: Are these things you realized and summed up while filming?
Yu Shuxin: Both. I can feel it myself, the director will also point it out, and I’ll watch the playback too.

NOW: We might have a certain assumption—for example, that modern romance characters are closer to our daily lives, while xianxia or time-travel characters feel more distant. Do you find that the further a character is from reality, the harder it is to play?
Yu Shuxin: Not really. As long as you’ve done your homework, it’s actually fine.

NOW: For example, when you’re playing someone from ancient times, what kind of preparation do you usually do?
Yu Shuxin: The production team will have etiquette coaches teaching things like where to place your hands when you walk or how to pour tea. Lines as well, with attention to the way people in ancient times would speak. Another thing is that people back then tended to keep their heads steadier, without too much movement. I don’t even know why, but as soon as I put on a costume, I just look very much like someone from ancient times.

NOW: So you’re able to get into the feeling quickly.
Yu Shuxin: Yes, because I’ve loved watching period dramas since I was little.

NOW: Would you consider that a kind of talent in acting?
Yu Shuxin: Of course. I work very hard, and I also have just a little bit of talent.

NOW: Let’s talk about another drama set to air this year, Chinese Paladin 6: Pray for the Present (Sword and Fairy 6). The Chinese Paladin franchise is a game IP that audiences are very familiar with, and it has also had memorable adaptations in film and television. Before taking on an adaptation like this, do you usually look into the original game or source material?
Yu Shuxin: I do. I definitely have to look at clips from Chinese Paladin 6 first to get a sense of what the characters are like. The character I play, Yue Qi, is very cute and loves eating egg noodles. From beginning to end, she also goes through emotional changes. Playing a spirit beast is actually quite difficult—their emotions are relatively simple, while human emotions are much more complex.

NOW: With IP adaptations, there are always some “original fans” or audiences who are very attached to the source material. When you take on a role in an adaptation, do you think about that?
Yu Shuxin: So far I haven’t really encountered that situation. The fans have all been very supportive of me playing the role. I also listen to other people’s suggestions to see where I can make the portrayal even more perfect. For example, there’s a scene in the drama where I eat egg noodles—that was directly recreated from the game.

NOW: After finishing these two dramas set to air this year, do you feel you’ve grown compared to before taking on the roles?
Yu Shuxin: After playing Yun Weishan, I do feel that I’ve become more mature.

NOW: So roles also bring some changes to you.
Yu Shuxin: Roles allow me to discover more sides of myself. But if you’re asking about real change, then not so much. No matter what character I play, I can always return to who I am—I won’t let a role take anything away from me.

02
“I want to try playing a glamorous leading heroine.”

NOW: On Weibo, you have a recurring theme called “Fashion from the Stars” (来自星星的穿搭). It’s also a series that gets a lot of interaction. How did you first come up with this idea?
Yu Shuxin: Because I love watching My Love from the Star. About four years ago, my very first outfit post was called “Fashion from the Stars.” I felt that the theme and the name matched my personality quite well.

NOW: A lot of people online praise your sense of style. Where did you develop your fashion knowledge and aesthetic?
Yu Shuxin: I look at all kinds of clothes—on different apps and websites, I’m always browsing.

NOW: Do you have a style you lean toward more, or one you especially like to try?
Yu Shuxin: I’m open to all of them. If the clothes are cute, I’ll wear them. And if I feel like they make me look better, I’ll wear them too.

NOW: The fashion posts you share get a lot of engagement. Do you read the comments?
Yu Shuxin: I do read the top comments. Of course, everyone has different opinions and aesthetics, and I understand that. For example, the flamingo shoes I just posted today—some people said they looked great, others said they didn’t. Naturally, not everyone is going to like the same thing.

NOW: Besides fashion, you also post vlogs, sharing bits of daily life or travel. What are the things you’re most willing to share with everyone?
Yu Shuxin: Fun things that happen in my daily life—I’ll film them, edit them a bit, and post them. I used to edit myself, but now I’m too busy, so I’ll ask the staff to help. For me, my main goal right now is still to focus on my work. Even when I share, it’ll often be behind-the-scenes clips from filming. The staff around me have become very skilled at helping me with that, so I can devote myself more seriously to the content itself.

NOW: Speaking of your work, are there any roles or genres you really want to try right now?
Yu Shuxin: A glamorous leading heroine! A workplace character who works at a fashion company and gradually becomes very powerful—something with the vibe of The Devil Wears Prada.

NOW: Do you long for or feel curious about that kind of life, and hope to portray it in your work?Yu Shuxin: It’s not about longing or curiosity—I just want to express that kind of personality and growth, to turn it into a drama that can encourage girls in the workplace and in life.

NOW: Would you consider acting in workplace dramas? For example, in law or finance?Yu Shuxin: I really like Legally Blonde. The heroine can work in the legal field and still wear the pink she loves. But if there’s a role that isn’t glamorous but is still a great character, I’d definitely play it. It doesn’t have to be about dressing beautifully.

NOW: Have you watched any films or dramas recently?
Yu Shuxin: I used to watch them all the time, but lately it’s mostly just catching movies on the plane.

NOW: Which movie left a deeper impression on you?
Yu Shuxin: Mulan, starring Liu Yifei. In the film, Mulan says that for us Chinese, the virtues of being a child are loyalty, courage, and truth. I found that very moving. The scenes between Mulan and her father also touched me deeply.

NOW: So you’re often moved by themes of family bonds and love for one’s country.
Yu Shuxin: Yes. Friendship moves me too, and even the emotions between humans and animals.

NOW: So you’re someone who’s very emotional, and tends to invest a lot of feeling into literary and artistic works.
Yu Shuxin: Yes. For me, the works I like must feel truly genuine. Because in my mind, I’ll naturally imagine many moments, and connect them with causes and consequences. If a work has elements that feel fake, I can’t really accept it—I feel like it was made that way on purpose. In my own acting too, truth is always the foundation. I try my best to control how real it feels.

NOW: When you say you start to imagine many things, does that mean you tend to get carried away while watching?
Yu Shuxin: Exactly. It’s like I’m doing a true-or-false test in my head, constantly judging whether something feels real or not. If it feels genuine, it moves me. But if I sense it’s been deliberately crafted just to make the audience feel a certain way, then I have a hard time accepting it.

NOW: I understand what you mean by “real.” First, the work or performance itself must be sincere. Second, the content should feel grounded, not detached from reality.
Yu Shuxin: Exactly — it has to be real first. Only then can I immerse myself in the story and build my own emotions from it.

NOW: Besides Mulan, has there been any other recent work that left a deep impression on you?
Yu Shuxin: Michelle Yeoh’s Everything Everywhere All at Once was also amazing. The format of the film was incredible, and I’m always easily moved by stories about family — I ended up crying nonstop on the plane. The costumes in the movie were also brilliant.

NOW: I really liked that scene where they turned into two rocks.
Yu Shuxin: Yes, that part with the rocks was hilarious — really cute. And there was also that chubby young actress; her performance was excellent, with such a strong sense of contrast. I also really liked Legend of the Demon Cat. In fact, I’m very fond of Chinese period films, especially those that explore fate across past and present lives, using poetry to express emotion. I love how Bai Juyi, while recalling The Song of Everlasting Sorrow, conjures up the grandeur of the Tang dynasty. The look in Huang Xuan’s eyes carried so much — it made me feel that he truly adored the splendor of the Tang.

NOW: You’ve been very busy with work lately. If you do have a rare day off, how would you usually spend it?
Yu Shuxin: Mostly eating, posting some photos, sleeping. I’ll also browse online, look at beautiful clothes, and chat with friends

NOW: Do you have any particular hobbies?
Esther Yu: Looking at pretty clothes, buying pretty clothes, taking photos in pretty clothes. Like during fashion magazine shoots, the clothes aren’t chosen by me, but if I come across an outfit I really like, I’ll be so happy.

NOW: So pretty clothes, to you, are…
Esther Yu: A very important thing.

NOW: If there were no restrictions at all and you could make one wish come true, what would it be?
Esther Yu: Then I’d wish for everyone I love to live long lives. Or—should I change my answer? Then I’ll wish for My Journey to You to be a big hit, haha.

CREDITS:

Photography / 邵迪
Artist Coordination / 王大乔
Styling / punkcherry, E Tian
Text Coordination / 陈柏言chicochan
Writer / 傅踢踢
Makeup / 侍慧
Hair / 刘雪孟
Art Direction / 羅凯茜
Production / color yan
Styling Assistants / YITONG, MIO
Art Assistant / JJJJHOW
Production Assistant / 柿子
Digital Supervisor / Fionn
Video Planning / Echo
Director / Editor / Stacybaek
Executive Director / ploy
Producer / 赵章杰
Photography / 王梓安
Lighting /柳阳
Art Direction / UNA
Packaging Design / omni
Assistants / 石宛鑫 冯妃玥

MarieClaireNOW 23-9-19 11:30

Her words are clear and resolute, her tone and gestures ever-shifting. When something strikes her as funny, she laughs freely; when making a wish, she declares it out loud. Sitting right in front of you, she feels just like that quick-witted, straightforward, sincere, and unguarded Yu Shuxin on screen
#YuShuxinMarieClaireNOWAutumnCover #YuShuxinColorGardenEditorial

MarieClaireNOW 23-9-19 11:35

NOW: “So roles can also bring you some changes? ”
Yu Shuxin: “Roles help me discover more sides of myself. As for changes, not really. No matter what character I play, I can always return to who I am. A role won’t take anything away from me.”
#YuShuxinMarieClaireNOWAutumnCover #YuShuxinFreckleLook

MarieClaireNOW 23-9-19 11:40

Some people excel at analyzing the world through reason, while others are better at experiencing it through feeling. Yu Shuxin belongs to the latter. But not everyone of that kind can, like her, lay out those feelings so openly, in such detail, and without evasion. When it comes to the things she loves, Yu Shuxin can repeat them endlessly. That’s true in her life, in the small everyday posts she shares on Weibo, and in the acting projects she looks forward to—it’s always consistent.
#YuShuxinMarieClaireNOWAutumnCover #YuShuxinFreckleLook

1. Yu Shuxin, I can always return to myself: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Kty8oc8dm9d1DCXQZQ1Z3g
2. MarieClaireNOW Weibo: https://weibo.com/u/6567447391
3. MarieClaireNOW 23-9-19 11:30 – https://weibo.com/6567447391/NjZurm5Tu
4. MarieClaireNOW 23-9-19 11:35 – https://weibo.com/6567447391/NjZwtbDjx
5. MarieClaireNOW 23-9-19 11:40 – https://weibo.com/6567447391/NjZyvofgh