Li Xian (actor)
Chinese actor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Li Xian (Chinese: 李现; born 19 October 1991)[2] is a Chinese actor, known for his roles in the films Feng Shui (2012) and Who Sleeps My Bro (2016), as well as the TV dramas Tientsin Mystic (2017), Go Go Squid! (2019), Flourished Peony (2025) and In the Name of Blossom (2025).[3] He ranked 19th on the 2020 Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.[4]
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19 October 1991
Li Xian | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
李现 | |||||||
Li at the Dragon TV 2020 New Year Countdown | |||||||
| Pronunciation | Lǐ Xiàn | ||||||
| Born | Li Xian 李晛 19 October 1991 Xianning, Hubei, China | ||||||
| Education | Beijing Film Academy Performance Department | ||||||
| Occupation | Actor | ||||||
| Years active | 2011–present | ||||||
| Agent | Easy Entertainment (2016–present) | ||||||
| Notable work | Go Go Squid! Flourished Peony | ||||||
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||||||
| Awards | Full list | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 李现 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 李現 | ||||||
| |||||||
Early life
Li was born on 19 October 1991, in Xianning and grew up in Jingzhou, Hubei.[5] 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.[6] For the convenience of entry, he changed his given name from "晛" to "现", which means "present".[2]
Career
Li began his acting career with a minor role in Wong Jing's film Feng Shui (2012).[7][8] He followed with a role in romantic teen film Singing When We're Young (2012).[9][10] He made his small-screen debut in web series City of Fantasy (2014).[11] He garnered attention for his role in the coming-of-age web series, Who Sleeps My Bro (2016),[12][13] which he reprised in the eponymous feature film adapted from the web series.[14] 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 (2016) and web series Medical Examiner Dr. Qin.[15][16] 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 (2017).[17]
Li's breakthrough role came in the esports romantic comedy television series, Go Go Squid! (2019), based on the web novel Stewed Squid with Honey.[18][19] The series was the most-streamed series in 2019.[20] Li earned his first nomination for the Huading Award for Best New Actor in 2019 for the role.[21]
Li then starred in the costume drama Sword Dynasty (2019).[22] In 2020, Li participated in the CCTV New Year's Gala,[23] where he performed "Hello 2020".[24] In the same year, he had three films out: The Enigma of Arrival, Love Song 1980 and Soul Snatcher.[25] He also made a cameo in Leap, the Chinese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.[26][27] 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.[28]
Personal life
Li has listed Ha Jung-woo, Oguri Shun, and Ryan Gosling as his favorite actors.[29]
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."[30] 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."[30]
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.[31][32] 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.[33]
Filmography
Film
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Feng Shui | 万箭穿心 | Ma Xiaobao | |
| 2013 | Singing When We're Young | 初恋未满 | Da Wei | |
| 2016 | Who Sleeps My Bro | 睡在我上铺的兄弟 | Xie Xun | |
| Love 020 | 微微一笑很倾城 | Yu Banshan | ||
| 2017 | Deadly Love | 玩命试爱 | Fang Zhibin | |
| The Founding of an Army | 建军大业 | Luo Ronghuan | ||
| 2018 | Nuts | 奇葩朵朵 | Xu Zicong | |
| 2019 | The Captain | 中国机长 | Luo Xiaolin | Cameo |
| 2020 | The Enigma of Arrival | 抵达之谜 | Xiao Long | |
| Leap | 夺冠 | Cameo | ||
| Love Song 1980 | 恋曲1980 | Liang Zhengwen | ||
| Soul Snatcher | 赤狐书生 | Bai Shisan | ||
| 2021 | Schemes in Antiques | 古董局中局 | Yao Buran | [34] |
| 2023 | I Believe | 靠近我一点 | Yu Kefeg | |
| 2024 | She's Got No Name | 酱园弄 | Zhang Baofu |
Television series
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | City of Fantasy | 奇妙世纪 | A Liang | |
| 2016 | Four Ladies | 翩翩冷少俏佳人 | Ding Zihui | |
| Who Sleeps My Bro | 睡在我上铺的兄弟 | Xie Xun | ||
| Medical Examiner Dr. Qin | 法医秦明 | Lin Tao | ||
| 2017 | Rush to the Dead Summer | 夏至未至 | Qing Yun | Cameo |
| Tientsin Mystic | 河神 | Guo Deyou | ||
| 2018 | Only Side By Side with You | 南方有乔木 | Chang Jianxiong | |
| Women In Shanghai | 上海女子图鉴 | Chen Xiaowei | ||
| 2019 | Go Go Squid! | 亲爱的，热爱的 | Han Shangyan | [35] |
| 2019` | Sword Dynasty | 剑王朝 | Ding Ning | |
| 2021 | Go Go Squid 2: Dt. Appledog's Time | 我的时代，你的时代 | Han Shangyan | |
| A Love Never Lost | 人生若如初见 | Liang Xiang | ||
| 2023 | Meet Yourself | 去有风的地方 | Xie Zhiyao | [36] |
| 2024 | Shooting Stars | 群星闪耀时 | Xiang Yuan Sheg/Hua Zhen | |
| Will Love in Spring | 春色寄情人 | Chen Maidong | [37] | |
| 2025 | Flourished Peony | 国色芳华 | Jiang Changyang | [38] |
| A Love Never Lost | 人生若如初见 | Liang Xiang / Yu Bu Gu | [39] |
Discography
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Album | Notes/Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | "Give to the Future" | 给未来 | Go Go Squid! OST | [45] |
| "A Glorious Future" | 前程似锦 | Red Fox Scholar OST | with Chen Linong[46] | |
| 2020 | "Hello 2020" | 你好2020 | 2020 CCTV Spring Festival | with Zhu Yilong, Zhou Dongyu, Sandra Ma, Li Yi[47] |
| 2020 | "Wuhan, How Are You" | 武汉，你好吗 | with Chang Shilei, Doudou, Zhu Yilong[48] | |
| 2021 | "Running Youth" | 奔跑的青春 | 2021 CCTV Spring Festival | with Dilireba, Chen Linong, Liu Haochun, THE9, TNT[49] |
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[50] and a popularity award from Netease Awards[51] In 2019, his role as Han Shangyan on Go Go Squid! earned him a nomination for Best Newcomer at the Huading Awards,[52] and a nomination at for Best Actor (Emerald Category) at The Actors of China Awards.[53] He won Quality Actor of the Year at the Tencent Video All Star Awards[54] and popularity awards from Weibo[55] Weibo TV Awards,[56] and iQIYI All-Star Carnival.[57] He has also been recognized by GQ's Men of the Year,[58][59] Esquire's Man at His Best Awards,[60] and the Film and TV Role Model Annual Ranking.[61] He won Best Choice of Multi-Screen Communication for an Influential Actor.[62] The Beijing News selected him as an Entertainment Person of the Year,[63] and he earned a spot in Forbes China's 30 Under 30 list.[64][65] He ranked 19th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.[4]
