Xin Zhilei, born in 1986, is a familiar face to Asian audiences. She rose to prominence with her role as Consort Jia in the hit palace drama Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace (2018). She later built a solid career with notable projects such as Blossoms Shanghai, The Unseen Sister, and Joy of Life.
In 2025, Xin Zhilei made headlines across Chinese entertainment by achieving a major milestone at the Venice Film Festival, where she won Best Actress for her performance in The Sun Rises on Us All. She has also been dubbed the “Chinese version of Song Hye Kyo” thanks to her elegant visuals, signature pouty lips, and sophisticated aura.
However, shortly after gaining fame from Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace, Xin Zhilei became embroiled in a controversy over her attitude toward staff, which significantly affected her public image at the time.
Back in 2019, while filming the project Yes, I Do! alongside Bao Beier, Xin Zhilei was required to eat stinky tofu during a street scene. What might have been an ordinary filming moment turned controversial when bystanders captured what happened immediately after the scene ended.
Unable to tolerate the strong smell, the actress was seen casually spitting the food she had been chewing directly into her assistant’s hand.
The act shocked many viewers when the clip circulated online. Netizens criticized her for being rude, disrespectful, and lacking basic manners. Many accused her of having a “celebrity attitude,” questioning why she did not wait for a bag, cup, or tissue before discarding the food, and called on her to apologize to the staff involved. The incident dealt a serious blow to her previously polished and elegant image.
Facing a wave of backlash, Xin Zhilei issued a public apology and promised to reflect on her behavior. True to her word, she has not been involved in any similar controversies regarding her treatment of staff over the past seven years.
Currently, Xin Zhilei is known as one of the more generous employers in the Chinese entertainment industry. According to Sohu, staff working under the award-winning actress reportedly earn a minimum salary of 30,000 yuan, excluding holiday bonuses. This is significantly higher than the industry average, where celebrity staff salaries typically range between 4,000 and 10,000 yuan.
Sources: K14