Bai Baihe Does Not Regret Getting Married at Twenty-Two

Some viewers may have heard of Bai Baihe (白百何) before last year. She was a classmate of Wen Zhang (文章) and Tiffany Tang (唐嫣) at the Central Academy of Drama, appeared in a handful of dramas after graduating, and starred in the 2011 romantic comedy, Love is Not Blind <失戀33天>. But in 2013, the 29-year-old actress soared to the top of the box office charts with three successful feature films, including one directed by Feng Xiaogang (馮小剛). Despite her status as a young mother, Bai Baihe has risen to new heights in the entertainment industry and is poised to continue her success in the upcoming year.

Early Marriage and Motherhood

Before 2006, the name “Bai Baihe” did not even exist. Baihe was originally called Bai Xue (白雪), which happened to be the name of a popular singer. A television editor suggested that she fashion a new name in order to differentiate herself, so a friend came up with two names: Bai He (百何) and Bai Jia (白佳). She ended up combining the two names to create Bai Baihe.

With her new name and a brief spurt in popularity due to her appearance in the 2006 television drama Bloom of Youth <與青春有關的日子>, many of Baihe’s classmates expected her to go on to film movies. The last thing they imagined was that, at 22 years old, she would get married to singer/actor Chen Yufan (陳羽凡), whom she had met on the set of Bloom of Youth. In 2008, just two years later, Baihe gave birth to her son, Chen Shengtong (陳盛桐).

“My mother was very surprised when I got married,” Baihe shared. “She thought it was a little too early.”

However, Baihe does not regret getting married so early in her career, even though the trend for actresses is to tie the knot as late as possible. “Sometimes I regret a little that we can’t go out together anymore, just the two of us,” she admitted. “But I don’t regret getting married.”

Thoughts on Being an Actress

In a recent interview, Baihe shared that her son is not aware his mother is a movie star, though he knows his father is a big celebrity. She added that she would not want Shengtong to enter the entertainment industry: “It is a very exhausting affair, and the media is very clever right now. It’s quite scary. I know what the situation is like, and of course I don’t wish my child to endure this.”

Baihe revealed that in order to promote her latest film, Feng Xiaogang’s Personal Tailor <私人訂製>, she did not sleep until after 1 a.m. every day, and she often had to rise early to catch a plane or attend a media interview. “Acting is an occupation that looks bright and beautiful on the outside,” she remarked, “but it is very bitter on the inside.”

However, Baihe possesses a unique quality as a performer, which Feng pinpointed as the reason for casting her in Personal Tailor.

“When it comes to acting shy or charming, or acting sexy and alluring, there are a few good actresses of that sort in China,” shared Feng in an interview. “But when you’re looking for someone to play an unorthodox role, there really aren’t that many, so they are very valuable. Baihe just happens to have this.”

Despite his praise, Baihe is adamant about not being pigeonholed into a certain type of character. While she does not mind being compared to other actresses, she dislikes attempts to define her acting style. “I’ve filmed very few projects, and only a few movies, so I don’t know how to sum up what I’m good at right now,” she explained. “Afterwards, I may make everyone laugh or make everyone cry. So I don’t think there’s a need to define myself as a comedic actress or a certain type of actress.”

Looking to the Future

In the future, Baihe wants the opportunity to portray a single mother, since she watched a few news reports about single mothers before she became a mother herself. She also hopes to appear in more television dramas rather than movies, explaining, “My grandmothers are all rather elderly now. It’s very easy to fall asleep in a movie theater, and they wish to see me on television. Television is actually a more intimate mode of transmission, since you can watch at home.”

Whatever projects she takes on in the coming year, Baihe is certain that she will continue to be successful, thanks to her diligence. “Many people might think I came out of nowhere and landed in this situation,” she said, “but… every time I film something, I work hard to finish my work. My achievements might have become directly proportional to my efforts and will continue to do so.”

Source: QQ.com

This article is written by Joanna for JayneStars.com.