Xu Yan

Xu Yu was born in Sichuan Province in 2010. She comes from an artistic family: her maternal grandfather is character actor Lu Qi and her maternal grandmother is actress Tang Ping. Her father Xu Baixiao and her mother Lu Yang are both actors. As a child, her grandmother Tang Ping took her to the Beijing People’s Art Theatre to watch rehearsals, introducing her to the theatrical arts. She appeared as a child actor in two stage plays at the Beijing People’s Art Theatre and developed an interest in acting from an early age.

Her screen career began in 2020 when she appeared in the revolutionary historical drama Crossing the Yalu River (跨过鸭绿江), playing Li Na, Mao Zedong’s daughter. The series was directed by Dong Yachun and featured actors such as Tang Guoqiang, Ding Yongdai, and Sun Weimin; Xu Yu’s performance attracted attention. In December 2020 she continued to portray Li Na on television.

On June 18, 2021, the feature film The Island Keeper (守岛人) was released, in which she played “Xiao Bao,” the daughter of Wang Jicai. The film was directed by Chen Li and starred Liu Ye, Hou Yong, Song Chunli, and Sun Weimin. To better shape her role, Xu Yu overcame many difficulties during filming and demonstrated strong professionalism. Her performance earned praise from director Chen Li and actor Liu Ye and drew professional attention.

Xu Yu is bilingual in her performance style: she speaks standard Mandarin and Sichuan dialect, earning her the nickname “little Sichuan girl.” Her acting is regarded as natural, vivid, and spirited. Her work in Crossing the Yalu River received recognition from audiences and industry professionals, and her delicate characterization in The Island Keeper brought the role to life.

In 2022 she was nominated for the Most Media-Attention New Actress award at the 19th Film Channel Media Honors Night and for the Best Newcomer Award at the 36th Hundred Flowers Awards. Xu Yu has been steadily building a professional reputation in film and television, and her future development is being watched.

To date, she continues to work on improving her acting skills and to expand the range of roles and performances in her screen work.