“I want to show everyone my true self, so I didn’t consider changing my account. These are my experiences and memories, and they are the witnesses that have accompanied me as I matured.”
— Xiao Zhan
At the beginning of every introduction—whether it’s for an
interview
or an award acceptance speech—you may hear Xiao Zhan utter the word “actor” with pride and sincerity. A method actor, Xiao Zhan approaches character building with the same attention and respect, and it shows in his
works
. He is meticulous in his attention to detail, attuned to his character’s environment, mindful of their history, and sensitive to their emotions. His dedication to the art of acting has been recognized by the industry, earning him numerous
awards
over the years, as well as recognition from prominent directors and producers who express interest in working with him.
Since 2019, Xiao Zhan has collaborated with many acclaimed directors, including Wong Kar-Wai, Zheng XiaoLong, Kong Sheng, and Tsui Hark. To hear testimonials from colleagues and directors who have worked with him, visit
Testimonials
.
Although acting is currently his bread and butter, Xiao Zhan is equally accomplished as a
singer
. He entered the entertainment industry as a contestant on an
idol survival show
before debuting in
X-Nine
, a boy band active from 2016 to 2018. His
solo single “Made To Love ”
《光点》
holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest-selling digital release within 24 hours and reached number 7 on the IFPI Global Digital Single Chart in 2020. Two years later, in 2022, “
Made To Love
” was finally released on iTunes, reaching #1 in 16 countries on its first day and climbing to #2 on the Worldwide iTunes Chart on the second day.
To explore more of Xiao Zhan’s music and listen to his first solo album, be sure to visit the
Discography
.
“Going to university is actually very important. You should do your best to get into a good one. It’s not just about the degree on paper—I believe that experiencing university life is something everyone should go through. Reading more books is always a good thing.”
— Xiao Zhan
Xiao Zhan entered Chongqing Technology and Business University (CTBU) in September 2010 as part of the Modern International Art Design Academy. He was a student in Class 5 of the Advertising program. During his four years at university, fully immersed in campus life, Xiao Zhan continuously worked to improve himself and enriched his practical experiences, laying a solid foundation for his strong moral values. He consistently maintained a balance between seriously studying and acquiring professional knowledge in visual design and participating in extracurricular activities through student performing arts associations.
Xiao Zhan was a dedicated and curious student who took the initiative to explore every avenue that interested him. He wore many hats during his university years. To give a brief summary: he was a member of the class literary committee, the director of the vocal department of the student arts association, the director of the male vocal department, and an actor in CTBU’s language arts group.
When he entered university, Xiao Zhan joined the chorus of the university’s art troupe. He was very active and dedicated. In the second semester of his freshman year, Xiao Zhan traveled to Beijing with his language arts group to perform
“I Have a Dream”
and received excellent reviews.
During his sophomore year, Xiao Zhan competed in CTBU’s “Top 10 Singers on Campus” competition and won the honorary title of “Top Singer on Campus.” He then represented CTBU in the Chongqing municipal “Top 10 Singers on Campus” competition. It was a tough competition, but Xiao Zhan earned second place.
During his junior year, Xiao Zhan frequently participated in various school performances and competitions, further establishing his name around campus. In June 2012, for the CTBU 60th Anniversary Gala, Xiao Zhan performed the opening solo song,
“Flowers in May”
《五月的鲜花》.
Over the course of his university years, Xiao Zhan was awarded several honorary titles, including “Advanced Individual in Literature and Art,” “Outstanding Art Troupe Cadre,” and “Outstanding League Member.” He also won first place in his university’s charity poster design competition and received the “Best Popularity” award.
In October 2012, Xiao Zhan, along with his friends, founded Reminiscence Visual Media Photography Studio and NED Design Studio.
On February 7, 2013, Xiao Zhan appeared in a newspaper. Described by the newspaper as an entrepreneurial college student, the article is as follows:
In early 2013, Xiao Zhan, a student at Chongqing Technology and Business University, started a business with his friends and founded Reminiscence Visual Media Photography Studio. He had a “movie dream” in his heart. Although the studio had just been established and there was still a lot of professional work to be done, he created a “movie plan” for himself.
“Just watching movies.” These included
“Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons,”
directed by Stephen Chow and starring Wen Zhang and Shu Qi;
“101 Marriage Proposals,”
starring Huang Bo and Lin Chi-ling; the already-released
“Life of Pi,”
and
“1942,”
filmed in Chongqing, among others. Xiao Zhan used these films both for relaxation and to learn photography and visual techniques.
The reporter learned that in recent years, the box office for movies during the Spring Festival holiday in the city has been quite strong, and watching movies has become a popular way for citizens to celebrate the New Year.
The search began in April 2015 and was divided into several regions—Xiao Zhan was part of the southwest region. The search methods mainly fell into two categories: either by recommendation or through university searches.
Recommendations could be self-recommendations or referrals by others. For self-recommendations, candidates had to provide an introduction and performance video, which would be reviewed by the director in charge of selecting candidates. Those who were recommended by others were typically nominated by industry professionals. As far as we know, Yan XuJia and Guo Zifan, both with experience as child stars, were recommended by the industry.
As for the university search, the program team employed 40 full-time editors and directors, along with several part-time editors, who traveled to universities across the country for three months. “The members of the online team targeted forum websites like Tianya, Maopu, Weibo, and Renren.com, using more than a dozen keywords such as ‘school grass’ and ‘campus singers’ to search repeatedly,” said Zhao Hui. “The program team also collaborated with foreign Chinese TV and radio stations, including BBS, where some international students gathered, and even searched Facebook and Twitter to find people.”
The university search was how they found Xiao Zhan and Gu JiaCheng. On May 5, 2015,
X-Fire
began its search in major colleges and universities in the southwest region. In June, Chongqing Technology and Business University was searched. Thanks to a teacher remembering Xiao Zhan’s phone number, the teacher provided his contact information to the casting director.
There is also an interesting story about the process of selecting Xiao Zhan. Because Xiao Zhan resembled a staff member, the director team thought it would be amusing for Xiao Zhan and the staff member to stand together, looking like twins. It was also a pleasant surprise that Xiao Zhan’s overall character was excellent and that he was very polite to everyone.
In the end, the
X-Fire
program team collected more than 10,000 short videos.
After the search concluded, each region conducted several rounds of preliminary interviews and selected the top 120 candidates. On July 2, 2015, the 120 competitors gathered in Changsha for the final trainee selection, which consisted of two rounds: 120 entered, 50 selected; 50 entered, 26 selected. On July 5, 2015, the final selection results were announced, and 26 candidates were chosen.
On July 18, 2015, he, along with the other 26 candidates, flew to Beijing and entered the IDG training camp.
There were three teams training the boys: dance teacher Kenn’s training school, the program director group, and teachers from SM Entertainment in Korea. The boys worked in the training camp for more than 10 hours a day, analyzing each individual, writing reports, holding meetings, making training plans based on each boy’s progress and characteristics, and discovering the unique charm of each person. During this period, many test sessions were also set up: three days for a small test and five days for a big test, with further training adjustments made according to the test results. “80% of them failed in three days. Except for a few boys who could dance, none of them had the habit of exercising or working out, which shocked me. It turns out that the 90s generation doesn’t weight train or exercise!” Kenn concluded. “So, three days before the training started, the boys collapsed: muscle strain, knee effusion, muscle soreness, not adapting to the weather in Beijing, headaches, and fevers, etc.”
During this time, Xiao Zhan’s work ethic and warm character really left a deep impression on many of the teachers. Kenn, his former dance teacher, shared this about Xiao Zhan:
“His biggest impression on me was his hard work. In dance class, he was extremely serious, especially his persistence in fitness. Because he had no dance foundation, on the second day after the physical fitness class finished, his knees swelled up. On day 5, he wore a knee brace and continued. He doesn’t act like a spoiled child and never says, ‘Teacher, I can’t do it.’ Not until a staff member noticed his face had turned pale and asked him what was wrong did he admit that his feet hurt. Then we took him to see a doctor. His character is warm, but his willpower and fighting spirit are very strong.”
— Kenn
During the three months of secret training in the camp, more people were eliminated. Some of them failed the selection and were transferred to other departments of the company (mostly the film and television departments). Xiao Zhan signed a trainee contract. At the end of September 2015, the final assessment was conducted.
