45-year-old mainland Chinese actress Gao Yuanyuan recently made an appearance at the 78th Cannes Film Festival with the Hong Kong crime drama film “Storm Clouds over the Wind and Fire.” In a recently leaked interview video, Gao Yuanyuan confessed to having “almost no” social life, sparking discussion among netizens.
A video released by the Chinese media “Southern People Weekly” on May 25 showed Gao Yuanyuan stating, “I am someone who barely has any social interactions in my daily life, and I do not need it. Over 90% of social interactions for me are draining. Just by going home and avoiding socializing, I can relax.”
When asked about how this affects her connections and social circle, Gao Yuanyuan explained, “For example, besides socializing for work purposes like filming, I almost have none. It’s not that I don’t have friends, but our interactions are mostly online, and we don’t need offline socializing. Your energy is limited, and you cannot allocate it to so many people, at least for me.”
Some netizens expressed surprise and agreement with Gao Yuanyuan’s perspective on social interactions being tiresome and sometimes meaningless. Others pointed out that introverted and extroverted individuals have different preferences when it comes to socializing.
Gao Yuanyuan, known as the “Goddess,” first appeared at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005 with the film “The Red Awn,” directed by Wang Xiaoshuai. Now, twenty years later, she returned to Cannes with the Hong Kong director Alan Mak’s film “Storm Clouds over the Wind and Fire.” Dressed in an elegant floor-length gown that sparkled like stars, she exuded grace on the red carpet. The fabric of her dress, reminiscent of twinkling stars, instantly captivated onlookers, with Tony Leung by her side occasionally bending down to adjust her train, becoming the focal point of the red carpet.
On social media, Gao Yuanyuan’s studio shared highlights of her Cannes moments, with netizens praising her beautiful and elegant appearance.
Gao Yuanyuan, once voted as the “Most Beautiful Actress” in the Chinese entertainment industry, met Taiwanese actor Mark Chao during the filming of the movie “Caught in the Web” in 2011. After getting married in 2014, she dedicated more time to her family. At the age of 39, she gave birth to her daughter Rhea, and the family of three is filled with happiness. Mark Chao, in a previous interview on a Chinese talk show, openly expressed that he was amazed by Gao Yuanyuan at first sight and was most impressed by her kindness, filial piety, and authenticity, praising her for being consistent on and off screen.
The elegant Gao Yuanyuan, down-to-earth in personality, is always hands-on with her daughter’s care and companionship. Sometimes, she doesn’t mind taking her daughter to the park three times a day. She is often captured by netizens riding a bicycle to school with her daughter, displaying simplicity and naturalness.
Despite Gao Yuanyuan stating in her recent interview, “At that moment, I felt like I wanted to stop (the interview), go home, and see my daughter every day,” she also mentioned that if she hears viewers saying “You should act more” or sees fans commenting “Looking forward to your new roles,” she would still be moved and find a new balance in her career.