On June 12, Chinese actress Zhao Liying took to Weibo to share her character look from the movie “The Alleyway – The Case” part 1, in which she plays the role of “Miss Xilin,” captioning it with “Hello, Miss Xilin.” This post caught the attention of fellow actress Zhang Ziyi, who praised Zhao Liying’s short hair and cool style, causing the topic to trend on Weibo.
Previously reported, the Republican-era suspense film “The Alleyway – The Case” starring Zhang Ziyi and Zhao Liying is set to premiere on June 21. Zhang Ziyi portrays Zhan Zhoushi while Zhao Liying takes on the role of the Republican-era female writer “Xilin.”
“The Alleyway” is adapted from a highly publicized real-life case of spousal murder during the Republican era. The film brings together veteran actors from different generations, alongside popular stars such as Zhang Ziyi, Fan Wei, Lei Jiayin, Da Peng, Wang Chuanjun, Zhou Yemang, Mei Ting, Zhang Yu, Dylan Wang, Zhao Liying, Yang Mi, Li Xian, and many others familiar to audiences.
Zhao Liying’s portrayal of writer Xilin showcases an exquisite style. With her handsome short hair, rimless glasses, sophisticated makeup, and holding a highball glass in her left hand, she has gained admiration from Zhang Ziyi who commented, “Short hair, stylish Xilin,” drawing likes and comments from hundreds of thousands of netizens.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ziyi’s appearance in the film is a complete departure from her previous roles, presenting a refreshing new look. According to official behind-the-scenes footage, in order to better interpret the character Zhan Zhoushi, Zhang Ziyi completely shed her idol image and appeared with freckles and faint eyebrows.
Reports mentioned that in order to soften the harshness of Zhan Zhoushi’s character and create a more delicate and lifeless image, Zhang Ziyi volunteered to lighten her eyebrows’ color. Additionally, to better match Zhan Zhoushi’s facial shape, she chose to wear dentures to alter her face shape, rather than relying solely on makeup for modification.
Zhang Ziyi’s series of transformations and acts of uglification even shocked her co-star and old classmate Mei Ting, who exclaimed, “When I see her, she is Zhan Zhoushi.”