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Alice Yan

Famous Chinese actress and director Jia Ling has admitted that she has lost some fans due to her drastic physical transformation, saying that audiences need time to accept her slimmer appearance.
Jia, 42, attracted national attention at the beginning of this year by releasing the film You Only Live Once, (YOLO), or Re La Gun Tang in Chinese, which took in 3.4 billion yuan (US$465 million) at the box office.
This made it the highest-earning movie in China of 2024.
Having been popular with domestic audiences as a plump and upbeat individual for many years, Jia lost about 50kg of weight to make YOLO.
She was 58kg when the film was released, remarkably lower than her previous weight of 110kg, Jia said in an interview with Xinhua news agency earlier this month.

Many people said the thinner Jia was not as adorable and easy-going as before, some felt she now looked strange, while others said they now have “a half Jia Ling”.
“It is obvious to me that some audiences do not like me as they did before. This is fine and I can win back their love gradually,” Jia was quoted as saying.
“Although I’ve lost a lot of weight, my soul has not changed. Give audiences some time and give myself some time to accept this new reality,” she said.
She said reducing weight was designed to serve her character in the film YOLO, which tells a story of a woman who leaves her comfort zone to become a boxer.
“When I was making this film, my body fat percentage was too low. It means this status could not be sustained,” Jia said, revealing that she gained some weight in recent months.
She said after finishing this film, she continues to workout: “If my film could not change myself, would it be regarded as a failure?” said Jia.

Jia, who started her career as a humble crosstalk performer and comic actress, is now the world’s highest-grossing woman movie director.
Her first movie, Hi, Mom, took in five billion yuan (US$685 million) at the box office.
Jia is now working on a film themed on pyramid selling which is scheduled for release in the first half of 2025.
The internet in China is abuzz with the latest news on Jia, which has been viewed 140 million times on a prominent social media platform.
“Just be yourself. We still love you Sister,” said one netizen.
However, another person said: “Somehow, I felt she is not as relaxed and humorous as before.”


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China Personalities

Many feel the thinner actress is less adorable and easy-going, with some saying she resembles ‘a half Jia Ling’


Many feel the thinner actress is less adorable and easy-going, with some saying she resembles ‘a half Jia Ling’.


Asian cinema: Chinese films