Chinese actress Zhao Wei has said she would support her 16-year-old daughter, Huang Xin, if she wanted to enter show business, but joked that her shyness could make a career in the industry difficult.
Zhao, 50, made the remarks in a rare interview with local media during an event hosted by celebrity hairstylist Kim Robinson in Singapore.
Best known for playing Xiao Yanzi in the hit Chinese television drama My Fair Princess, Zhao has largely stayed out of the public eye since 2021.
Speaking about her daughter, nicknamed Little April, Zhao said she felt more worried than relieved as the teenager grew up, as she would have to face life's challenges on her own.
Zhao said she had learned to let go and allow her daughter to find her own path.
She jokingly described their relationship as one in which her daughter was the “boss” and she was the “employee”, adding that she respected her daughter's choices as long as she did nothing wrong.
“I am not someone who likes everyone to do what I say,” she said.
Zhao said she would support her daughter entering the entertainment industry, but noted that the teenager was very shy around strangers.
“She is going through a very shy stage of adolescence,” Zhao said, adding that her daughter envied classmates who were confident enough to sing and dance in public.
Zhao said she hoped her daughter would grow up to be kind and open-minded.
Reflecting on her outlook on life, Zhao said she was learning to appreciate the little things and accept uncertainty rather than worry about the future.
“I used to think some things were not big or important enough to celebrate. Now, I feel that the little things are the essence of life,” she said.
Zhao said she wanted to focus on living well, reading and travelling while pursuing creative projects behind the scenes. She also revealed plans to explore AI-driven film and television production with Singaporean actor Jonathan Lee Nam-heng.
