By: Julie Li
A highly well- known Chinese actress went on hiatus for 16 months. She later announced on August 16th, 2026 her debut as a producer with her portfolio of nine projects. This September Youku announced that Zhou Lusi would be producing and acting as the main lead in her upcoming drama Farewell Letter.
Zhou Lusi was born on November 9th, 1998 and made her first appearance as a co-host of the variety program Huo Xing Qing Bao Ju. Since 2018, her career has taken off. She has starred in many popular dramas like The Romance of Tiger and Rose (2020), Dating in the Kitchen (2020), The Long Ballad (2021), Who Rules the World (2022), Love Like the Galaxy (2022), Hidden Love (2023), The Story of Pearl Girl (2024), and Love’s Ambition (2025). Over the years, she has collected a total of 10 awards and 11 nominations. She is also ranked No. 1 among Chinese actresses, according to the MyDramaList. Then, in December 2024, Zhou Lusi suddenly announced a hiatus. She didn’t make an appearance until January 25, 2025, at a charity event. Due to her appearance, some people online commented on changes in her appearance and speculated that she had undergone plastic surgery. Zhou Lusi later announced she had been battling depression since 2019 and suspended activity due to health issues. Many clips online surfaced showing her struggles. These clips showed her high levels of stress, major weight loss weighing only 38kg (about 84lbs), wheelchair assistance, and more. Her friends alleged she had experienced workplace abuse at her management agency. It is said that Zhou Lusi was being locked up in a hotel room to perform an exorcism. On August 4, 2025, she went public with her contractual dispute with her agency, alleging unauthorized withdrawals from her personal studio’s account. By October 2025, she signed under Alibaba’s entertainment division, Hujin DME, which secured new drama roles and helped resolve her agency dispute — marking her return to Chinese entertainment.
Zhou Lusi shook the internet with her announcement that she will be a producer in nine dramas with different genres. She later revealed that she had been quietly collecting projects and later said, “I don’t want to passively wait for good scripts. (based on translations)” Instead, she said she would rather create opportunities for herself. Zhou Lusi is making a big step in the entertainment industry by becoming the first actress to direct and star in a drama.
I’m not just an NPC will be Zhou Lusi’s first drama released with her as a producer. The cast consists of her actress friends from the same agency and her father as an actor. Online Chinese netizens joked that the good looks were just genes in her family. Many of her projects have also sparked viral and controversial discussions.
Overall, Zhou Lusi, only 27 years old, has shown great resilience and courage, inspiring others to find and build their own resilience.