Five children of celebrities in China, from Guan Xiaotong to Ouyang Nana to Chen Feiyu, who escaped their famous parents’ shadow to forge entertainment careers
- Ouyang Nana, daughter of Taiwanese actor Ouyang Long, was a cello prodigy before moving into acting and singing; Ang Lee’s son Mason forged his path as an actor
- Faye Wong’s daughter Leah Dou is a singer-songwriter who has also appeared in movies; Chen Kaige’s son Arthur Chen Feiyu is an award-winning movie actor at 21
The children of celebrities enjoy a silver-spoon upbringing, yet endure incessant media attention from the moment they are born – and the constant risk of living in their famous parents’ shadows.
They have to work extra hard to make people recognise them for who they are rather than who their parents are.
Yet these Chinese stars have overcome the pitfalls of a celebrity childhood to carve out successful show business careers and even outshine their star parents.
Arthur Chen Feiyu
The son of film director Chen Kaige and actress Chen Hong, Feiyu was born in the United States.
Currently studying at the Beijing Film Academy, the 21-year-old cut his teeth in show business when he starred in the campus movie Secret Fruit (2017) opposite Ouyang Nana.
He played the male lead again in the 2018 period drama series Ever Night. Feiyu has also appeared in movies directed by his father, including My People, My Country (2019). His performance in the 2019 romantic comedy My Best Summer was widely praised and won him several best newcomer awards in film festivals.
Mason Lee
The son of Academy Award-winning Taiwanese film director Ang Lee, the 30-year-old made his movie debut as a baby in The Wedding Banquet, the 1993 film which catapulted the elder Lee onto the international stage.