LayarHijau – Xue Ye, the 19-year-old actress who stars in Kung Fu Soccer (《功夫女足》), has won the “Iron Man” Most Promising Action Film Person award at the 7th Jackie Chan International Action Film Week on August 12, 2026.
The award recognizes Xue Ye for her performance in Kung Fu Soccer, directed by Stephen Chow (周星驰). The honor marks a major milestone for the young actress, whose journey to the film began with an unexpected encounter while she was visiting Hong Kong with her parents.
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During her acceptance speech, Xue Ye specifically thanked Stephen Chow for giving her the opportunity to appear in the movie.
“Thank you, Director Stephen Chow, for giving me this opportunity to make a film. I love movies even more now,” Xue Ye said.
Her path to Kung Fu Soccer was anything but conventional. She was discovered by a talent scout from Stephen Chow’s team while having a meal with her parents in Hong Kong. She then went through a selection process involving more than 20,000 applicants before ultimately being chosen by Chow to play the character Xue Ye in the film.
Discovered While on Vacation in Hong Kong
Xue Ye did not initially enter the casting process through a conventional application. While she was eating with her parents during a trip to Hong Kong, someone from Stephen Chow’s talent-scouting team approached her and asked for her contact information.
Her parents first checked the company’s credentials before allowing her to pursue the opportunity.
Her father was also a major reason she decided to give it a try. He was a longtime fan of Stephen Chow and was especially enthusiastic about the possibility.
“My dad really, really, really loves him,” Xue Ye said when recalling her father’s admiration for the filmmaker.
In June 2023, Stephen Chow launched a global casting call for Kung Fu Soccer. More than 20,000 people reportedly signed up, while Chow spent more than a year going through candidates before ultimately selecting Xue Ye.
Her Awkward Latin Dance Audition Won Stephen Chow Over
Xue Ye’s first audition was anything but a polished performance.
She was initially asked to run for a short distance while being recorded. The casting team then asked whether she could dance.
Xue Ye admitted that she had never learned how to dance. Stephen Chow, however, encouraged her to give it a try.
“It’s okay. Just dance for a bit,” Chow told her.
Xue Ye then improvised a Latin dance routine. The problem was that she could barely keep up with the rhythm, leaving people at the audition struggling to hold back their laughter.
Yet that awkward moment may have been exactly what caught Chow’s attention.
Rather than looking for someone with flawless dance skills, Chow reportedly saw something more natural in Xue Ye: an unpolished, relaxed quality and the ability to laugh off an embarrassing moment instead of becoming self-conscious.
Chow eventually decided that she was the right person for the role. He also named the character Xue Ye, using the same name as the young actress.
More Than 100 NGs During Intense Action Training
Landing the role was only the beginning. Xue Ye underwent extensive physical and martial arts training ahead of filming.
She also performed her own action sequences, taking on physically demanding scenes that included rolling through the desert and playing soccer in muddy conditions.
One of her biggest challenges came while filming the “Tianwai Feixian” signature move. Xue Ye reportedly had to repeat the scene more than 100 times before finally getting it right.
At one point, the assistant director even joked that she was “about to break the record” because of the number of takes.
Despite the demanding shoot, Xue Ye also remembers Stephen Chow for the warmth he showed her on set.
During filming on a beach, Xue Ye was accidentally injured. Feeling guilty about what had happened, she became hesitant to approach the set.
Chow noticed her and tried to ease the tension with a joke.
“Hey, weren’t you not there at the time? I didn’t even notice,” Chow told her.
The remark touched Xue Ye so deeply that she said she almost cried.
Xue Ye Wants to Keep Pursuing Action Roles
Winning the award at the Jackie Chan International Action Film Week marks an important early achievement for Xue Ye, who is only 19.
After experiencing the demanding production of Kung Fu Soccer, she says the opportunity has made her love filmmaking even more.
Now, she hopes to take on a wider range of action roles and continue developing herself in the genre.
“I hope I’ll have the opportunity to do more action work in the future,” Xue Ye said.
For an actress who was discovered by chance during a trip to Hong Kong, went up against more than 20,000 aspiring candidates and eventually earned Stephen Chow’s vote of confidence, the award could be the beginning of a promising career in action cinema.
