LayarHijau – Lu Yuxiao has opened up about her regrets over her performance in the Chinese drama Romance in the Alley (小巷人家). In a recent interview, the actress admitted that her limited life experience at the time of filming made her feel that she had not fully delivered the performance she had hoped for.
The actress made the comments while discussing her habit of reflecting on her acting. She said she still reviews her performances, but now she tends to do so after filming has wrapped.
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“I’m better now. I used to be accustomed to reflecting on my performance, but I realized that constantly watching myself from outside the character could easily take me out of the role. I still reflect on myself, but I mostly do it after filming has wrapped as a way to review the experience,” Lu Yuxiao said.
When discussing a project that still left her with regrets, Lu Yuxiao specifically mentioned Romance in the Alley. She explained that one of the challenges she faced while playing her character was her lack of certain life experiences.
“My biggest regret was that when I filmed Romance in the Alley, I lacked some life experiences. Although I tried hard to imagine them, I still couldn’t do it 100 percent. Some people also said that was a style, but I still have some regrets,” she said.
Lu Yuxiao Played Li Jia
In Romance in the Alley, Lu Yuxiao played Li Jia, one of the younger-generation characters in the story. Li Jia is a college classmate of Zhuang Tunan, played by Fan Chengcheng.
Li Jia and Zhuang Tunan’s relationship develops as the story progresses, eventually leading them to become a couple. Li Jia therefore becomes an important part of Zhuang Tunan’s journey as he enters adulthood and faces choices involving education, work, family, and his personal relationships.
Lu Yuxiao starred alongside a mix of veteran and younger-generation actors. The main cast includes Yan Ni as Huang Ling, Li Guangjie as Lin Wufeng, Guo Xiaodong as Zhuang Chaoying, Jiang Xin as Song Ying, Fan Chengcheng as Zhuang Tunan, Guan Xiaotong as Zhuang Xiaoting, and Wang Anyu as Lin Dongzhe.
The supporting cast also includes Shi Yunpeng as Xiang Pengfei and Zhou Jieqiong as Wu Shanshan.
A Story About Three Families in Suzhou
Romance in the Alley is a family drama set in a residential neighborhood near a cotton mill in Suzhou in the late 1970s. The story follows three families living close to one another and the relationships that develop between them as society undergoes major changes.
The Zhuang family consists of Zhuang Chaoying, played by Guo Xiaodong, his wife Huang Ling, played by Yan Ni, and their two children, Zhuang Xiaoting and Zhuang Tunan.
Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling place a strong emphasis on their children’s education. Their family life unfolds alongside that of the Lin family, who live next door.
The Lin family consists of Lin Wufeng, played by Li Guangjie, his wife Song Ying, played by Jiang Xin, and their son Lin Dongzhe, played by Wang Anyu. The relationship between the two families gradually grows from simple neighborly ties into a close friendship.
When the Lin family later moves to Guangzhou in search of new opportunities, the change also affects the relationships between the younger characters. Zhuang Xiaoting and Lin Dongzhe, who have been friends since childhood, face changes in their relationship as they grow older.
Meanwhile, Zhuang Tunan follows his own path. Along the way, he meets Li Jia, and their relationship eventually develops into a romance.
Romance in the Alley is not solely focused on the relationships between its younger characters. The drama also explores family life, parent-child relationships, education, friendship, work, and the changes experienced by Chinese society over several decades.
Lu Yuxiao Reflects on Her Performance
Lu Yuxiao’s comments show how she views life experience as one factor that can affect the way an actor understands a character. In the case of Li Jia, she felt that she had tried to use her imagination to understand experiences she had never personally gone through, but in her own assessment, the result still fell short of what she wanted.
She also acknowledged that some people viewed her approach to the role as a particular acting style. Regardless of that interpretation, however, Lu Yuxiao said she still had some regrets about her performance.
Her comments also offer a glimpse into how Lu Yuxiao evaluates her work after completing a project. Rather than looking only at the audience’s response to the finished drama, she also uses the experience to identify aspects of her acting that she wants to continue developing in future projects.
