Zhao Lusi is returning to acting after a year of hiatus.
The 27-year-old Chinese actress-singer spoke about her career plans for 2026 in a Xiaohongshu livestream on Wednesday (Dec 31).
She said: “I saw a few drama scripts recently which I think are quite good and I have plans to return to acting… It’s true, when I saw projects that are quite good, I asked the producer, ‘Is this a good IP (intellectual property)?’ They said it is good. I also asked if they thought my fans would like it, and they told me that my fans would love it.”
Lusi added that while she has freedom to choose her own scripts, she prefers to work on dramas that everyone likes.
“I am an actress and also a product manager. It’s important to me that I create a drama that everyone wants to watch,” she said.
A well-loved drama requires the combined efforts of the direction, production team and the actors, she noted.
Lusi, whose notable dramas include Love Like the Galaxy (2022), Hidden Love (2023) and Love’s Ambition (2025), also revealed that besides receiving new product endorsements, she plans to release new songs with music videos by Chinese New Year.
At a fan meeting in November, she performed her latest song Black Veil Bride which was released on Oct 31.
She also wants to appear in variety shows.
Lusi said: “Many people have said it’s better for actors not to appear in variety shows. I am also unsure whether my personality would suit variety shows because I am quite slow in warming up to others.
“But I also wondered if this could be a breakthrough and a new experience, which would allow more people to see the real me. If you know my real personality, you can choose to like or dislike me… it’s probably a better choice [for everyone].”
After revealing her illness last January, she had mostly appeared in media reports because of her personal issues. Since then, the actress said she has wondered if she’ll be able to gain more acceptance by showing her true self through variety shows.
In December 2024, Lusi sparked public concern after photos of her in a wheelchair at a hospital’s emergency department were circulated online.
A month later, she revealed she had been suffering from depression since 2019 and did not seek assistance at first because she had been told to be more “open-minded”.
However, her condition worsened over the years. According to reports, she suffered from skin allergies, pneumonia and night sweats.
In her livestream, Lusi told her fans that she hoped to regain her strength and reduce her medications in the new year, as well as find a balance between work and life.
“I hope to be in an okay condition so that the drama team and people around me are at ease, and their focus is not on my health but rather on drama production,” she said.
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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com
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