# Li Xian (actor)

Li Xian (Chinese: 李现; born 19 October 1991) is a Chinese actor, known for his roles in the films Feng Shui (2012) and Who Sleeps My Bro (2016), as well as the TV dramas Tientsin Mystic (2017), Go Go Squid! (2019) and Flourished Peony (2025). He ranked 19th on the 2020 Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.

## Early life

Li was born on 19 October 1991, in Xianning and grew up in Jingzhou, Hubei. He attended the Jingzhou Middle School. In 2009, he planned to study STEM in college, but failed the college entrance examination. He retook the exam and was admitted as an acting major at Beijing Film Academy in 2010. For the convenience of entry, he changed his given name from "晛" to "现", which means "present".

## Career

Li began his acting career with a minor role in Wong Jing's film Feng Shui (2012). He followed with a role in romantic teen film Singing When We're Young (2012). He made his small-screen debut in web series City of Fantasy (2014). He garnered attention for his role in the coming-of-age web series, Who Sleeps My Bro (2016), which he reprised in the eponymous feature film adapted from the web series. He then made an appearance in the music video for the song I Am Jiang Xiaobai by Zhang Qi and the music video for the song Medals by Lu Han. Li was cast in the esports romance film Love O2O (2016) and web series Medical Examiner Dr. Qin. Li had his first starring role in the thriller detective web series Tientsin Mystic. He then appeared in the film The Founding of an Army (2017).
Li's breakthrough role came in the esports romantic comedy television series, Go Go Squid! (2019), based on the web novel Stewed Squid with Honey. The series was the most-streamed series in 2019. Li earned his first nomination for the Huading Award for Best New Actor in 2019 for the role.
Li then starred in the costume drama Sword Dynasty (2019). In 2020, Li participated in the CCTV New Year's Gala, where he performed "Hello 2020". In the same year, he had three films out: The Enigma of Arrival, Love Song 1980 and Soul Snatcher. He also made a cameo in Leap, the Chinese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. In 2022, Li starred in the historical drama A Love Never Lost which, however, was pulled from the air soon after its premiere for unspecified reasons.

## Personal life

Li has listed Ha Jung-woo, Oguri Shun, and Ryan Gosling as his favorite actors.

## Controversy
### Homophobia

Li's attitude towards the gay community has sparked controversy several times. In 2012, Li posted on Weibo, "I am not gay, and I am repulsed by homosexuality." In 2015, Li posted on Weibo, "First of all, I want to clarify that I am straight, my sexual orientation is normal, and all my friends know this. But on Weibo, I am unaccountably mistaken as gay. I don't know why [...] Every time I see comments on my Weibo, I feel embarrassed and helpless, and explaining doesn't help."
In October 2017, rumors emerged that Li was slated to star in the TV adaptation of the popular BL novel Silent Reading, sparking controversy due to his previous homophobic remarks. The author later denied the rumors. In 2020, Li starred in the film Soul Snatcher, based on a BL novel but stripped of its gay content due to censorship in China.

## Filmography

Film
| Year | English title | Role | Notes |
| 2012 | Feng Shui | Ma Xiaobao | |
| 2013 | Singing When We're Young | Da W | |
| 2016 | Who Sleeps My Bro | Xie Xun | |
| 2016 | Love 020 | Yu Banshan | |
| 2017 | Deadly Love | Fang Zhibin | |
| 2017 | The Founding of an Army | Luo Ruohang | |
| 2018 | Nuts | Xu Zicong | |
| 2019 | The Captain | | Cameo |
| 2020 | The Enigma of Arrival | Xiao Long | |
| 2020 | Leap | | Cameo |
| 2020 | Love Song 1980 | Liang Zhengwen | |
| 2020 | Soul Snatcher | Bai Shisan | |
| 2021 | Schemes in Antiques | Yao Buran | |
Television series
| Year | English title | Role | Notes |
| 2014 | City of Fantasy | Ah Liang | |
| 2016 | Four Ladies | Ding Zihui | |
| 2016 | Who Sleeps My Bro | Xie Xun | |
| 2016 | Medical Examiner Dr. Qin | Lin Tao | |
| 2017 | Rush to the Dead Summer | Qing Yun | Cameo |
| 2017 | Tientsin Mystic | Guo Deyou | |
| 2018 | Only Side By Side with You | Chang Jianxiong | |
| 2019 | Go Go Squid! | Han Shangyan | |
| 2019` | Sword Dynasty | Ding Nin | |
| 2021 | Go Go Squid 2: Dt. Appledog's Time | Han Shangyan | |
| 2021 | A Love Never Lost | Liang Xiang | |
| 2023 | Meet Yourself | Xie Zhiyao | |
| 2024 | Shooting Stars | Xiang Yuan Sheg/Hua Zhen | |
| 2024 | Will Love in Spring | Chen Mai Dong | |
| 2025 | Flourished Peony | Jiang Chang Yang | |
| TBA | A Love Never Lost | Liang Xiang / Yu Bu Gu | |

## Discography

| Year | English title | Chinese title | Album | Notes/Ref. |
| 2019 | "Give to the Future" | 给未来 | Go Go Squid! OST | |
| 2019 | "A Glorious Future" | 前程似锦 | Red Fox Scholar OST | with Chen Linong |
| 2020 | "Hello 2020" | 你好2020 | 2020 CCTV Spring Festival | with Zhu Yilong, Zhou Dongyu, Sandra Ma, Li Yi |
| 2020 | "Wuhan, How Are You" | 武汉，你好吗 | | with Chang Shilei, Doudou, Zhu Yilong |
| 2021 | "Running Youth" | 奔跑的青春 | 2021 CCTV Spring Festival | with Dilireba, Chen Linong, Liu Haochun, THE9, TNT |

## Awards and nominations

Li's role as Guo Deyou in Tientsin Mystic earned him a nomination for Best Web Drama Actor at The Actors of China Awards and a popularity award from Netease Awards In 2019, his role as Han Shangyan on Go Go Squid! earned him a nomination for Best Newcomer at the Huading Awards, and a nomination at for Best Actor (Emerald Category) at The Actors of China Awards. He won Quality Actor of the Year at the Tencent Video All Star Awards and popularity awards from Weibo Weibo TV Awards, and iQIYI All-Star Carnival. He has also been recognized by GQ's Men of the Year, Esquire's Man at His Best Awards, and the Film and TV Role Model Annual Ranking. He won Best Choice of Multi-Screen Communication for an Influential Actor. The Beijing News selected him as an Entertainment Person of the Year, and he earned a spot in Forbes China's 30 Under 30 list. He ranked 19th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.