Wang Xiaoshuai
Like Wang's first film, "The Days", "Frozen" was cast primarily with friends of Wang Xiaoshuai. Unlike in his earlier film, the two leads of "Frozen" were professional actors who would become major figures in the sixth generation movement. Actor Jia Hongsheng was selected to play Qi Lei, a performance artist who decides to make his own death his final work. Jia would go on to star in other sixth generation films, notably with director Lou Ye in "Weekend Lover" (1994) and "Suzhou River" (2000).