Many women, famous and not, endure age shaming at work and in their personal lives. The unrealistic expectation to stay young and beautiful can be stifling, to say the least, especially for women in the entertainment industry.
Back in 2018, actress Zhou Xun (age 42 at the time of filming in 2017) was criticized online for playing both the older and teenage versions of her character in Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace.
In an episode of the talk show The Readers, Zhou Xun opened up about the toll the comments took on her. They caused her anxiety, lowered her confidence, and made her contemplate undergoing anti-aging plastic surgery. She did not, however, let critics get the best of her.
You’ll begin to look at yourself, [and think] ‘Oh, why is this area sagging, should I do something about it’. There’ll be a period of time where you’re worried [about aging]. And then you’ll begin to slowly accept it, and then slowly… [you’ll think] ‘Screw you, I’ll just leave it like this.’
— Zhou Xun
Fast forward to 2025. Zhou Xun is now more gorgeous than ever and gained tremendous attention on Weibo for her stunning visuals in her last miniseries, Imperfect Victim, and it’s easy to see why!
Zhou Xun in “Imperfect Victim.”
At age 49 at the time of release, she’s more beautiful than ever and exuded pure confidence!
Zhou Xun in “Imperfect Victim.”
While she has not acted in any miniseries or dramas since Imperfect Victim, she has four movies slated for release: The First Taste of Loneliness, Lost in Memory, The Weary Poet, and Moonlight Blade.