When it comes to the "female ghost professional" in the Hong Kong film industry, most people will think of Joey Wong's Nie Xiaoqian.
But before her, there was also an equally energetic actress, Ni Shujun.
She debuted at the age of 16 and won the Academy Award at the age of 17, but she faded out of the public eye early.
Her story is like a meteor passing through the night sky, dazzling but short-lived.
Why didn’t she make a big hit even though she clearly held a good deck of cards? The answer is hidden in the jokes of fate and the cruel rules of the entertainment industry.
- Missing "Nie Xiaoqian" and making mistakes step by step
Ni Shujun had the opportunity to become the "first generation Nie Xiaoqian".
When Tsui Hark prepared "A Chinese Ghost Story" in 1987, she was the first choice in the director's mind.
But at that time, she had already left the Hong Kong film industry due to scandals, and Joey Wong seized the opportunity to recommend herself and finally achieved a classic.
This miss almost rewritten the star path between the two. Joey Wong was named a god with this, but Ni Shujun never waited for a role of the same level again.
What's even more heartbreaking is that even the role of "female ghost" Zhang Xiaoyu in her early masterpiece "Yin and Yang Clash" was stolen from Maggie Cheung, and fate seemed to be playing a joke on her in a cycle.
- The clamping between rumors and reality
In 1985, Ni Shujun had an extramarital affair scandal after collaborating with director Chen Xunqi in "Little Fox Fairy".
Although she strongly denied and terminated her cooperation, the overwhelming media coverage damaged her image.
To make matters worse, her family urgently needed money to take on roles, which led to schedule conflicts and refunds of deposits, and her career reputation fell to the bottom.
At that time, the Hong Kong entertainment industry was extremely strict with the private ethics of actresses, and these negative news directly ruined her opportunity to cooperate with famous directors.
On the other hand, even though Joey Wong was later caught in a romantic turmoil, she had at least established herself as a first-tier actress.
- Transformation Dilemma and Market Abandonment
It’s not that Ni Shujun has never tried to turn over.
In 1994, she won the Golden Horse Supporting Supporting Actress for "Moonlight Boy", but in the same year she became a foil for Anita Yuen in the comedy "Golden and Jade Hall".
At this time, Hong Kong films are in the popular sexy porn star route, and her cold and classical temperament seems out of place.
In order to break through the show, she even played the role of her mother, but the audience only remembered her label as "Little Fox Fairy".
In contrast, Joey Wong's charming performance in "The Green Snake" just hits the rhythm of market aesthetic changes.
- Helpless choice to leave the circle too early
After filming his last movie at the age of 32, Ni Shujun completely disappeared from the big screen.
Some people say that she lost to the newer entertainment industry, while others blamed her for lack of resources.
But the deeper reason may be that she was discouraged. She was forced to take on vulgar films to support her family, which had already worn down her enthusiasm for performance.
When she appeared in 2022, she looked free and easy in sports shoes and black skirt, which seemed to be relieved of past disputes.
Conclusion
Ni Shujun's starry road is very similar to the lyrics in "Yin and Yang Clash": "The phantom-like love will always disappear."
She has a fairy spirit that is not inferior to Joey Wong, and she has gained recognition earlier than Maggie Cheung, but is trapped in rumors, reality and the torrent of the times.
In the entertainment industry, strength and appearance are just tickets to enter. Whether you can become famous to the end depends on whether your luck is willing to favor you for a quarter of an hour.
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