Li Lili (Lai Lai Lai)

Biography

Li Lili, born Qian Zhenzhen on June 2, 1915 in Beijing, was a pioneering Chinese actress and singer. Her father Qian Zhuangfei was a film director at Guanghua Film Company, while her mother was actress Zhang Zhenhua. She began her artistic career at an early age, first appearing in the film "The Hero of Yan Mountain" in 1926. In 1927, her father sent her to study at the Chinese Song and Dance Troupe led by Li Jinhui, where she adopted her new stage name and became famous for her beauty and dancing skills, joining the "Three Greats of Song and Dance" alongside Wang Renni and Hu Die, and was one of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of the troupe. She joined Lianhua Film Company in 1931 and became a core actress, delivering notable works such as "Queen of Sports" and "The Great Road" by director Sun Yu, earning the nickname "Sweet Sister" for her healthy and lively image that was beloved by youth and students. During World War II, she participated in important patriotic films including "Hot Blood and Loyal Soul," "Paradise of the Lonely Island," and "Frontier Winds." She traveled to the United States in 1946 to study acting, language, and music in Washington, New York, and California, returning to China in 1947. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, she joined Beijing Film Studio and later studied at the Beijing Film Academy, becoming a professor there until retirement. She married twice: first to film expert Luo Jingyu (who died in 1970 during the Cultural Revolution), and second to renowned painter Ai Zhongxin in 1978. She passed away on August 7, 2005 in Beijing due to a heart attack.