Gao Yuanyuan Responds to Criticisms about Her Having Wrinkles and Looking Old

Chinese actress, Gao Yuanyuan (高圆圆), is revered as one of China’s most beautiful actresses and a goddess. Since getting married to Mark Chao in 2014 and giving birth to their daughter, Rhea, in 2019, Gao Yuanyuan has decreased her workload to focus on her family. It has only been recently that Gao Yuanyuan started being more active again.

Her first series since giving birth is,”Glory and Dream” (lit. 光荣与梦想), which featured an ensemble cast and commemorated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CCP. Gao Yuanyuan played historical figure, “Soong Mei-ling“. When the series aired, some viewers left comments saying Gao Yuanyuan visibly aged and had a lot more wrinkles.

Screenshot of Gao Yuanyuan as “Soong Mei-ling”

Gao Yuanyuan, who turned 42 in early October, was recently interviewed and said she had saw those online comments about her aging. She expressed, “I look at my face in the mirror everyday. I know better than everyone else on what I look like.”

As for the debate about her getting older, Gao Yuanyuan responded, “I don’t have much feelings about it. This is something I already know. More so, I feel the needs of a character far exceeds the public’s expectation of what my appearance should look like.”

Credit: Weibo (1, 2, 3, 4)

5 thoughts on “Gao Yuanyuan Responds to Criticisms about Her Having Wrinkles and Looking Old

  1. It’s sickening to read criticisms of actors about their appearances with regard to aging or putting on weight. They are people not commodities. Although the industry does unfortunately make them so. Those who criticise do from a position of anonymity and need to consider what the impact would be on them if others put them under the microscope and subjected them to unfair criticism. It’s a sad world when the natural process of aging is considered to be some kind of flaw.

  2. I think we should ignore people that comment on actors/ actresses look and pay them no attention. Aging is a natural part of life, I would rather see that they aging than for them to go under the knife and fix their face. She still looks very good for her age.
    I feel like audiences that can only criticize an actor/ actress looks because they lack the critical thinking to give a constructive criticism.

  3. Well said. She is beautiful as she is – the unrealistic expectations by people are insane since every one ages – wrinkles and all etc.

  4. Good for her! The anti-aging sentiment in the world today is yet another sexist view and our attitude around aging needs to be reframed. Gao Yuanyuan is gorgeous however she chooses to present herself and aging is something we will all (if we are lucky) go through.

    As someone said in a Clubhouse room I was in the other day – “I wouldn’t trade my 60 year old wisdom for my 20 year old butt any day!” Amen to that!

    1. I agree. Growing old is a privilege and not a right. Not everyone is lucky enough to grow old and experience the different stages of life.

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