Lin Gengxin is a Chinese actor who has been in films such as ‘My Old Classmate’ and ‘Sword Master.’ He was born and raised in Liaoning, China, and he was a bashful boy who struggled to break into acting. However, his extensive experience in theatre studies saved him, and he went on to become a reasonably good performer. He rose to notoriety with the drama ‘Scarlet Heart,’ in which he portrayed a prince in one of the lead parts, and his success with the series paved the way for more exciting roles in television and film. The drama ‘Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky,’ which aired in 2012, was one of the year’s highest-grossing programs. Lin got the prize for Best New Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2013 for his film “Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon,” which became a great hit both domestically and internationally. The phenomenal success of the period action drama film ‘The Taking of Tiger Mountain’ perpetuated the trend. Lin became one of the most bankable young performers of this generation after the picture became one of the biggest grossing Chinese films of all time.
Childhood and Adolescence
Lin Gengxin was born on February 13, 1988, in Liaoning, China. He was a bashful child who was surrounded by love and affection from his parents. As Lin recounted in an interview, he never got into problems at school or on the streets, and this attribute made his parents very proud of him. But his shy nature, especially with girls, made him an introvert, and as a result, he was able to develop his artistic side more, and acting seemed like the perfect place to do so. Throughout high school, he participated in a variety of plays, learning the nuances of acting along the way. He relocated to Shanghai after finishing high school to enter the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and it was then that he began to open himself more.
Lin started at the school in 2007, and according to some of his acquaintances, he was a sloppy person who didn’t pay enough attention to hygiene, and his dorm room was always chaotic and disoriented since Lin was buried in his own thoughts the most of the time. Lin gained the moniker “dog” in college as a result of his actions. Lin also mentioned in later interviews that one of the reasons he was shy was because he had a poor degree of self-confidence and thought he was ugly, and that if somebody complimented him on his appearance, he would assume they were making fun of him. Lin began working while still in college, doing low-budget films, commercials, and a few short films to get experience in front of the camera.
Career of Lin
His acting career was launched in 2011 with the drama ‘Scarlet Heart.’ Lin played the role of Prince Yunti, a military general, in the series, which was set during the Qing dynasty. In the series ‘Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of the Sky,’ one hefty role was followed by another. During its run, the series became a smash hit, with over 2 billion views, making it one of the most commercially successful dramas of the year. Lin’s early success put him on the map, and in 2013, he ventured into the film industry.
Lin made his mainstream cinema debut in 2013 with the mystery drama ‘Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon,’ which was set in a fantastical world. Lin portrayed Shatuo Zhong, a jail doctor who is instrumental in helping the young detective break the case thanks to his exceptional medical abilities. The film was warmly praised by both viewers and critics, and Lin’s performance earned him his first major acting prize, the Best New Actor award at the Hong Kong Film Awards that year.
Lin’s career was on the right track, but he was largely playing supporting roles and was seeking for that one big movie that would propel him into the lead actor’s league. The opportunity came in 2014, with the teenage romance film ‘My Old Classmate.’ The film was a surprise hit, winning several major prizes and drawing a crowd of over 4 million people in just three days of its premiere. His career was gathering up steam, and he made an appearance in ‘Black & White: The Dawn of Justice,’ a picture that wasn’t a box office hit, but did better than predicted.
However, the period action film ‘The Taking of Tiger Mountain’ catapulted Lin to stardom and became a watershed moment for him. The picture was based on the popular novel ‘Tracks in the Snowy Forest,’ which was set in the post-World War II era. The picture became one of the highest-grossing Chinese films of all time upon its release, and the cast reaped the benefits, making Lin one of the most sought-after ‘complete package’ performers in the industry.
For the young actor, 2015 was a year of back-to-back successes. He made his acting debut in the play ‘God of War,’ which was based on the period epic ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms.’ The series debuted in April 2016 to a positive reception from the public, but reviewers awarded it an average rating.
Lin then moved on to something lighter, starring in the action comedy ‘For a Few Bullets’ before appearing in the hard martial arts film ‘Sword Master.’ However, it was Zhang Yimou’s epic adventure ‘The Great Wall,’ directed by the internationally recognized filmmaker Zhang Yimou, that cemented Lin’s international recognition. The English-language film was a co-production between the United States and China, and it starred Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal, as well as Lin, who played a commander in the film. The picture, on the other hand, was a moderate box office success.
Lin starred in the 2017 fantasy adventure comedy film ‘Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back,’ which was the sequel to Stephen Chow’s ‘Journey to the West Franchise.’ Despite the film’s above-average box office performance, critics were less than enthusiastic, and the picture got mixed reviews. The TV series ‘Princess Agents’ premiered in June 2017 to critical and financial acclaim. The historical drama gradually gained popularity and is now the most watched Chinese television drama of all time.
Personal Experiences of Lin
Lin Gengxin is still a shy individual who has stated that if he falls in love and marries someone, he would like to keep it a secret. Lin also revealed that he initially fell in love at the age of 18, but that his parents were against the relationship, forcing him to break up with her. Lin enjoys cooking and socializing with the general people. On his days off, he can be found alone in cafés or gaming parlors.
Estimated Net Worth
Lin Gengxin is one of the wealthiest and most well-known TV actors. Lin Gengxin’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.