For actress Li, Alina’s story parallels her own. Jessie Mei Li is an actress, known for Kukeri, Last Night in Soho (2021) and All About Eve (2019). “Whatever people say about me on the internet, good or bad, you’ve got to take it with a pinch of salt and think, ‘This is their interpretation of who I am.’ ”, To prep for Shadow and Bone, the actress trained for a month in Budapest with the stunt team behind Doctor Strange. I will update this post as I add more things. It was while working on the 2019 play that she met Wright, who had directed her West End co-star Lily James in Baby Driver. Pic credit: Netflix. Li’s entry point for the character came from a note from Bardugo, who executive produces the series. Jessie Mei Li / Instagram: @jessie_mei_li In a recent interview with The Beat , the 25-year-old opened up about being mixed and the creators' decision … “So much of this is out of your control,” says Li of auditioning. [7], 2018 hatte sie eine Episodenrolle in der ITV-Serie Strangers. Props to her, because when someone is taking your baby and changing it, it can be nerve wracking. Jessie Mei Li was born to an English mother and Chinese-born, Hong Kong–raised father. “Alina is someone who doesn’t necessarily understand herself at first,” but as the show goes on she gains “agency and doesn’t let people take advantage of her. Jessie Mei Li plays Alina Starkov in Shadow and Bone. She has over eight acting credits on her IMDB profile. A very different character,” says Li. She also has a sibling, an older brother named Tom Li with whom she was raised. Already put on a pedestal due to her powers, there’s also the new layer added after Jessie’s casting: Alina is now part-Shu. Von 2016 bis 2017 erhielt sie an der Identity School of Acting in London eine Schauspielausbildung. [8] Im Februar 2019 debütierte sie am Noël Coward Theatre im Londoner West End in einer Bühnenfassung von All About Eve an der Seite von Gillian Anderson und Lily James als Claudia Casswell. I didn’t really have time to be worried about being the lead.”. I’ve added over 20 new high quality photos to the gallery of Jessie from Shadow and Bone. There’s talk about consent in there. Her efforts seep into the series, with the cast’s chemistry propelling the story forward and giving it a certain buoyancy in rare moments when the action falters or exposition gets cloudy. She says, “I could sit down and talk to someone who was having a hard time and say, ‘I get it, I went through this, too.’” Her character sounds similarly relatable. © 2021 Jessie Mei Li Fan
Of course, Shadow and Bone hits all your requisite fantasy beats: the wary hero’s journey, explosive elemental effects, a yearning love triangle. She had dropped out of university at Reigate College in Surrey, England, and was working as a special-education teaching assistant when she decided to try a few acting classes. Jessie Mei Li’s parents are from two different countries, and Jessie herself is biracial. Alina is an orphan possessing extraordinary power that could set her country free. Says Li of winning that part, “It was a nice dipping-my-toe-in experience because I had a smaller role, which meant less responsibility, less pressure.”. 131.5k Followers, 57 Following, 16 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Jessie Mei Li (@jessie_mei_li) “All the glitz and glamour is an abstract concept, which actually doesn’t exist,” says Li. Jessie Mei Li never thought they’d be sitting here. But she was so cool about the whole thing,” she noted. Book series writer Leigh Bardugo revealed earlier that she didn’t look at any other audition tapes after seeing Jessie’s. At one point, the Shadow and Bone star didn’t even realize that they were the main protagonist of the series. Her stage work includes the 2019 production of All About Eve. She pretends she’s happy here, even tricking herself that this new life is one big adventure but deep down she misses home and her family being together. And as a person of mixed heritage [Li’s mother is British, her father Chinese], you grow up thinking, Well, I’m not X enough, I’m not Y enough. Jessie Mei Li 5.6M views Discover short videos related to Jessie Mei Li on TikTok. Who else will be starting the binge at midnight?! She will star as Alina Starkov in the upcoming Netflix series Shadow and Bone and play Lara Chung in Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho. And now, the lead in a highly anticipated adaptation of a global YA phenomenon. Li admits to mostly avoiding the fervor (“I’m a sensitive person, and it can be overwhelming”) but is awed by the impact of a few released photos and clips. But 1960s London is not what it seems, and time seems to fall apart with shady consequences. Shadow and Bone star Jessie Mei Li exclusively talks to Seventeen about playing Alina, they big discovery they made on set, and being the main protagonist in the series. She will be portraying Alina Starkov in Netflix's upcoming fantasy television series Shadow and Bone. [2][3][4][5][6] 2015 war sie Mitglied des National Youth Theatre, mit dem sie in Beat auf der Bühne stand. Apart from Ben (who joined later on), I met the rest of the main cast before we went out to Budapest and immediately just fell in love with all of them. As the main protagonist of the story, Alina is expected to save the world. Social media is a great way for young actors to get their … März 2021. https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jessie_Mei_Li&oldid=211312015, „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“, 2018: Shortflix – Together They Smoke (Miniserie), 2018: Strangers (Fernsehserie, eine Episode), 2019: Banged Up Abroad – Panamania (Fernsehdokumentation). “It’s been nice despite all the distance, that family on the other side of the world are able to get excited about it.” But a harrowing life-or-death encounter reveals a long-dormant talent, quickly ushering Alina into the highest stratum of Ravkan society and providing hope for an end to the centuries-long strife of her people. Having those little moments where Ravkin characters are interacting with Alina and being racist adds to the world building as well,” they said. The British actress eventually landed an agent on the recommendation of a director from one of those failed auditions. Before acting – Shadow and Bone marks Li’s first major on-screen role – she worked as a teaching assistant in a secondary school. – Source, Shadow and Bone’s Jessie Mei Li Is the Fantasy Hero You’ve Been Waiting For. That’s really good.” But director Ivo van Hove had not seen the film and was not looking for someone reminiscent of Monroe. “I always loved acting, but it was something I never really considered [as a career],” the 25-year-old explains, their shy grin illuminating the window of our Zoom call (Li uses both she and they pronouns). Everyone's talking about Jessie Mei Li right now, and it's for a good reason. Actress Jessie Mei Li will soon be seen in the fantasy show Shadow And Bone on Netflix. The source material for the show isn’t just the eponymous Shadow and Bone book trilogy, but also the Six of Crows duology by author Leigh Bardugo. The actress, whose mother is British and father is Chinese, never expected to land her first big break in All About Eve because she was auditioning for Miss Caswell, the supporting role originally played by Marilyn Monroe in the 1950 film. I love the excitement of finding a little gem. “You need to get that balance right. Jessie Mei Li (Jessica Mei Li) was born on 27 August, 1995 in Brighton, United Kingdom, is an Actress. In 2015, she joined the National Youth Theater and from the year 2016 to 2017, she trained part-time with Identity School of Acting. Thousands cannot do the jobs they have trained to do and many have fallen through the cracks. / Theme Base by, Photos: Shadow and Bone Season One – Master Post, Press/Photos: Jessie for ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, Press/Video: Jessie on ‘Good Morning America’, Press/Video: Cast Discusses ‘Shadow & Bone’ – EXTENDED. April 2021 um 21:58 Uhr bearbeitet. So, yeah—much better than she gives herself credit for. This is a master post where you can find quick links to all of the Shadow and Bone photos added to the gallery in one post. See full bio » More at IMDbPro » Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro August 1995 in Brighton ) ist eine britische Schauspielerin. Getting that blessing helped them feel more comfortable when it came to bringing Alina to life. “That really struck something in me. Netflix’s Shadow And Bone: 13 differences between the show and books I loved the atmosphere on the set and just had so much fun. [9][10] Die Produktion wurde im Rahmen der Initiative National Theatre Live übertragen. The time has finally come! Based on the bestselling series of novels by Leigh Bardugo, the main shift from the cult books is that Starkov (a cartographer with a “legendary mythical ability to summon sunlight, who is going to change the world”) is written as being of mixed heritage. – Source. They are always telling me to wear sunscreen. Jessie Mei Li shares her turning point story. Netflix's 'Shadow and Bone,' starring Jessie Mei Li and based on Leigh Bardugo's 'Grishaverse,' makes for a smart fantasy adaptation. Jessie uses she/they pronouns. Prior to the Netflix series, Jessie played Christina Jocko in docudrama Locked Up Abroad and appeared in a few short films. – Source, “I Don’t Want to Be Famous”: Jessie Mei Li Braces for Big Breakout With ‘Shadow and Bone’. They thanked the casting team for seeing “how well they’re going to fit together as a group” when it came to figuring out the show’s many players. But what sets Bardugo’s books and their adaptation apart, especially in an oversaturated market, is a commitment to community: the power that resides in one’s relationships and the strength that forms through cooperation and care. Photograph: Album/Alamy The actor is about to hit the TV big time as a girl with special powers in Netflix’s new young adult fantasy. Jessie Mei Li leads the cast of Shadow And Bone as Alina Starkov. “I said to Leigh, ‘What’s important to you?’ And she said, ‘Well, Alina is funny,’” Li recalls. “They didn’t have Chinese subtitles on the trailer, but she was very excited and apparently was showing her hairdresser,” Li says with a laugh. If you’re going to have countries at war, you’re going to have racism. Jessica „Jessie“ Mei Li (* 27. This interview has been condensed for length and clarity. Jessie Mei Li stars as Alina Starkov in the new Netflix series ‘Shadow and Bone.’ Here’s what you need to know about this rising star. Jessie revealed they were able to tell signs of ADHD after working with young people who were diagnosed with it in the past. Enjoy and check back! But, after a brief pause, I also ended up with another answer. She also revealed that fans had found out she’d gotten the part long before than was intended. the original jessie mei lei unofficial fansite. In the final moments of our conversation, I ask Jessie a simple question: “What will you take away from this experience so far?”, “Filming the show taught me a lot about myself and I really did gain a lot of understanding in who I am. This makes them the ideal person to lead a series that is so beloved by existing fans and will no doubt grow its audience with this new adaptation. How was the Acting Career of Jessie Mei Li? But for Li’s character, there’s another crucial difference: In the series, Alina is biracial. She had dropped out of university at Reigate College in Surrey, England, and was working as a … Just a few years ago, acting was far from Jessie Mei Li’s mind. A young girl, passionate about fashion design, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a dazzling wannabe singer. *Beware of spoilers for the show and the books* It’s rare that you sort of spend so much time with other people and I think other people are a reflection of who we are. The emerging British actress has created a buzz around the internet and media after being announced as one of the cast members for Netflix’s show Shadow and Bone. There’s a reason for that. They actually banned me from standing in because I would just get distracted and walk off.”. “I hadn’t been alone for six months, and it was very important that we all had time to process what we’d gone through, get used to the idea of a show coming out, and get back into the rhythm of life outside the show,” she says. Jessie Mei Li wurde als Tochter eines chinesischen Vaters und einer englischen Mutter in Brighton geboren, wuchs in Redhill, Surrey auf und besuchte das College in Reigate. I don’t want to be a celebrity,” says Li. Instead, he cut all ties to his family without reason, and stayed in the UK. “I couldn’t do it. But when you add in the layer of her being mixed race and that feeling lots of people — whether you’re biracial or you’re a first generation immigrant or you’re the only person of color in a white area — experience of never really fitting in, it adds so much and it gave me so much to play with in terms of how she was going to interact with other characters,” she noted. The more diverse the people are around you, the more you see in yourself,” they point out. However, Jessie revealed that they had a hard challenge in making sure that Alina was still funny, something that was important to Leigh, especially with everything that was happening around her. While for many being the main lead of the show would make them feel like they’re in a certain position of power, Jessie has the unique ability to make everyone feel like they’re equals. “Throughout filming, I started to think ‘I cannot sit still.’ I tried standing in for myself for lighting. Here are 13 differences between the Grishaverse books and the TV show. My whole life, I’ve been like, ‘What is going on?’ Being in that environment and then having the lockdown to sort of stew and think about these things was really great.” Jessie continued. And then, lo and behold, I came back from filming and got formally diagnosed ADHD. Li uses she/her and they/them pronouns. Sure, Alina is gifted, but she can’t change the world by herself—and she knows that. “From all the extended supporting cast like Zoë Wanamaker and Kevin Eldon to everyone else, it was really lovely to get to film with everyone. Li grew up watching martial arts movies with her dad and brother. We were all very much equal in that and the leads in my head,” Jessie told Seventeen. It was such a precious time.”, “I’ve not done as much reading as I should like recently, but I am making my way through some Sherlock Holmes. Soon, she had a role on the West End in a production of All About Eve and a small role in Edgar Wright’s upcoming horror film Last Night in Soho. “Her journey is, essentially, where do I belong? Jessie Mei Li attended Reigate College and she then began studying languages at university. “I have had messages from people who are already fans of the books, and lots of them look like me, teenagers saying, ‘It’s so amazing. Just knowing that was so encouraging and I’m so thankful that she took the time to reach out to me,” Jessie added. “I’d already sort of, in my head, made decisions about how Alina was going to be. “If you’re going to add more diverse actors and have more diverse faces, you’ve got to have where it’s not just about what they look like. 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