Quan Yifeng's daughter scores role in blockbuster China TV drama
She's only 16 but she's already going places.
Quan Yifeng's daughter Eleanor Lee has just scored a role in upcoming blockbuster China TV drama, Tribes And Empires.
In the show, she plays the younger self of the lead actress Karlina Zhang and will appear in the first eight episodes of the 50-episode series.
Since Eleanor starred in an Apple commercial (below) for China in February, she has been offered roles in four movies and TV dramas, according to her godfather, local celebrity hairstylist Addy Lee.
In fact, she just flew back from a three-day shoot in Spain for an ice cream commercial.
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But Lee (above, in grey, doing Eleanor's hair) said that he and Quan have had to reject all four shows as the filming schedules would interrupt Eleanor's studies.
He told The New Paper: "Me and Eleanor's mum are very strict with her.
"We finally agreed to let her act in Tribes And Empires because the filming for the show would not interfere with her studies.
"We told her that if she wants to continue acting, then she has to keep her grades up.
"For me, that means that she should get all As and is only allowed to score two Bs, for her exams.
"Eleanor said that she would try her best."
The doe-eyed beauty used to score Cs for Chinese until two years ago when she mixed more with her schoolmates from China at the international school that she attends here.
Nowadays, Lee said that she scores A for Chinese, which would stand her in good stead when she flies to Hengdian in December to film for Tribes And Empires.
So what is her weakest subject that she needs to work on?
Mathematics.
Joked Lee: "Eleanor is just like her mum, both of them are bad at Maths.
"They both don't know how to 'count' money well.
"The money that Eleanor earns from her commercials and acting jobs is in safe hands with the management team that has been hired to look out for her interests.
"She will also have people I trust who will follow her when she goes overseas for filming."
Eleanor told Shin Min that she is looking forward to playing her character in Tribes And Empires.
This is because her straight-talking character "who dares to anger in order to express her opinion" reminds her of herself.
Of the acting classes that she has taken up, she said: "My teacher said that I was too good at controlling myself.
"So I had to learn to relax myself. Only then could I cry.
"Crying scenes worry me the most."
Eleanor is signed to Beijing Shen Yi Entertainment which manages China artistes like Li Sheng, Wan Qian and Gao Ziqi.
Quan told Shin Min that she was initially worried about her daughter following her footsteps, career-wise.
"My daughter is only 16 and I thought she would find acting very awkward.
"She's not a child actress, she's also not mature.
"But her management company likes her a lot as they feel that she is very likeable.
"I am happy that they have made great efforts to make sure Eleanor's studies have not been disrupted."
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