Eleanor Lee, 27, says mum Quan Yifeng only gave her RMB100 (S$19) when she first moved to China at 15

Eleanor Lee, daughter of Mediacorp host Quan Yifeng, turned 27 on Oct. 12. She started her career at 15 when she landed her first role in an Apple advertisement directed by Ann Hui, making her 12th year in the entertainment industry. Lee spoke to Singapore Chinese-language media Lianhe Zaobao about her experiences and challenges in the industry.

Lee shared that she sometimes feels like she is still 18 years old, having quickly moved to other film and television roles in China after her first role, working with veteran actors such as Leon Lai and Zhang Fengyi. She revealed that her mother Quan was relatively hands-off when it came to her career, never interfering with her problems and not teaching her anything about being on set or introducing her to directors.

This was to allow her to learn how to deal with life independently. When Lee first moved to China, her mother gave her only RMB100 (S$19), but her agent ensured she had three meals a day.

Despite being seen as cute and typecasted in sweet and lively roles during the initial phases of her career, Lee wished to take on more mature and independent roles. It was only in 2024 that she was cast in a more mature role on the set of Within the Grip. However, this came with its own challenges, as she had to adjust from playing innocent characters to more complex roles. Lee mentioned that she sometimes found herself acting too lively on set and had to constantly think about remaining composed.

Recently, Lee faced unwanted media attention when an audio clip surfaced on Chinese social media, falsely attributing a statement to her saying, "most Chinese nationals are idiots." This led to intense backlash, with some calling for her to leave China. The team working on The Journey of Legend even considered using AI face-swapping technology to remove her likeness from the show.

However, the clip was later found to be fabricated by Lee's former assistant, who was later sued for defamation. Lee described this as the lowest point in her career, admitting to feeling guilty despite not being at fault. She felt that she had disappointed her mother and fans, which made her slow down for a while and mature. Lee ended the interview by expressing her desire to pick up more roles soon and cultivate her singing career.