Li Meng is currently one of the hottest topics in Chinese entertainment after drawing attention for playing a “mistress” character in the drama The Epoch of Miyu. Before this, she had already built a reputation through memorable villain roles, while also becoming infamous for repeated attitude scandals throughout her career.

Born in 1992, Li Meng graduated from the Beijing Film Academy and has spent nearly 15 years in the entertainment industry. She was once the first Chinese actress born in the 1990s to walk the Cannes red carpet, but despite her talent, her career has long been overshadowed by controversies surrounding her personality and behavior.

It was not until her role as Princess Wanning in The Double (2024) that Li Meng truly experienced a major resurgence in popularity. She continued to gain attention through her “mistress” role in The Epoch of Miyu (2026).

2026 has become a breakout year for Li Meng, as she has continuously attracted attention through villainous characters in projects such as Rebirth and The Epoch of Miyu.

In Rebirth, she portrayed Empress Bian, a cold, ruthless, and power-hungry woman. The character shocked viewers after murdering her own lover during a ritual ceremony to save herself. Although the drama failed to meet commercial expectations, Li Meng’s icy charisma still received praise.

However, it was her role as Lu Zhenzhen in The Epoch of Miyu that truly exploded across Chinese and Vietnamese social media. Unlike traditional “mistress” characters driven purely by love, Lu Zhenzhen views marriage as a tool for social advancement.

After forcing the legal wife to step aside by deliberately exposing the affair, the character boldly says, “A man makes mistakes, yet you come after another woman instead. Isn’t that pathetic?” The character’s ambition, independence, and emotional control led audiences to call her “the most clear-headed villainess” currently on screen.

One of Li Meng’s most iconic performances remains Princess Wanning in The Double. The character was a deeply unstable and obsessive royal who openly fought the female lead over a man and indirectly pushed her toward being buried alive. Li Meng successfully portrayed both the cruelty and hidden vulnerability beneath the princess’s tragic life, making Wanning one of the most memorable female villains in recent Chinese dramas.

Thanks to her sharp facial features, cold aura, and intense gaze, Li Meng is often praised as especially suited for thriller and psychological genres. Audiences frequently describe her performances as both captivating and unsettling.

As of May 3, her two latest horror films both surpassed 100 million yuan at the box office. This achievement made her the first Chinese actress to consecutively star in two horror films crossing that milestone.

Previously, Li Meng also gained recognition for her role as Wang Yao in The Bad Kids, a drama that won the Best Creative Award at the Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards during the Busan International Film Festival.

Despite her acting talent and cinematic appearance, Li Meng’s career has repeatedly suffered due to accusations of arrogance and difficult behavior on set.

Her biggest scandal involved being removed from the drama White Deer Plain after filming nearly 100 scenes. At the time, the production team openly stated that her acting had not improved sufficiently. Multiple reports also claimed that Li Meng frequently arrived late, disappeared without explanation, and forced co-stars and staff to wait for long periods.

She was additionally accused of treating staff poorly, even allegedly pushing employees when upset. Reports also stated that she often arrived on set accompanied by seven or eight assistants, creating chaos during filming.

Later, during the variety show I Am the Actor, Li Meng admitted to senior actors that she had been immature and behaved poorly during that period of her life.

Another major controversy emerged during the filming of The Bad Kids in 2020. After ruining a scene involving peeling an apple, Li Meng reportedly refused to continue filming unless the props team found another apple that looked exactly identical to the original one.

According to reports, the crew spent an entire day searching the town for a matching apple. The incident sparked widespread criticism online, with many accusing her of never changing her behavior. Following the scandal, her career reportedly declined sharply, and she disappeared from major productions for several years.

Now at age 33, Li Meng appears to have embraced a completely different lifestyle.

After years of controversy and career ups and downs, the actress moved away from the fast-paced entertainment scene and settled in Hangzhou. She reportedly rents an old house with a garden, where she spends time planting vegetables and caring for flowers.

Li Meng now splits her life between two cities traveling for filming schedules but returning to her peaceful garden immediately after projects wrap. Her backyard reportedly resembles a small farm filled with vegetables, chili peppers, and cucumbers. She has enthusiastically shared stories about catching insects herself like a real farmer and says she now enjoys quiet activities such as visiting cultural centers or walking through tea hills rather than spending time in crowded places.

In terms of her personal life, Li Meng has also become more open. In July 2024, after being spotted on a date, she publicly confirmed the relationship instead of avoiding the topic.

She shared, “I want to live happily and fully, work hard on acting, and genuinely enjoy life.”

Today, Li Meng says she still longs for emotionally demanding roles that can “drain every emotion” out of her as an actress. However, she no longer worries as much about competition or fame.

On social media, Li Meng has also become increasingly active, and her natural, everyday posts have helped her attract a large Gen Z fanbase.

Sources: K14