Zhao Shuzhen is an award-winning Chinese film, stage, and television actress. She was born in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China in 1944. Over the course of her career, she has appeared in more than one hundred plays for the Harbin Grand Theater. In 2019, she took the role of Nai Nai in the drama-comedy film, “The Farewell” (2019), a role which won her numerous awards, including the 35th Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Zhao Shuzhen

Billi (Awkwafina), a Chinese-American aspiring writer, learns that her beloved grandmother Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen) has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Despite receiving a devastating prognosis, the family decides to keep the news hidden from Nai Nai herself. To spend time with her grandmother, they orchestrate a family wedding as a pretext for gathering together. Billi struggles with the cultural difference of concealing such critical medical information, but ultimately joins her family in their protective deception. Returning to China, she reconnects with her roots and spends precious moments with Nai Nai, finding emotional strength in their relationship. Through this challenging experience, Billi navigates grief, family dynamics, and cultural expectations while cherishing her grandmother's remaining time. This is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Lulu Wang, based on a true story.

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