It was quite a shock. Literally, no one expected that the actor, Jeremy Tsui aka Xu Zheng Xi would suddenly withdraw himself as an actor from the entertainment scene hinting at his retirement.
While everyone is trying so hard to get into the circle, Jeremy is the only actor who publicly announces his withdrawal like this. At first, many fans find it hard to believe it. Especially when one of his dramas ‘Yong An Dream’ just wrapped up its premiere a week ago and some are still under pre-production or filming.
Jeremy took to his Weibo account ( (@徐正溪Jeremy)) on March 14th to share the news. In a heartfelt statement, he wrote: “Farewell to being an actor. Thank you for your long-term support and everything. I’m causing trouble for you..” He assured the worried fans in the comment section by saying, that he would complete his current work at hand before stepping away from acting entirely.
After this revelation, the entire Weibo platform was swept up with this topic, trending at number one. Fans flooded the comments section with disappointment and sadness.
Jeremy made his acting debut in 2007 when he appeared in the romance drama ‘Love Multiplication’ in guest roles. But it was only after playing the romantic supporting character Ji Rufeng in the 2011 drama ‘Waking Love Up’ that he rose to fame. Afterward, his acting career reached new heights in 2018, when he played Yuwen Hu in The Legend of Dugu.
His other best-known performances include Legend of Phoenix (2019), Novoland Castle in the Sky Season 2 (2022), etc.
While the actor is stepping away from acting he has a few remaining projects (in supporting roles) in the upcoming list i.e. Love Of Nirvana and Shui Long Yin. As he stated, these two series may serve as his final projects in the industry.
There’s also another project on the pending list, Braveness of The Ming. But, the problem is this series has languished on the shelves since 2016 due to clashes between South Korea and China (The Female lead of this series is Korean actress Park MIn Young). So, It’s likely there’s simply no hope for its release. Not sure if someone buys a distribution license then it would be a different case.
Reasons behind Xu Zheng Xi’s sudden retirement
Even though there is no direct explanation regarding his sudden withdrawal announcement, fans have speculated the following points.
Agency issues: According to Sohu Media, Jeremy’s contract with his agency is about to expire. Over the years, during the selection of plays, the actor and agency had always different opinions. His agency’s been pressuring him to take on the projects he dislikes, leaving him no choice (according to his interviews, he wanted to try a more challenging and transformative role.
He once said that he wanted to work in a suspense genre. He had worked in too many modern and costume dramas and didn’t want his audiences to think that he could only pull off idol costume dramas. ).
So fans believe this may have prompted Jeremy to seek greener pastures or take a break altogether.
According to some netizens, his agency uses him as a money-making machine and nothing more. It is said that he has been trying to terminate his contract for nearly a year but the agency is not ready to let him go, even if he is ready to pay the termination fee to be freed. Well, if this is true, then Jeremy’s decision is undoubtedly wise. Instead of destroying your entire career in the wrong person’s hands, moving on and seeking new opportunities is better.
Career Stagnation: In his nearly 20 years of dedication to the entertainment industry his progress was slow. Even though Jeremy worked in more than 30 series and 10 movies, his recognition in the industry was never that strong. Despite his hard work, his career as an actor remained quite low.
Fresh Start: Fans also speculate that Tsui might simply want a fresh start. He might be tired from working for too long in the demanding industry and want to focus on starting a new career, and family as he is in his late 30’s.
Only Time Will Tell
Whether Jeremy Tsui returns to acting or embarks on a new path entirely remains to be seen. One thing is certain: his dedication and perseverance throughout his career are undeniable. Fans will undoubtedly support him in his future endeavors.
Source: (1)
