From bankruptcy to viral critic: the remarkable journey of Chinese veteran actor Li Chengru

Li Chengru is a nationally famous Chinese actor, but before he gained fame as an entertainer, he was a self-made businessman who lost his entire US$13 million in foreign currency trading. Beijing-born Li, 71, is famous for many classic roles, such as police officer Da Zeng in one of China’s first crime dramas, The VI Group of Fatal Case, and a psychopath who delivers a sharp monologue about the real estate market in Feng Xiaogang’s 2001 film Big Shot’s Funeral. Li was the youngest son of 11...