Gulnezer Bextiyar (古力娜扎)

Guli Nazha, also known as Gülnezer Bextiyar or Gulnazar, is a Chinese actress and model born in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China. She graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 2011 and made her acting debut in the xianxia series "Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky." Gulinazha's rise to fame is one of the most paradoxical stories in recent Chinese entertainment — she became famous not solely for her acting but for being the rare star who "hit stardom before learning to act," shooting to instant fame with her debut role. Born in Urumqi, Xinjiang to a Uyghur family in 1992, her stunning exotic beauty — characterized by deep-set eyes, an elegantly chiseled face and a mixed-race-like appearance — captivated audiences from day one. But fame came with an overwhelming price: she quickly found herself trapped under the suffocating "vase" label, with critics dismissing her as "beautiful but soulless" and her performances mocked as "AI acting". What followed was a career-defining struggle — years of public shame, private turmoil, and polarizing views that transformed her from a pure newcomer into one of the industry's most controversial yet captivating figures. Breakthrough Role Gulinazha's breakthrough came almost instantly with her very first role in 2012: Xiao Xue in the high-profile fantasy drama "Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky," a role that both propelled her into the spotlight and placed her under intense scrutiny. As a complete newcomer cast alongside established stars like Hu Ge, Liu Shishi and Tang Yan, Gulinazha entered the industry with an almost unimaginable advantage — her debut role was already a major production. She portrayed Xiao Xue as the incarnation of the ancient artifact Nüwa Stone, a gentle and innocent spirit burdened with tragic fate and the weight of the world's salvation. Yet the role served as both a gift and a curse — while her breathtaking beauty won her massive attention overnight, her raw, unpolished performance also became the target of relentless criticism, setting the stage for a decade-long battle to prove her acting credentials. Public Perception Today, Gulinazha occupies a complex and contradictory space in the entertainment industry — she is simultaneously celebrated as the undisputed "Red Carpet Queen" and fiercely debated as an actress whose talent still lags behind her looks. In 2018, she won the Huading Award for China's Film Breakthrough Actress of the Year for her role in the comedy City of Rock. But it is in fashion and variety shows where she has found redemption: a single appearance on Hello Saturday in 2026 generated over 280 million video views in just three days, and her "vampire" red carpet look at Vogue that same year became an instantly iconic moment. From a "high-cold goddess" to a comedic personality who "hates the world," her unfiltered authenticity has earned her a reputation as "a walking variety show effect". Today, while perceptions of her acting remain divided — as late as 2026 critics still question whether she has genuine acting ability — what is undeniable is that Gulinazha has fully owned her glamorous career path. By making peace with the fact that people will never stop talking about her beauty, she has transformed her "disadvantage" into an advantage, reshaping her image with sheer effort and a vibrant, authentic personality that makes her utterly captivating and impossible to ignore.