Lay

Background

Zhang Yixing was born Zhang Jiashuai in Changsha in Hunan, China. He did his first acting assignment at age six, in the 1998 Chinese television drama, “We The People.” In 2000, when he was nine, he participated in a television show as a member of the fan club of Taiwanese singer and actor Jimmy Lin, which was his initial tryst with the entertainment industry. In 2005, after winning third place in a competition organized by the T.V. show, “Star Academy,” Lay became a child celebrity. After that, he went on to play roles in the series “Yue Ce Yue Xin Kai” and Liu Na’s variety show, “Na Ke Bu Yi Yang,” in 2005 and 2006, respectively. In 2006, he auditioned for a lead role in Zhang Jizhong’s “The Duke of Mount Deer.” However, he was not selected despite being a finalist.

In 2008, when he was 16 and in high school, he tried his luck at the global casting audition organized by S.M. Entertainment in Wuhan. After successfully passing all the rounds, he moved to South Korea to finish his idol training. Before making his Exo debut, he worked with the group, Shinee, on the Shinee World Tour in 2011.

He debuted as a K-pop idol and took the stage name ‘Lay,’ which was given by S.M. Entertainment based on a talented and music-loving character called ‘Huaze Lei,’ in the Taiwanese drama, “Meteor Garden.” In January 2012, he was first introduced as one of the four Chinese members of Exo in a teaser video, ‘Phoenix.’ In 2012, after the release of the singles, ‘What is Love’ and ‘History,’ the group held its pre-debut showcase in Seoul Olympic Stadium, followed by a second showcase along with a press conference at the Great Hall of the Beijing University of International Business and Economics. Exo debuted in April 2012 with the single ‘Mama,’ and Exo-M’s first performance in China was televised at the 12th Yinyue Fengyun Bang Awards.