On one occasion, in order to shoot a "turn off the lights" detail designed by Li Ling, the crew scheduled to leave work at 7 pm worked overtime until 9 pm.
On another occasion, Li Ling accidentally heard about the specific method of pickling pickles in Su Beiren, so he added this scene to the play. Because there were no wild vegetables at that time, the crew changed to dried yellow celery, so that celery was hung everywhere in the studio for a time. It is the decision of directors Lili and Huang Yun to use Li Ling as the heroine, especially after seeing Soong Ching Ling and her sisters starring her, I think Li Ling is more suitable. In order to persuade Li Ling, Li Li sent the script to Beijing on crutches despite her broken leg, which shocked Li Ling. Although it is controversial to let Beijing actors come to Shanghai to star in The Shanghai Family, Li Ling has a clear head. She lived in Shanghai for ten years in her early years and can speak Shanghainese. She also recommended Cao Cuifen to play her Shanghai mother.
In The Shanghai Family, "Ruonan" is an out-and-out strong woman, and she has made great achievements by virtue of her shrewdness. This has many similarities with Li Ling in life. Even Li Ling herself thinks that she is "very similar to the role, gentle and strong."
Because there were not enough extras, Xie Yuan and makeup artist Mao Geping also acted as extras. In order to make the scene of Xiang's death even more shocking, Xie Yuan insisted on persuading the director to hang his own people upside down, so that his mother could see his horror through the telescope even more shocking. Everything comes to him who waits. Xie Yuan won the Flying Award and the Golden Eagle Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role.
He Wei's Black Brother and Ruonan have many opposite plays. Every time we meet, "Black Skin" will pat "Ruonan" on the head. This classic action, which seems to express the special relationship between "black skin" and "Ruonan", comes from He Wei's Diary.
Chen, the actor who plays "Mrs. Li", is known as "the first old lady in Jiangnan". In order to make "Mrs. Li" look older, she spent a lot of money on the image, took off her false teeth and performed a "nut old lady". On June 6, 2008, the TV series "Looking for Stars for 30 Years" broadcast by Oriental TV invited some creative staff of the TV series "Shanghai Family". "Ruonan" Li Ling, "Heipi" He Wei, "Mrs. Li" Chen Qi, screenwriter and director and other "family members" got together again to relive the warm memories at that time. 15 years, then "Xiao Ruonan" also grew up and rushed to the scene to reunite with his family.
Note: behind-the-scenes tidbits refer to sources.