Winners of 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards unveiled
Chinese drama Pursuit of Jade has concluded with immense popularity, and one person who has been the talk of the town is its lead actor Zhang Ling He.
Pursuit of Jade tells the story of butcher's daughter Fan Chang Yu (Tian Xi Wei) and Xie Zheng (Zhang Ling He), a fallen marquis, who meet by destiny on a snowy day.
Chang Yu, having lost both of her parents, strives to support her remaining family, while Zheng hides his identity, digging deep into a blood feud from 17 years ago. With each harboring their own motives, the two concoct a marriage of convenience. Though they initially joined hands to use one another for their own purposes, their alliance gradually blossoms into genuine emotions.
The historical drama propelled the already popular Zhang Ling He to even greater fame, both in China and abroad. In fact, V-Pulse reports that Zhang Ling He has recently been the most popular Chinese artist globally, surpassing Zhao Lusi, Bai Lu, Chen Zhe Yuan, and Dilraba Dilmurat, among others.
The actor received immense praise for his portrayal of Xie Zheng, a character shaped by the pain of the past and brutality of the battlefields.
However, the surge in fame also brought criticism. While Zhang’s fans applauded his performance, some Chinese netizens took issue with his makeup in the drama, calling him a "foundation-wearing general".
Amidst this, Zhang Ling He's past interview has resurfaced, where he shared his understanding of being an actor. He stated that he is aware of his own abilities: "If I have the capability and life experience to shape [embody] a character, I will definitely try. But before that, what I can do is first get to know and understand myself [deeply]."
"There are two types of actors. One is the kind who has exceptional ability and can shape [embody] every role well. They are really amazing. The other type of actor is one who acts as themself, bringing their own values into the character." He said that before reaching that level of competence, one should not attempt things beyond one's capacity: "I won't do things I am not capable of doing. And if I'm not competent, I need to keep learning."
Speaking about professional competence, Zhang Ling He emphasized: "Professional competence is definitely the foundation. You can't say you have zero professional ability. But you must be able to learn. Your skills may not be fully developed right now, but if you don't learn, sooner or later you will be eliminated."
Regarding the label of "traffic actor" (popular actor who attracts a lot of buzz), Zhang Ling He has his own understanding. "Of course I care about traffic [popularity], but to me, it's not a tool for monetization, but a form of self-affirmation." He stated fans' affection is an affirmation of his work, "but going forward, more works are needed to support this, rather than let popularity affect my main job."
He also shared that he cannot stand staying in the same place professionally: the idea that "I've had no change from last year to this year" is something he finds frightening. "If one day I can win an award, that would be recognition from the audience or my seniors. If one day I have greater popularity, more fans will support my dramas. But if next year's performances are in the same state as this year's, that would be too frightening."
When asked how he feels about being praised as "handsome", Zhang Ling He admitted, "I still feel a little awkward, a bit shy." And he believes that this kind of label creates a fixed image of a person, which "is not a good thing for me."
He has also often said that he hopes every fan is an independent individual: "They have their own lives and their own interests, and I am only a very small part of their lives. Maybe sometimes when they feel down, watching my work can make them happy. That's the healthiest kind of relationship I want to have with my fans."
Source: Red Star News
