ACTOR PROFILE OF Chén Zhéyuǎn (陈哲远)TABLE OF CONTENTS(chapter titles link directly, end of chapters have a "Back to Table" link)
Annex 1 - Text of the Madame Figaro interview of August 2023. Birthday celebration of October 29, 2023 (27 candles) Annex 2 - Text of the Harper Bazaar interview of October 2023 Annex 3 - Text of the ESQUIREfine feature of February 2024 Annex 4 Text and vlog of the 风尚志 (Fēng shàng Zhi) Travel feature of April 2024 Birthday celebration of October 28-29, 2024 (28th) Note: I have checked most links in March 2025 to erase or warn about those which do not work any longer. If you spot a link that doesn't work, you may mention it in comments, so I can try to find an alternate one or just warn about the now obsolete links. |
LATEST UPDATES OF THE PAGES March 29, 2025 Notes. I started this Profile back in June 2023, as an illustrated companion piece for Hidden Love drama, and expanded it as a companion piece for The Princess and the Werewolf, before deciding to move it here for the time being and dividing it into "chapters" (direct links provided through clicking on titles) - Pictures link to sources when still available. |
The Philippines fan group prepared in-city LED displays to celebrate Chén Zhéyuǎn's 28th birthday in 2024.
1/ BIODATA, family, pet, personality, nicknames
GiF from Hidden Love - Chén Zhéyuǎn (Duan Jiaxu)
"ID card" below from Chén Zhéyuǎn National Supporters Association 陈哲远全国后援会 Weibo.
NAME (a very meaningful one!):
- 陈 [Chén, a name which was also that of a state during the rule of the longest Chinese dynasty, Zhou dynasty, in ancient Chinese History c.1045-479 BC, and later, Chén was also 557-589 the name of one of "Southern Dynasties" whose descendants were highly valued in Tang dynasty, and included in the dynastic History Book of Chen. Monk Xuanzang's name was Chén Yī, he was the pilgrim sage who brought Buddhist scriptures from India and translated them to Chinese: he is the main character in the classic book Journey To The West...]
- 哲 [zhè/meaning "wise man"] as in 哲学 [zhéxué / "philosophy"];
- 远 [yuǎn/meaning "far, profound"] as in 永远 [yǒngyuǎn / "forever"}
A Chinese actor and singer managed by Gramarie entertainment, Chén Zhéyuǎn (CZY) made his acting debut in the 2017 youth series All About Secrets. In 2018, he made his big-screen debut in the comedy film Miss Puff. -- see more in next chapters, about his dramas and movies.
On January 12, 2024, he launched his new Weibo studio platform, accompanied by a short inspirational clip titled "Invisible Angel / How would you know you can fly unless you leap." (my GiF excerpt below, linked to the full video on YouTube)
Chén Zhèyuǎn is 180cm tall (5'10 ¾" close to 5'11") ; about 62 kg (136.4 lbs).
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Born on October 29, 1996, in Shēnzhèn 深圳市, Guǎngdōng, China, Chén ZhéYuǎn is Scorpio, Chinese zodiac Rat sign and Fire element "very energetic, and brave enough to face any difficulty and danger. Fire Rats are cordial and friendly to their friends but very strict with themselves." He is a rather private person. Except for sharing a few pictures of his childhood such as his riding a sculpture of a hippopotamus in April 2001 (to celebrate Children's day 2023.06.01), and of his big white cat Liùyī 六一 (6-1) We only know he was raised and educated in Shēnzhèn, graduating from the Department of Performance Arts of Shēnzhèn University. |
![]() CZY charming chuckle [Credit: GIF Posted by TOFU on JIANGHAVEN] | He has got distinctive big ears, which according to tradition is auspicious for wealth and prosperity! Indeed he isn't poor, if the data collected by some vloggers is correct : his fortune was estimated at 5 million USD, and he was said to own a collection of cars worth millions, several properties in China including a million dollar worth house which is his main residence in Beijing. All earned from hard work, since he is not known to be from a superrich family nor addicted to gambling. He appears very devoid of unhealthy habits : not shown smoking, drinking, or bingeing on anything, nor with tattoos or much piercing, and he likes to stay fit without excess bodybuilding or fasting. Despite having been at times a little shy, he has good social skills, making good friends and connections, and gaining faithful fans for whom he showed his care. He has been rumored with several co-stars, but relationships were never confirmed, and at A now unavailable video (in Chinese, no subtitles) showed his evolution physically from age 1 to 23, with a quick overview of the TV series and movies he participated in till 2018. He has a very expressive face as these compilations show: : #1, #2, #3 |
![]() | PETSHe likes cats and has rescued some, including Liùyī (on a 1st of June, hence its name), but was somewhat wary of dogs, (but only mock-scared in fact) until Zhào Lùsī 赵露思 introduced him to her pet dachshund DouDou. If CZY was an animal, he'd be a leopard, quick to catch his prey, said he in an interview! <--- Taking care of Liùyī, his big white cat. [Stills from Wēibó reposted to FB CZY Precious Boy fan page, re-cut and labeled by me] He takes it along frequently, like in this Weibo update of 24-10-01. and, below, CZY with Liùyī featuring as "special guest" in Dark Night and Dawn BTS (click on my GIF for full Weibo videoshow) On 2024-09-02, he was with a new pet, a white dog with blue eyes named Ā-Zàn "celebrating its birthday" ; some videos showed him playing with the dog under a spray of water a month before, and together with it in his car, at the time of shooting The White Olive Tree. He said he liked the puppy which was brought to the shoot of the drama from a pet shop, but had to think over if he could adopt it; his decision was taken when he saw how pitiful it looked in a cage as it had grown in the months of the shooting. When he can't take care of it, CZY's mother agrees to have it stay with her in Shēnzhèn. |
PERSONALITY :
In a 2022 interview, Chén Zhé Yuǎn told about his taking twice the MBTI test (Myers–Briggs Type Indicator of personality) and getting two different results : INFP "a person with a lot of ideas, but likely to be emotional" and INTJ. "an imaginative person". Both introvert types. When asked about how he is in reality, he always says the laughs are a cover, but in fact he is a "very calm person".
- "INFP - The Mediator: Idealistic with high values, strives to make the world a better place." ;
- "INTJ - The Architect: Highly logical, both very creative and analytical."
NICKNAMES :
His current nickname is "YuǎnYuǎn" 远远 : that's how he introduced himself on stage at a pep talk for students; although some biodata still has it as "Zhé". Victor Mǎ 马伯骞 called him familiarly Chén Gē 陈哥 (Brother Chén), while his ex co-star Shěn Yuè 沈月 called him in an interview : Xiǎo Chén 小陈. But asked about what name he likes his fans to use, in 2023 interviews after the dramas The Princess and the Werewolf and Hidden Love, he answered that he still likes his fans to call him simply Gēge. [Edit of March 2025, sorry, the interview link is not available any longer]
![]() | ![]() | Some fans jokingly referred to him as "Maruko" because of his hairstyle that reminded them of the manga character Chibi Maruko-chan. (picture from his vacation in Bangkok Thailand, Feb. 2024) [Edit of March 2025: the links to the pictures do not work any longer] |
This section last updated October 21, 2024 ; links checked March 29, 2025
Next : 2017-2023 RELEASED FILMOGRAPHY
2/ RELEASED 2017-2023 MOVIES AND DRAMAS
Chén Zhé Yuǎn said he always wanted to work in entertainment, since he was a child, so he first tried his luck in an iQiyi talent scouting contest "survival show" called King of Pop, when he was 19, in 2015, and joined the boy group Mr. Bio formed there, while seizing the opportunity to take part in other screen appearances, shows, dramas, and movies.
Achievement and recognition : #Chén Zhé Yuǎn won the Asia Pacific Popular Actor Of The Year 2023 award at iQiyi scream night 23.11.25 in Macau/Àomén 澳门. (Edit of March 2025: the short 2'23 with many snippets of footage and a speech where he introduced himself as YuǎnYuǎn / 远远) is not available any longer. But the full event in 2 parts remains. Full 2hrs event here: Part 1 and Part 2, with English subtitles. (CZY was the first to appear)
Chén Zhéyuǎn Dramas, Movies, selected videos
TV SERIES:[direct links to shows included; some may require subscribing to the platform to watch in full]English title, (date airing), original title | first airing platform ; CZY playing as (m) main, or (s) supporting, or (g) guest role
| MOVIES :
Bizarrely, perhaps erroneously, Viki (but not MDL or other sources) lists CZY as part of the supporting cast in a Taiwanese "special" TV movie, intially released in two parts: The Psychic Duo (2017) 胸性大發, about youths and ghosts. |
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2021 Our Secret
暗格里的秘密 [Àn gé lǐ de mìmì ] | MGTV / iQiyi, Viki, 24 episodes Director: Zhāng Xiào'ān 张笑安 , story from the novel “Secrets in the Lattice” by Ěr Dōng Tùzǐ 耳东兔子 . [shooting dates and locations: 2021.03.01- 2021.04.21 in Zhōngshān 中山 Guǎngdōng, aired 2021.08.10- 2021.09.02 on MGTV] "‘Our Secret’ is a 2021 television drama based on the Chinese novel 'Secrets in the Lattice' by Er Dong Tu Zi. During high school, Zhōu Sīyuè (周斯越) and transfer student Dīng Xiàn initially couldn't stand one another. They came to appreciate each other's strengths in their day-to-day interactions. Dīng Xiàn who was more interested in arts than in sciences, still followed Zhōu Sīyuè into the same Huáqīng college where he studied computer science. Their relationship had ups and downs, but it ended up as the love of a lifetime for them. -- Also see the Bilibili fan summary ![]() On Friends to Lovers drama | 2022 Mr Bad
我的反派男友 [Wǒde fǎnpài nányǒu] iQiyi, Viki, 24 episodes. Director: Lǐ Qīngróng 李青蓉 (previously directed Stop! Miss Hua and Go Go Squid) [shooting dates and locations : 2021.11.01- 2022.02.05 in Níngbō 宁波; distribution licence 2022.08.04; airing 2022.09.30- 2022.10.09 on iQiyi]- Trailer ‘Mr. Bad’ is a romantic comedy with a fantasy twist. Nán Xīng is an online budding novelist by evening and a publisher's assistant by day. She invents Xiāo Wúdí, a villain character who suddenly appears in real life and, from a wuxia world, morphs into a successful person in modern times. "It is funny, heartwarming, and suspenseful and will keep you entertained from beginning to end". |
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Cast, Characters, Crew (complete cast with biographies, incl. dubbers and child actors, links to Profile of FL Wú Xuānyí, character analysis, explanations of words, star mansion legends, birthday cake, book, making of, etc)
Additional : CZY interview about his role as Kui Mulang / Li Xiong 2023.08.07
Production intentions featurette.2023.07.20
Chén Zhéyuǎn had shared for CCTV6 thoughts about the dramas he performed in : this video had no English subtitles, but some well chosen representative footage (but the link is down in 2025). Janghaven contributor "mademoiselle" posted a rough summary translation on their "[C-Artist] Chén Zhéyuǎn 陈哲远" page (slightly edited) :
- "First time acting, he said he totally had no idea how to act and was terrified of the camera. A lot of people helped him and he learnt that acting was fun, so he carried on with it.
- Handsome Siblings was a breakthrough drama for him in the sense that his personality is the complete opposite of Xiǎo Yú'er. He is the kind of person who fears making mistake. He learnt to let go while playing Yú'er and as he became Yú'er, he became bolder in performing and braver, not fearing to make mistakes.
- [current project spy drama Dark Night And Dawn] He said that when he first entered the production, he felt like he didn't know how to act. All his previous experiences and what he learnt before are incompatible with this drama. He had to start afresh. It was painful but he's happy. Because there are many veteran actors in this drama, he could approach all of those actors and ask them for advice. They all helped him.
- [Work and life] He feels in crisis if he's free for too long. Maximum free time is 2 weeks and then he must do something like reading a script.
- [Accent] He is from Shēnzhèn and has Cantonese accent in his Mandarin, and sometimes his brain moves faster than his mouth (he stutters when this happens) or he has a slow reacton. He finds it challenging for line delivery and that compared to others, he'll have to work harder. "
His pairing with Zhào Lùsī in Hidden Love brought him much attention. In the C-pop news of July 2023 was this : "After the breakup of the “08133 WúLù kětáo 吴露可逃” drama couple (Zhào Lùsī/ Leo Wú from Love Like The Galaxy), many fans shifted their support to Zhào Lùsī and Chén Zhéyuǎn’s pairing and quickly named them “Yuǎn Xíng Bì Lù (远形毕露)” This demonstrates the immense charm of the new drama Hidden Love!" Both became friends on set. " Zhào Lùsī expressed that Chén Zhéyuǎn is an interesting, talented, and responsible actor, and working with him is enjoyable. Chén Zhéyuǎn also praised Zhào Lùsī as a smart, hardworking, and lovely actress, and working with her brings him happiness. -- Currently, Zhào Lùsī and Chén Zhéyuǎn have a normal colleague-friend relationship and no romantic involvement."
Next : 2024 DRAMAS, UPCOMING DRAMAS AND STILL UNRELEASED WORK
3/ 2024 DRAMAS AND UPCOMING DRAMAS
![]() | ![]() Chén Zhéyuǎn had a short talk to present the upcoming dramas he will be playing in, that are scheduled to air on iQiyi in 2024 notably Dark Night and Dawn and The White Olive Tree ; my GIF from the recording on Weibo, linked. |
The poster to the right side (from a Weibo fan page) listed all the unreleased dramas (as of March 2024) that Chén Zhéyuǎn acted in: 暗夜与黎明 (Dark Night and Dawn), playing as Lín Shàobái 林少白, 白色橄榄树 (The White Olive Tree), playing as Lǐ Zàn 李瓒, 青簪行 (The Golden Hairpin), playing as Yǔ Xuān 禹宣, 烽火流金 (Winner Is King), playing as Cháng Gēng 长庚 More about those below. | ![]() |
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SWORD AND FAIRY 4
Cast and voice-actor dubbers (v):
Note: ML and FL names credited "in no particular order" | also known as Chinese Paladin 4 or The Legend of Sword and Fairy 4 《仙剑奇侠传四》{xiānjiàn qí xiá chuán sì”]![]()
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暗夜与黎明![]()
| DARK NIGHT AND DAWN
Aired 2024, Sept.18 to Oct.7 on CCTV8 + Sept.18-Oct.4 on iQiyi. (September 18 is an important date in Chinese History, since in marks the beginning of the "War of Aggression by the Japanese" through the Mukden incident in 1931). [shooting dates and location 2023.07.10- 2023.08.23 in Shànghǎi]
Story : Lù Zhèngyáng, a member of the Communist underground, and Lín Shàobái, a policeman, first met after an explosion in 1943 in Shanghai. After 1949, Lù Zhèngyáng now on the city public security bureau recruits Lín Shàobái. They team up to crack cases involving enemy agents.
The series has its own Weibo page. Release license was for 39 episodes, but 1 was cut. Trailer on Weibo (1'04) 2023.09.21 and, together with a message by Chén Zhéyuǎn announcing the upcoming drama, a new Trailer on Youtube (1'20) 2023.12.15 -- (excerpts in GIF below). |
THE WHITE OLIVE TREEAiring from February 2, 2025 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Quick overview : 白色橄榄树 [Báisè Gǎnlǎn Shù]. initially 40 episodes, reduced to 38, was announced on iQiyi 2024 airing prevision as a high quality S+ drama. Producer: Hán Hào 韩颢 who already produced Wolf Warriors 2 (2017) and Winner is King (see below). Screenwriters : Hán Hào 韩颢 (also producer ; he also wrote for Winner is King). Yáng Qiānzǐ 杨千紫 is an author who wrote script for The Legends (2019) and Only For Love (2023 drama with Bai Lu and Dylan Wang). Complete cast and crew was still not disclosed on Baidu, as of 2024.02.23 but a Twitter post (picture below the Gifs in left hand column) disclosed some already, listed later on Baidu :
<-- My Gifs of booting and the search for FL. (from Twitter repost of Weibo and TikTok videos, adding text and merged). Story: Demolition expert and explosives engineer Lǐ Zàn 李瓒 meets Liangcheng TV reporter Sòng Rǎn 宋冉. They lose contact after a deadly bombing and after a time for recovery, find each other again to "plant white olive tree seeds together". The novel《白色橄榄树》by Jiǔ YuèXī (玖月晞) was described as a dark tragedy about a soldier and a journalist [-> translation into English] so the drama adaptation should, after much discussion, tweak the adaptation towards a happy end. "Lǐ Zàn is not just a fictional character, he means a lot to novel fans. They regard him as one of the heroes of the country!" Two actresses had been too afraid of the FL role: Zhāng Jìngyí declined and Wáng Yùwén almost left the production in a pinch, before Liáng Jié quickly stepped in. The shooting was scheduled for 150 days, from 2023.03.16 to 2024.01.13, in Sìchuān, Liángshān Yi autonomous prefecture, Chéngdū, Lèshān and Zìgòng. News and videos accelerated as of 2024.02.23 - iQiyi released a new video of Behind the scenes and making of footage (4 Gif snippets in left column and below) and cast was announced while pictures of the set were posted for the "city" on a hilltop, that was built for the drama, to look like the real war zone Dōngguó (Eastern country ) from the original novel . The location, rented for the set construction, and revealed to be in the south of Lèshān (bordering to Liángshān) on Douyin, has become a tourist attraction in 2024! One support actress, Florence Tan (who plays as Rina, Sà Xīn's mother), gave an interesting interview to asiaone in Nov.2023. ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | The Golden Hairpin[Qīng Zānxíng 青簪行]A TROUBLED DRAMA : This was an S+ (expensive, 400 million rmb) drama that got stopped in its tracks because of the scandal that ended with jailing of actor and singer Kris Wú. It was re-shot end of 2023, although not as early as the two weeks set aside for the Chén Zhéyuǎn part in September envisioned. Another controversy hit the costumes and accessories, deemed too close to Japanese, when foreign costumes are not allowed anymore in such costume "historical" dramas. The drama in the drama continued when Lín Gēngxīn 林更新 who initially had agreed to take on the part formerly done by Kris Wú, bowed out. He was finally replaced by Péng Guānyīng in Nov2023 (koalasplayground 2023.08.28, 2023.11.21 , 2024.01.13 for full story). The news were confirmed by several posts of January 2024 from Yáng Zǐ (who had finished her re-shot parts), Xuān Yán and Liú Yīhóng. Despite announcements that it would be aired in 2024 after the multiple re-shoots and despite having supposedly received its airing schedule on CCTV-8 at the end of October, to be exclusively broadcast on Tencent video, further delays pushed it off to 2025. (reports by Yu Haoling on MDL, Oct.11, 2024, and Yahoo, Oct.16, 2024) The official Weibo page of the drama was still empty on Feb.27, 2025. PRODUCTION, CREW AND CAST :
The novel was translated into English by Alex Woodend and published by Amazon Crossing (20 Feb. 2018) in a 302p edition, and it is possible to switch between reading the Kindle book & listening to the 9hrs 46 min Audible audiobook with Whispersync for Voice. It is narrated by Emily Woo Zeller and was published on same date as the translation. |
New Projects
Since "Love on the Turquoise land" did not pan out, Chén Zhéyuǎn studio seemed very secretive about giving information on his future projects after March 2024, preparing for a possible surprise. WAN XIN JI (possible English title "Legend of the Heart") looked like the one that could be carried out with CZY and Li Qin as leads from June 2024; rumors grew stronger, mentioned by Marcus in his 2024.05.29 reporting and in this article of 2024.05.26 (in Chinese). It became "Fated Hearts" and every day of shooting was recorded in "reuters" :
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Story : Fù Yīxiào, the female archer, accidentally fell off a cliff shortly after the battle of Pingling and lost all her memories. Prince Fèng Suí Gē had been shot by her, but when he met her again in Zhengnian Villa, he embarked with her on a journey to bring back her memories and uncover the conspiracy between their two countries. Directed by Chu Yui Bun 朱锐斌 (of Ashes of Love, The Long Ballad, Story of Kunning Palace, Blossoms in Adversity etc fame). Cast :
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Other pages : Baidu ; Douban | ||||||
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Projects discussed but not agreed :
* The Eternal Fragrance / Qian Xiang (千香) from the wuxia novel by Qian Xiang Yin (千香引, A Thousand Fragrances and Hundreds of Beauties) by Shi Si Lang (十四郎), at one time rumored as Love and Redemption 2. CZY was approached to play ML Lei XiuYuan ; but the production chose to pair Ju Jingyi 鞠婧祎 as FL with Song Weilong 宋威龙 as ML (nice video snippet here), and started filming with some hiccups from Nov.17, 2023 (wrap date still TBA on March 16, 2024, but cast and crew known) * Love on the Turquoise Land, which was selected into the 2021 Tencent Video film and television list for future projects, initially rumored Chén Zhéyuǎn as ML alongside Dilireba, while other rumors were pointing to other actors, and reporting that Chén Zhéyuǎn had dropped the project ; it snowballed into a heated debate around January 2024, and finally, the production decided to choose Chén Xingxu, to start filming around March 15, 2024 in Ningbo. * Inverted Fate / Gong Yu (攻玉 /Attack Jade), from a novel by Ning Long, historical romance with rumored Chén Zhéyuǎn and Bái Lù Lu, but not much was known about it, if and when it could get through in the thick catalogue of Youku projects that is being submitted to different possible cast. The rumors late 2023 was that Chén Zhéyuǎn and Bai Lu would not feature, but that Cheng Yi and Zhou Ye, next Yu Shuxin and Yun Shi or Zheng Yesheng were considered. As of September 2024, the new rumor is about Wang Xingyue and Li Landi (but nothing was confirmed yet). |
Synopsis: In order to wipe out a criminal syndicate, three young men who grew up together in Gardenia Lane battled wits and courage with a gang of criminals, and defeated evil with justice, courage and wisdom. Zhou Jin (an investigator from the Nancheng Public Security Bureau), Jiang Hansheng (a criminal psychology professor), and Jiang Cheng (an undercover policeman planted in the gang headed by the mysterious "Lao Xie"/ Old Scorpion) used new clues found on the banks of Tonghe River in Haizhou City, to clear an old case of five years past, which had caused the death of two special police officers (one of whom was Zhou Jin's brother). (rumored for Chén Zhéyuǎn by March 16, 2024 - but he was out of it by May). |
Shelved Project
Note1 : A news report gave some information in July 2023 about 5 dramas, Chén Zhéyuǎn was forecast to play in. But in Sept 2022, an FB post had remarked that "It's a pity that he got two S+ [high quality] dramas that have been buried : The Golden Hairpin (as 2ML) and The Winner Is King."
Links: Audio drama subtitled in English (beginning of story only). Answering a question during an interview, Chén Zhéyuǎn said that he had both read the Priest novel and listened to the audio drama before filming. (For those who would like to read the novel in English, a translated edition published by Sevenseasdanmei.com, available in two volumes, can be purchased also through Amazon as either hardcover or e-book.) | Winner is King烽火流金 Fēnghuǒ Liú Jīn The steampunk drama, from a novel by Priest, was previously projected to air on Tencent TV in May 2021, It is still "TBA", probably for long because it is a bromance. It had first changed Chinese name from "Shā Pò Láng" 杀破狼 to “ Fēnghuǒ Liú Jīn” 烽火流金 also known as "Fighting Fire and Flowing Gold" and it was decreased from 46eps to 40 eps. in May 2021.
Summary : In the age of the Great Liáng 大梁 Dynasty, the lives of the people were made convenient with steam-powered machines that run on a fuel named Violetstream Gold. But the Heavenly Wolf tribe waited for an opportunity to invade and reignite a war against Northern Xuān. In a small town, 12 years old Cháng Gēng, was saved from wolves by 19 years old Shěn Shíliù, and took him as his foster-father. Cháng Gēng later discovered that he was the fourth prince of Northern Xuān, and that Shěn Shíliù was Gù Yún, the commander of Xuān Tiě army who defeated the Heavenly Wolf tribe, and escorted Cháng Gēng to the capital city. Lǐ Fēng was the new Emperor or Northern Xuān, after the death of his predecessor, but his foundation was unstable. The ambitious Prince of Wèi was eyeing his throne, and created a crisis. Lǐ Fēng, wary of Gù Yún's military prowess, sent Gù Yún to guard the boarders. Cháng Gēng also chose to join the Línyuān Court, followed them to travel and experience life. After several years, he grew up into a talented person with ambition and a talent for governing, while Northern Xuān faced both internal and external problems. Cháng Gēng returned to the capital, and used his knowledge and new-found skills, assisting the Emperor in securing his reign. However, problems kept arising, such as rebellion by the inner court officials, the assassination of Lǐ Fēng and Jiāngnán being attacked by external forces. At last, Cháng Gēng managed to ascend the throne and resurrect Běi Xuān, fulfilling his vision of world peace. (adapted from a post on FB and dramawiki) |
Note2: Lots of details about recent and upcoming projects for7 dramas in this article (but the subtitles are rather bad in this video)
(*)Tán Jiàncì starred in the successful 2023 drama Lost You Forever, and end of year Love Me Love My Voice.
this section last updated March 30, 2025
Next : ENTERTAINER (Selected shows)
4/ ENTERTAINER - AMONG THE SHOWS
KEEP RUNNING Season 11Chén Zhéyuǎn also takes part in Youku variety shows, such as Keep Running 奔跑吧 Season 11, episode 2 (2023); in this 1/2 h video (subtitled in English) he appears after 15:00 taking part in a game as guest with Mǎ Bóqiān and Wayne Zhang/ Zhāng DàDà together with regular members Bái Lù, Angelababy, Sòng Yǔqí, Zhōu Shēn, Shā Yì, Lǐ Chén, Adam Fan /Fàn ChéngChéng, Ryan Zheng/ Zhèng Kǎi : [Remark : ZLS is featured as guest in the first part of the video, which is from a different episode 12 of 2022, but ZLS and CZY do not appear together.] YOUTH PERIPLOUS Season 4had Chén Zhéyuǎn as regular member of the show in 2023, in which he met guest Luō Yīzhōu (ML in the ZLS 2023 drama GenZ] in ep.11. Taking part were regular members Wáng BǎoQiáng, Yáng Dí, The 8, Zhāng Yītóng, Zhāng YánQí, and guests Fàn ChéngChéng and Lǐ Ruòtiān/Kai. Full episode subtitled in English . -- Trivia snippet caught by attentive c-drama and shows aficionado BubbleNSqueak : "Jùn [Wén Jùnhuī] from Seventeen mentioned in an episode that he and CZY knew each other from high school!" THE DETECTIVE'S ADVENTURES S 2(萌探探探案第二季) June 11 and 17, 2022, Chén Zhéyuǎn was a regular member of episodes 10-12 (iQiyi). Picture from Ep.12 (Full episode is available, subtitled in English). Every episode was based on a classic drama. The seven detectives obtained clues from unreasonable scripts and amusing games. | ![]() ![]() |
200+ people lined up at the airport to welcome Chén Zhéyuǎn come to prepare the recording of the "Great Detective" aka Who's The Murderer (大侦探 #9) in Chángshā on March 3, 2024.
![]() ![]() ![]() | WHO'S THE MURDERER, S9(大侦探 第九季) New show episode #17 filmed 17-19 March 2024. Airing Apr 10-11, 2024 on Mango TV (To watch on Mango TV Mystery channel (DIRECT LINK) on Youtube on April 12-13 with English subtitles, or with MGTV membership, 10-11 April ) Seasons 1 (2016) through 7 (2022) of WTM could be watched but did not feature Chén Zhéyuǎn. "In a prologue, the cast is introduced to the settings and suspects of a murder case for the new episode. The cast then chooses their role in the episode as a particular suspect or detective. Other than the detective, each person is given detailed information about the suspect they are portraying, including their personality, alibi, relationship to the victim and other suspects, history, criminal motive, etc. Every suspect can conceal information until explicitly questioned by other suspects or the detective, but only the criminal can lie"
Full subtitled 9'10 clip from the show. |
A collection of memes cut from Who's The Murderer S9. (from this Weibo account)
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Teacher "Doesn't hurt" (哲不痛 Zhé bù tòng - other posters and characters' name here in the Discussions page of the show) investigating clues, black feather, black candle.... (Note: the links to the picture below don't work any longer; my GIF are the only memory)
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![]() | GAMES OF CUBEs : THE NEW UTOPIA(Mo fang xin shijie) was shot in Chángshā over 8x2 recordings of two teams in March and April, 2024 (Chén Zhéyuǎn was recorded first on March 18, then again on April 5-6, 15-16, 2024). Started airing in May;subtitled ep.1-2 available on YouTube. (1h26') |
![]() ![]() | HELLO SATURDAY with Chén Zhéyuǎn was recorded on April 24, 2024 in Chángshā for episodes Ep. 18, and Ep. 36 (Simultaneously, groups of fans staged a series of support events by projecting pictures and ads on giant screens and lighting a message on the Window of the World Ferris wheel) - Airing 2024 September 28 .![]() |
![]() ![]() | RANDOM TOUR / TRAVEL ANY DOOR (旅行任意门) The innovative travel reality show combined blind boxes to find out where to go, and competitions between two teams to create a complete travel guide showcasing the characteristics of six cities and start a "PPT war". The guests spent two days in each city, with a presentation of their experience on second day. They were welcomed by the CBT deputy directors of the cities: Jiāng Jié 江杰, of Xīshuāngbǎnnà; Yáng Yongqi of Zhāngzhōu 漳州 in Fújiàn; Chángshā, Húnán ; Yínchuān 银川, Níngxià ; and in late May 2024, in Lánzhōu 兰州, Gānsù. The outcome was decided by the directors of the cultural and tourism bureaus of the six major cities and the public through voting. The first leg was recorded on May 7, 2024 in Xīshuāngbǎnnà, around the fun of the traditional water splashing festival. Normally held in April around Thai New Year, water splashing has become an attraction for the Dài autonomous prefecture. "This year's water-splashing festival was held from April 13 to 15 in Xīshuāngbǎnnà , and featured various cultural activities each day, such as releasing sky lanterns, traditional dance performances and so on. On the last day of the festival, locals dressed in ethnic costumes celebrated the festival by splashing water on each other." (Xinhua news).
Chén Zhéyuǎn, Gǔlì Nàzhā 古力娜扎, Ryan Chéng Lěi 丞磊, Leon Zhāng Yúnlóng 张云龙 , Áo Zǐyì 敖子逸 Yáng Dí 杨迪, explored the beauty of China as "travel recommendation officers" and embarked on a cultural journey. While traveling, they were welcomed by local tourist authorities, also combined their own ideas, to design travel strategies that best showcase local cultural characteristics and provide emotional value to young people, showcasing China's diverse cultural charm and firm national confidence to the world! Pilot episode aired June 6, 2024 on Mango TV and Hunan satellite TV, and the next 12 episodes were released every Thursday. |
This section last updated March 29, 2025
Next : SINGER - FANDOM DATA - SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS AND RISING FAME
5/ SINGER - MUSIC
![]() [2 GIF made by me, recutting Youtube videos] | ![]() |
Chén Zhéyuǎn started his career as singer and dancer, and got a "Yuǎn Bǎo" idol fandom name . His fame has grown steadily, despite he was not the most well-known "idol" since his 2015 debut in the boy group Mr Bio, spawned by the iQiyi "survival show" King of Pop. He remembers to this day his painful audition at 19 years old in 2015 when he sang Eason Chan [ 陈奕迅/Chén Yìxùn]'s song Hǎojiǔ bùjiàn (Long time no see) (clip of the audition) But the clip shows him also attempting a daring number after a very short practise, when he chose to dance in a comedic fashion on Exo's Growl!! (original of that difficult and remarkable 2013 Exo number here/ Chinese version here). Was that what secured him a spot in the new boy band Mr Bio, then? Probably.
"Judge: 'If I say you can be popular with your visuals will you be happy? ' 'You’re not suitable for singing, but you can practice.. your voice is pretty clear... ' In the end, the judge gave him a [positive] pass " ---- There was also a fun "dance compilation" [2025 edit: sorry: that link is not working any longer]
The Chén Yìxùn song is not the only one that CZY likes but can't sing : in 2018 he liked the ZLS song 'Falling into a sea of Love" in Oh! My Emperor! drama enough to use it on his Douyin page . But when he was supposed to sing it in the karaoke scene of Hidden Love, in 2022, he was so shy to be caught sounding like a honking goose, if he tried without technical help from auto tune, that he was cut before being heard !
He may be rightfully bashful about singing out-of tune, yet he can be courageous and sing his heart out like in a now disappeared video of him singing Hacken Lee's "Half-Moon Serenade" (lyrics MV here) in Cantonese. :-)
And at times, he can do really well, such as for the "Hunan Satellite TV Happy Night" of June 18, 2024, where he sang sweetly "Forever Star" from the Hidden Love OST initially sung by Zhāng Yīháo 张洢豪. He once said in interview that he could not sing it! But he proved that he had improved very much, not shy of singing on that night, before performing with Victor Ma 《龙拳 Dragon Fist》:
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He did sing several OST songs of dramas he was playing in :
He also performed Silence Wang's Little Star for an awards show. |
The following compilation shows that he indeed likes music and fun, even if he needs "technological help" off and on :
So there was no reason to blame him for having used some "help" when he went out to sing and dance "Rosemary" (MV with pinyin and English translation) with Chéng Xiāo 程潇 on the 2025 New Year's eve night ; he always tries his best to satisfy audiences, and if there is a ban in China on lip syncing for commercial shows, those events did not count as such anyway. His voice can be very pleasant, and he is always graceful, whatever he wears, so many just laughed it off, defending him, sitting back and just enjoying !
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The group included 7 members when it was lauched on 2015.09.10: Zhū Xīngjié, Zhōu Yànchén, Zhōu Ruì, Yáng Zhōnglín, Lǐ Zhīfán, Luò Míngjie and Chén Zhéyuǎn. It "silently disbanded" later. |
Here are some glimpses of CZY "wild youth" as member of "Mr Bio" incl. the infamous audition for King of Pop that he was embarrassed about in the 2023 live stream with his co-stars from Hidden Love.
Shěn Yuè showed she knew a lot about CZY (in a now unfortunately unavailable video), with whom she had appeared in entertainment shows before Mr Bad. | ![]() |
FANDOMFANDOM NAME AND COLOR:Yuán Bǎo 元宝 (ingots)same sound as “Yuǎn“bǎo 远宝 (*)
| (EMERGING STAR ..... |
![]() ![]() As of Jan.19, 2024, CZY's brand new studio Weibo had 46,000 fans following ; rising to 54,000 on Feb.23, 2024. | His Weibo link ( 陈哲远-) reported 12.233 million followers ( 粉丝1223.3万) in July 2023, an increase of about 2 million since the same period in 2022. [One month later on August 10, 2023, the number had risen to 13.417 i.e. an increase of some 180,000 new ones; six months since, in Feb.2024, it stands at 13.88 million followers] He also has a Dǒuyīn 抖音 account [similar to TikTok but in Chinese and reaching to Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam also]. The pictures of his work, travel etc were often relayed on the fandom Instagram account (deleted now) that had over 737,000 followers (2023.09.17; increased from 537k in August) across the globe. Since Jan.12, 2024, he has a new studio Weibo (1间工作室): "From now on, @1 Studio will accompany @陈智元- and let’s try the infinite possibilities together.", The first posts were accompanied by the inspirational clip "Invisible Angel / How would you know you can fly unless you leap)". |
(*) Learn more about the yuánbǎo or sycee, as a traditional auspicious symbol used in Chinese New Year decorations, and as currency and treasure in Ancient China. The size and shape of yuánbǎo could actually be varied : ingots, bars, even coins like this Ming dynasty one (below, and information about it linked; it is not the only coin that carries a yuánbǎo name, there is also the Chunhua Yuánbǎo pictured to the right below which had an inscription in emperor Tàizng's valued calligraphy ); and the metal was also diverse : gold, silver, copper... But the coins were not considered as yuánbǎo per se, since they had to be stringed together to be exchanged for the proper, usually boat shaped yuánbǎo. As Baidu explains : "Yuánbǎo originated in the Táng Dynasty. In the early Táng Dynasty (780~783), there were records of using silver to pay large amounts of horse money (i.e. money to buy horses). It has also been confirmed from the unearthed treasures that silver was used in the Táng Dynasty. The "silver collar" looks like a boat on its back and looks like a case (tabletop) on its face. The term "silver collar" as "Yuánbǎo" began in the Yuán Dynasty. In the third year of the Yuán Dynasty, the silver from Pinghuaiku (the national bank at that time) was melted into "ingots". Any weight up to 50 taels was called "Yuánbǎo". It also means "treasure of the Yuán Dynasty". Note : the tael weight unit was fixed in China at 50 grams (1 3/4 oz.) of standard silver in 1959. Before, it could vary... |
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Today, yuánbǎo come in even more varieties (even paper, to burn as offerings to the "other world"!), as its uses for fengshui and rituals. The character 宝 means treasure, and is also used in the endearing word 宝贝 [Bǎobèi]: Baby. -- The fandom name is thus fitting for a wide variety of people ! |
Some Weibo and fan pages to watch :
Super topic Weibo ; 陈哲远全国后援会 (Chen Zhe Yuan National Supporters Association weibo page) ; 发疯天赋家 (Crazy Genius weibo page) ; 掉落在橙子园的小书包 (The small schoolbag dropped in the orange garden weibo page, with CZY schedule calendars) ; Apricity Chen Zheyuan Only Focus on 陈哲远 (Twitter) ; Chen Zheyuan Zi (Twitter)
MANGO TV Weibo page
(this section last updated 2025.03.29)
Next : CONFERENCE
Back to Table of contents link
6/ CONFERENCE - TALKS
Chén Zhéyuǎn, in addition to work as actor and entertainer, has also been called upon to do serious talks, such as this one, sponsored by universities, learning, media companies, for the "The Power of Youth" Season 2, Issue 5 - series : Actor Chén Zhéyuǎn gave a talk titled "Youth is invincible" (now unfortunately unavailable any longer) after introducing himself as YuǎnYuǎn, and used less humor, more serious and relevant examples to inspire the youth about strategies to achieve their life goals. (in Chinese, no English subtitles).
Here's a condensed report of this piece : Chén Zhéyuǎn shared with the audience three short stories that had a profound impact on him, and these three small stories really happened to him He has benefited to this day of their influence. However, what he valued the most was his second short story. It started from a movie he watched, that impressed him, not only for the plot and form of the movie, but also for the acting The performance of the actor fully demonstrated the emotions that the male protagonist should have, and they were released just right. Chén Zhéyuǎn was in awe of this kind of acting skills. This movie was "Who fell in love with him first", and the male protagonist of this movie was Qiū Zé [邱澤; Roy Chiu Tse, Taiwanese actor, singer, and racing driver, who made his debut in 2002 Starry Starry Night. He later played in the 2020 Detective Chinatown drama with Chén Zhéyuǎn].
Not long after watching this movie, he was offered a part in a movie that was divided into several parts. Qiū Zé was the hero of the first few ones, and Chén Zhéyuǎn was in the next ones, so they had no chance to meet on set. But the director invited the cast to his birthday party. Chén Zhéyuǎn, who had always been introverted, was tongue-tied, and only in the end, managed to approach Qiū Zé, to express his admiration for him, and ask him for a piece of advice about acting.
Qiū Zé replied: This is actually very simple. Look at the script of the play that will be performed the next day, and then come up with ten performance methods in your mind, and show the director those next day. If ten are not enough, you can prepare twenty. There is always a director who will be satisfied, when you do this, and you will be successful.
Chén Zhéyuǎn at first thought such efforts, to make the characters in the play come to life, were too difficult. Nevertheless, what Qiū Zé added impressed Chén Zhéyuǎn. Qiū Zé said: "You must always remember a sentence, this sentence is called "youth is invincible". You are so young now that you have to try boldly , to fail boldly, it does not matter if you try and fail, no one will blame you who are so young. Who didn’t go through a youthful stage, who didn’t go through failure after failure? So, you needn't be afraid, you must remember that youth is invincible. "
Reflecting about this sentence, Chén Zhéyuǎn thought it was indeed very reasonable, and the challenge became interesting. In the end, Chén Zhéyuǎn concluded that : what we see as failures are just setbacks. The real failure is : not even daring to take the step of trying. That first step opens to infinite possibilities, even if we do not achieve the results we expected. But on the road of trying, we will definitely grow, and that is enough, he hoped. He concluded by saying that his own [CZY] acting skills were getting better and better, and that he hoped Qiū Zé would bring more surprises. He once again expressed his belief that everyone who bravely builds their dreams will gain something. " (adapted from a Sohu article in Chinese)
On May 4, 2024, it was rumored that Chén Zhéyuǎn might take part in the special Youth Day show (which eventually chose a dozen of other performers including the Shěnyáng conservatory of music inspired by Tang costumes and instruments, Zhōu Shēn, Máo Bùyì who illustrated the reaching for stars efforts in teaching the young, Zhōu Yǔtóng, Bái Yǔ & Sòng Yì... to sing and dance in between short videos showcasing the achievements and hopes of the young generation, about different technologies used in widely varied fields (industry, protection of cultural relics in Dūnhuáng, Tsingtao beer brewing, military... in tune with "Xí Jìnpíng thought").
Chén Zhéyuǎn had prepared a short speech in answer to a question (and also a snippet of song) but these were finally deleted from the Weibo account since CCTV did not choose them for inclusion in the show perhaps to keep it within a shorter time frame. Some unofficial snippets were still posted to YouTube and Twitter, including a short translation of the speech (copy below, before the snippets were deleted there as well) :
![]() | "Q: What did you look like when you were 19 ? ChenZheyuan : My 19th year sounds pretty recent, but come to think of it it was already eight years ago . Yeah, it was eight years ago... And then , At that time, I was probably as confused as most people. Having just entered the entertainment industry when I was 19 years old, I was confused at the time, because I didn’t know what I was good at , what I was suitable for. I didn’t know whether it was singing or acting and it was my first exposure to acting. At that time, I wanted to try more because I didn’t know what I was good at and what I liked. [But] I was brave enough to try if I liked it. Don't be afraid of failure. Whatever you do will be right." (Apricity Chen Zheyuan Only Focus on 陈哲远) |
Next : WORK AS MODEL AND ADVERTISING
7/ ADVERTISEMENT & MODELING
As a tall and handsome actor, Chén Zhéyuǎn has been sought after to act as ambassador for top brands, including Shiseido skin care. He also had ads for other products such as a skin toner called Genuine Namir (an essence water made with yeast & plant extract that applies as a toner for daily use, and as a sheet mask for skin repair), Gucci and Ferragamo fashion, bags and shoes, or even cat food (unfortunately the nice Jialezi golden spoon ad video is not available any longer) and milk ! (He was announced as the new brand Ambassador of Yuè Xiān Huó milk in April 2023!) He also was on the cover of Madame Figaro magazine in December 2022, with an accompanying short video ; as well as, in September 2023, for the "August" issue of the magazine (see Annex)!
On March 11, 2024, he drew crowds of fans despite the rain, in Shenzhen, to the Gucci Ancora show where he was taking part. GIFs below of the long lines of fans who displayed a banner with his name ; and of the sweet Gucci Tiger sweater and bag he wore in the days leading up to the event:
![]() My GIFs from cr.net footage, reposted on a Weibo page, and merged with pictures from another Weibo page ; from other merged footage from Weibo, X and pictures on Youtube shorts . Gramarie March 12 short 36' video, with stack of cards. | ![]() ![]() |
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Ad for the Shenlan SL03 featured in Hidden Love. Ad for Yuè Xiān Huó 悦鲜活 milk to the left, stating : Youth "philosophy" has its own freshness! Welcome Chén Zhéyuǎn to become the spokesperson of Yuè Xiān Huó brand, youth is about chasing light and chasing dreams, freshness is the essence of youth . Follow Yuè Xiān Huó Official Account , send "Chén Zhéyuǎn", and drink better fresh milk with the spokesperson, Yuè Xiān Huó~ |
![]() ![]() | Chén Zhéyuǎn's ads for skincare products are very effective. In addition to Shiseido and other brands, he is the face of other high end brands. In February 2024, he became the new China region brand spokesperson for Age20, with a poster proclaiming him "New Global Muse". The Korean company was impressed by his 18.42 million fans on Chinese SNS (social networking services) channels such as Weibo, Xiao Hongshu and Douyin. On Feb 22, a message was sent that "Currently, AGE 20’s products are out of stock now and YuanBaos have to wait till 27th to restock again . Brand didn’t provide enough stock" and went on to publish a letter of apology! He followed up with a short address about Age20 products, on March 7, 2024, on their Weibo. |
The footage (unavailable now) of the ALLOVE high jewelry launch on 2023.08.22, Chinese Valentines Day Qi Xi, showed CEO Mr Ling presenting him with a precious purple color phoenix brooch for his future girlfriend, which CZY gracefully accepted before he got a blue brooch pinned to his jacket (among the news reposted from his Weibo and xiaohongshu, on this REEL from an FB fan page ) My Gif made from stills and cuts from videos, showing before and after receiving the brooch in Shenzhen. He was still wearing it, when he met his fans (vocally wishing him their best for Qi Xi), after flying to Shanghai late in the night. He kindly took their letters and gracefully allowing a selfie of him for a fan. All this when his next day was already booked with a long promotion for Shiseido beauty care products. | ![]() |
![]() | Chén Zhéyuǎn was the cover of FIGARO Men August Issue magazine 2023 He was Madame Figaro Homme cover model, with pictures, reels, and in-depth interviews, for the August issue! Look at the Photoshoot reel (on FB) and the "Day Breaker" one, with this mention: The waves are turbulent under the blue sea, and in the long galaxy, my breath waxes and wanes with the stars. (My Gifs from picture and YouTube repost of the interview -click on pictures to listen & view) |
THE TEXT OF THE INTERVIEW is posted in appendix after the Profile.
[2024-02-06] ESQUIREfine issue of Promising Young Men, February 2024. Cover Story | Chen Zheyuan: It’s all in my heart : Just like the launch promotion for "Handsome Siblings" that is still pinned to the top of his Weibo. Although it was already 4 years ago, when he thinks about it, he still remembers the purity of it at that time. | "Compared with the "childhood", when he kept a lot of emotions in his heart, the present Chén Zhéyuǎn can open himself more bravely. Sometimes, he will take the initiative to chat with people he knows, and sometimes he will even take a step forward and talk in the street with people he doesn't know at all. These scenes were things that he never dared to imagine, but after trying it, It didn’t seem like anything. Gradually, they all became support for his performance, making it easier for him to understand various characters with different experiences." "The coming and going of people in front of me is just a temporary hustle and bustle, @陈泽元- I am becoming more and more aware of what I really care about. ![]() ![]() |
[2023.09.06] Chén Zhéyuǎn Weibo update: "Put love into action and reshape the rules.
“Just like #FILA helping global multi-field athletes to innovate and win the championship, practicing #DoMoreOfWhatYouLove minimalist concept gave me infinite inspiration to face challenges. I am very happy to be FILA brand ambassador. Let’s start the next 50 years of legendary journey together with #FILAYouDon’tKnow “
On March 8, 2024, he did a live-stream and photo-shoot for GQ magazine. ![]() | (Left : GIF from Weibo+ below : GIF from the snippets of Chen Zheyuan coming to the event and of the pictures, as reported on Marcus Sim's YT channel.)![]() |
From Gramarie Weibo (some commenters pointed out that CZY has his own studio, so these shots might be better there ; there is a collection of photos on CZY studio Weibo)![]() From FB, some pictures of Chén Zhéyuǎn fashion. ETRO 2024 S/S Badge Pattern evening jacket and trousers ; Piaget possession necklace, bracelet and rings, turned into a GIF: | ![]() |
My GIF selecting snippets from the 4 professionally shot short videos titled "On The Road": Moments ; Encounters ; Wandering ; Miracle (full videos linked to these titles)![]() Visiting the souk, the town, seafront, and the desert ; playing the oud, drinking tea, spotting Aladin's lamps, fine rugs, water pipes, hawks, camels, and lizards. ![]() Dubai Royal Nature Reserve Al Marmoom, Bab Al Shams Desert Resort Dubai, SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences | ![]() Modeling for Gucci and other fashion brands. A short but memorable trip! |
August 2024 issue of L'Officiel Hommes (from FB fan pages) + 2 mins video link![]() | ![]() |
This section last updated October 2, 2024, links checked 29 March 2025
Next : SPORTS LIKES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
8/ SPORTS LIKES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Chén Zhéyuǎn is known to be good at many sports, and picked up roller skating and skateboarding easily on the set of Hidden Love.
BALL GAMES
He is fond of basket ball, badminton, and football.
ARCHERY
He is also an excellent archer, hitting bull's eye 3 times in a row and winning a gold medal at the IQIYI 2019 Fan Fiesta (2019) 2019-07-14 summer sports carnival, a 6h35' event that can still be watched on iQiyi . ( WinWin of WayV was taking part also in archery, and was among two who flanked ZLS on podium, on the full iQiyi recording where CZY received a gold medal at 5:3110 )
To the left, Chén Zhéyuǎn in SuperNovae games 2020 where he shot 3 arrows in bullseye [ turned into a GIF by me]. The games were held in July for 3 days, in Suzhou Sports Center. Chén Zhéyuǎn was competing in archery and in e-games. Full 16 eps recording with English subtitles is available on WeTV. (CZY started 15m archery competition in Ep2, 00:55:37, scoring 9-9-8 [Lǐ YúnRuì 李昀锐, "Yuan Shen" from LLTG was defending champion] ; Final round Day 1, 01:24:28 competing against Hé Chǎngxī 何昶希 [Gui Bai in "Romance of a Twin Flower"]) Interestingly, although not surprisingly, since these games were designed to showcase celebrities' skills at sports, Chén Zhéyuǎn already had crossed paths (still not getting acquainted and not eye contacting or interacting otherwise) with at least two of his next co-stars in those games, where they only exchanged passing glances and did not talk together yet:
[But long before, CZY had first been cast to play in dramas and a movie with two other idol friends and close colleagues of Wú Xuānyí : Chéng Xiāo, first (she was Wú Xuānyí, 's friend since their debut in 2016 as WJSN Cosmic Girls in South Korea), and next, Rainbow Xú Mèngjié, who, like Wú Xuānyí, was a member of Rocket Girls 2018-2020. Although probably not by design, four of CZY's leading ladies appear to have been friends: Chéng Xiāo, Rainbow Xú Mèngjié, Wú Xuānyí and Shěn Yuè .] |
FISHING
Finally, let's not forget Chén Zhéyuǎn's passion for deep sea fishing. In a video of an outing on a yacht (now unavailable) in the period of Chinese mid-autumn festival 2022, we could see CZY happily relaxed and excited when the fish was caught ! He boarded the ship wrapped up in a long white billowy shirt, a bucket hat tied under the chin to avoid it being blown away by the wind and a black mask that he took off for fishing. When the ship left the harbor, he had fun stretching his arms Titanic-style, at the prow. After a successful catch and a puzzling thing dragged up from the depths, he collapsed on a bench, breathing in the air, mock-acting as if he had been heavily working and was now exhausted.
(generic GIF reminding of CZY fishing style)
Next : FOOD LIKES
9/ FOOD likes
Although he is known to like meat (despite playing a vegetarian werewolf in the Princess and the Werewolf!), Chén Zhéyuǎn is very diet conscious and once posted pictures illustrating 9 April days of health vegetarian meals among which his favorite was "scrambled eggs with tomatoes". His preferred fare specialties are : burgers, pettitoes (pig's trotters) on rice, stewed beef meatballs Chaoshan style, steamed fish head with diced hot red peppers, sauteed bullfrog with pickled peppers. He can also cook chicken wings with soy sauce, dumplings, and noodle dishes, with sausage (as he really did in Hidden Love). But he dislikes snacks and mustard.
Nevertheless, he can eat with gusto :
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My GIFs from shorts videos, CZY social media, and an easy recipe for Chaoshan meatballs (潮汕牛肉丸 Cháoshàn niúròu wán). The complete process involves hours of pounding and a long expertise in turning out the meat balls, making the appropriate broth to steam them in, and sauces, but it is a signature dish of Cháozhōu 潮州 (Teochew) culture, notably in southeastern Guǎngdōng province, and has been praised in leading newspapers.
ANECDOTE : ROSY-ROUND INFATUATION ?
![]() | "A Rose is a Rose..." and Rosy chose it | 🔘圆(yuán =round) | ![]() |
Chén Zhèyuǎn posted a snapshot of his favorite meatballs and food on his social media page on 2023.09.14. It had not gone unnoticed that Ròu -Si is one pronunciation of Zhào Lùsī 's "English name" (Rosy). So, tongue-in-cheek, the first CP name was coined as 肉圆子 [ròu yuánzi] (meatballs) before simply becoming YuǎnLù 远 露. When she next day, at the Teenie Weenie event, was asked about her present favorite food, she answered "肉圆子!" three times : it was clear that she was deliberately making a play on words with CZY's "friend name" Yuǎn and reviving the former CP name. (below, cuts from linked video snippet of ZLS event.) |
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Since the drama Hidden Love finished its first airing, the two have been multiplying hints and signals about sweetness: exchanging phones to record sweet short videos, wearing same or evocative jewelry, mentioning their shared star sign (Scorpio) and its strong ties to love attachments, him wearing a Tiffany rose brooch on his lapel (see more about those in the Modeling section) and accepting a purple (ZLS fandom color) Allove phoenix brooch fit for weddings "as a gift for his "future" girlfrend. She had also, before Qi Xi festival (Chinese Valentines day) gleefully sung a snippet of the chorus of Temptation of Wolf (an old song by the Phoenix Legend duo of a Hunanese and an Inner Mongolian) seeming to seize the opportunity of a beauty brand event to double it with a viral hint to her ex co-star's latest airing drama (The Princess and the Werewolf), despite she had no part in it. CP fans were thrilled to notice that she wore blue colors (symbolic of Yuǎn fandom), even changing her phone case to that color. Just before the meatballs answer, she had mentioned preparing gifts for friends with an upcoming birthday, confirming that she and friend were Scorpio (CZY is born on October 29) and agreeing (again!) that Scorpios have a strong affinity with faithful love.... As it was put, "After the breakup of the “Wu Lu Ke Tao” couple (Zhao Lusi VS Leo Wu [in the wake of the success of the drama Love Like The Galaxy]), many fans shifted their support to Zhào Lùsī and Chén Zhèyuǎn’s pairing and quickly named them “Yuǎn Xing Bi Lù (远形毕露)” or for short, YuǎnLù CP, with the success of the drama Hidden Love. But time has come and gone, and this now seems to have been just skillfully keeping the Hidden Love CP fire stoked for the audience of the drama they filmed together, by letting the rumor fly high. |
![]() | As months went by, each went on to new projects : ZLS filming a new costume drama from November (The Legend of Pearl Girl 珠帘玉幕, with Liu Yuning as ML), after her lavish Lululand birthday in Chengdu, while her latest xianxia drama aired the following month. Chen Zheyuan had already gone from one drama filming to another : The White Olive Tree pairing with Liang Jie (see movie section above), celebrating his own birthday (see "Birthday Revels" after the Profile), also in Sichuan where the action was shot. They were far too busy with their participation in TV shows, advertising and modeling duties etc, to keep up that CP hype. Especially after ZLS was promoted to new global brand ambassador, for "WeTV 2024 always more" in September 2023. Later, ZLS was promoting her xianxia drama The Last Immortal with new "sweet CP" pictures of Wang Anyu with whom she had filmed the previous year.... The schedules of CZY and ZLS were very full, also with awards receiving, where they appeared separately on stage, CZY together with Bai Lu (she is a good friend of ZLS: this is a small "stage family"). |
Anyway, nobody will complain for having been smiling, dreaming, be surprised at their daring, and look at the sweet mock-hidden message exchanges with fondness. We can still have a thought about it while enjoying Yuan's favorite dish of Chaozhou meatballs, lol ! |
And now? Well, let's see what he'll munch on, next ! There was this for Yuanxiao Jie, Lantern festival day 2024.02.24 (who doesn't like tangyuan?) from his 绿洲 oasis weibo account , and randomly from the web, a nice recipe to make them at home : https://www.ohmyfoodrecipes.com/tang-yuan/
He also does like ice-cream (which featured famously in Mr Bad) but for some reason, buying a cone can be as treacherous as walking on foreign streets in April 2024 (full video of the ice cream tease : click on GIF below):
Eating in Dubai, April 2024 :
this section last edited 2024.04.18/10.21
Next : HUMOR AND SERIOUSNESS
10/ HUMOR AND SERIOUSNESS
Despite appearing goofy and gangling at times, that does not mean Chén Zhéyuǎn cannot learn fast and perform efficiently. The archery video shows how steady his focus can be, and in this mammoth BTS video of 35 minutes about Hidden Love, from 22:34 , we could watch him playing football, pick up learning roller skating and skateboard... He can also drive, ride bikes and motorcycles, even help out as was shown in a BTS giving a lift on bike to director, and in a motorized cart, to a full group of colleagues! We know he can sail, he will certainly drive armored vehicles in his upcoming dramas, but I'm unsure he can fly a plane or a rocket-ship too, although he'd surely make a fine Superman !
SERIOUS AND WISE
An interview (no subtitles, but made private and unavailable in 2025) of 2022 showed him mostly straight-faced talking about his work and answering many questions.
He can be self-deprecatory and humble, always listening attentively to advice and not intruding in conversations, but thinking about what is said and how to answer. But he has learned how to lighten the mood with his laughter and jokes.
![]() | He values his friends, and went all the way to support Tán Jiàncì 檀健次 and Zhāng Jìngyí 张婧仪 in their movie "I Miss You" aired March 8, 2024 : " Chén Zhéyuǎn's Studio showing some major love by booking the entire movie theater to support the film 'I Miss You' starring #Tán Jiàncì and #Zhāng Jìngyí. What a supportive brother! 💙 " ( March 8, 2024 ) To watch that movie (which does not feature CZY), online in wait for theater release, click here. (but make sure to have a good ad blocker turned on, as some reported annoying redirections there! ) |
In addition to the conference he gave about "Youth is Invincible" (above in #6), Chén Zhéyuǎn has also contributed to advertisement for fund drives for those who need help.
![]() ![]() | [2023.09.05] Chen Zheyuan weibo update: “A colorful childhood should not be a silent movie, and a child's world should not be silent. On China Charity Day, join me in awaken little ears to let them hear the future with love and share a beautiful childhood. In philanthropy festival, support @Listening Project to escort hearing-impaired children on their journey to find their voices, so that the bright voices of children will no longer be absent. “ [2024.03.03] Chen Zheyuan did a new clip to raise awareness for the Aileron (Enjoy the music) 爱乐融聆 project to help hearing impaired children. (GIF from the Gramarie Weibo video, linked). |
He can also mix humor and seriousness such as was shown in a BTS of Chén Zhéyuǎn showing the contents of his box (2025, sorry: link is down), filled with useful and items but also, in an orderly fashion, the fan letters he strives to answer, in a pause on set (subtitled).
THE "CHILDISH" JOKER
| ![]() [Credit: GIF Posted by TOFU on JANGHAVEN] |
![]() | This July 2023 cheeky post now unavailable on xiaohongshu ("little red book" Chinese Instagram style social media) showed his way to model his hair for a 帅气十足湿发 哥造型! [Shuàiqì shízú shī fā gē zàoxíng] " top handsome wet-hair bro style modeling!", with the bonus proud push of "excellent jawline" as Zhào Lùsī termed it in a BTS of HL! [to the left : turned into a GIF by me] |
And this Douyin snippet from April 4, 2022, where Victor Mǎ says "At this moment, let me introduce Chén Zhéyuǎn on my left, Brother Chén" (此时此刻我介绍一下我左边的是陈哲远 陈哥). It shows the two "brothers in black" seated, with CZY's wolfish smile as he lets his handsome hand stray !? [More funny expressions from CZY were compiled into this short video now unavailable]. | [selected screenshots recut and turned into a gif by me] |
Douyin also has CZY striding in to events in other colors, from dark Mr Bad style to pale pink romantic, white and no nonsense tuxedo adorned with a lily of the valley brooch, adding the SHE song "Superstar" to emphasize the handsomeness. Interesting choice of jewelry : less flashy than Victor Ma, who is a good friend of the bunch (Ma is Pisces and Chén is Scorpio, so there's a possibility of best friends forever for the two.)
![]() | He likes to joke with his friends, like in this snippet where he goofs with Xú Mínghào 徐明浩 (The8). [to the left : recut and turned into a GIF by me] CZY has many friends, including Yáng Yáng 杨洋, other celebrities, and his former co-stars, Zhào Lùsī 赵露思, Shěn Yuè 沈月, Rainbow/Xú Mèngjié 徐梦洁, Lǐ Mòzhī 李墨之, Liáng Jié梁洁, Ariel/Liáng Bǎolíng 梁宝羚, Lǐ Lándí 李兰迪, ,... and perhaps also Dilraba Dilmurat/Dílìrèbā 迪丽热巴, whom he said in the past was his favorite actress on screen. Finally, in the flood of snippets that have been aired, there was a very cute short of CZY "shooting" a finger kiss to audience ! [Recut and turned into my first GIF, below - lol] |
CZY Profile was last updated : 2025.03.29 (I may be back if there is something noteworthy that hits my screens ;-) but: I do not intend to trawl his weibo or fandom pages every day, so I think this will be it for some time now: if something needs ro be added or corrected, it can also be done so by readers, in comments to this thread).
ANNEX 1 - TEXT OF THE Madame Figaro INTERVIEW
The first sentence could be interpreted as though Chén Zhéyuǎn has no skills and just uses his experience. But he certainly does have skills, which he learned from schooling in Performance arts and studying actors that he admired. He also has talent rather than just experience (he admits he did not have much experience as a lover, apart from many kissing scenes in other dramas, before trying a new twist on it with Zhào Lùsī) As for optimism, his life indeed taught him how to cope in the face of adversity before, but he always said his smiles and laughs are a front, and that deep inside, he is a "calm person" which is the key to how Chén Zhéyuǎn got where he is. So, he brought his imagination as much as his experience and personal qualities to his characters, but they were also reflecting a skill for reading a story and interpreting it, which he acquired through his schooling in Performance arts.
And if he had not been a perseverant person since he was a child, he would have changed to any other career than singer (when he is not naturally talented for it) and actor (when he was first miscast as idol in the boy band, so he was at first only viewed as a nice face to add to cast and a known "clown" that could add spice with goofs...) : it is precisely because he was perseverant, despite being shy for a while, like many youths, that he solicited advice from a senior actor he admired.
As he said in the talk he gave ("Youth is invincible") Chén Zhéyuǎn was so impressed by the advice he got, that he knew he had to try many angles and persevere until he got his characters in acting right... He does not rely on luck only: he is dedicated to his art and states his commitment clearly. I think perhaps the interpreter missed Chén Zhéyuǎn's humility and took self-deprecatory sentences at face value and only taking a look at the actor's social media page, puzzled by the reference to Handsome Siblings which was and perhaps will stay for a while treasured in Chen Zheyuan's mind as the birth of his own career as true actor.... |
Even then, some already noticed him in previous dramas, where he did impress them through his performance in light genres, in All About Secrets, Legend of Zu, and Hello Dear Ancestors. No doubt he's taken giant steps since to reach his goals, and achieve international fame with Hidden Love, which still is in the top charts in its genre. But now, he is ready for more ambitious projects, with backing from the main platform his work is aired on : iQiyi.
The concluding sentence in the interview summed it all : "So, I want to maintain respect for the actor industry, enthusiasm for acting, and curiosity about life. Right now, the work of an actor is the clearest and most firm thing in my mind. I want to spend the rest of my life keeping this love." -
Last review and update for this annex : 2023.09.22.
BIRTHDAY REVELS OF CHEN ZHEYUAN on 2023-10-29
Celebrating his 27th birthday from a hotel room in this period when he is still shooting The White Olive Tree, he did a long live stream, complete here (but no English subtitles) : the mukbang foodfest of spicy dishes, full lamb roast, beefballs, and longevity noodles ; the games (fitting clips of nose, eyes, and mouth to portrait), remembering past dramas ; the fan mail and thanks
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9wgcTmw1OA (March 2025: the account was terminated ; only my screenshots and description remain as memory)
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On the same day, his group of fans had prepared a LED display to celebrate his work in a mall in Fengtai district of Beijing. He was happy to watch it and other messages sent to him on his tablet and thanked them, repeating "Xiexie, xiexie, xiexie!".
It complemented the collection of billboard ads posted as a birthday gift here :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhnSl6Mzwy0
This short video showed a bus sporting a birthday message for him : this is stardom !
On site of shooting, he had received a lot of flowers at his "mini fan meet" (4'34 video)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GsfFmav_rVo
And he did a game around his birthday cake which was themed about "screenplay genres", so he mock chose a genre blindly, as a friend asked him whether or not he'd choose "that" without revealing what he pointed to on the cake. The one CZY said "yes" to, turned out to be "historical genre", second from top on the right side of the cake:
was from: https://fb.watch/n_T3omrLoq/ (not available anymore in March 2025)
ANNEX 2 - Harper's Bazaar interview of Oct. 2023
张凡Sara re-posted on Feb.6, 2024 , on a Weibo account, this interview of Chen Zheyuan, (as of March 2025, access is restricted, only my copy and translation remain as memory, below) :
陈哲远:在表演中学表演Chen Zheyuan : Learning to act through performing采访 撰文 张凡Interview written by Zhang Fan ![]() | (导语) 作为演员,陈哲远的一切都围绕表演展开。不管是严肃地为接下来要拍摄的新戏做准备,还是身为一个角色时,哪怕没在镜头前也要靠近角色的生活方式,对他来说,他顾不上去计较哪些投入更有“性价比”,重要的先做了再说,他愿意用很多很多的努力,去交换一个可能的进步。 (Introduction) As an actor, everything about Chen Zheyuan revolves around performance. Whether he is seriously preparing for a new play to be filmed next, or when he is a character, he has to get close to the character's lifestyle even if he is not in front of the camera. For him, he cannot care about which investment is more "cost-effective", the important thing is to do it first, and he is willing to put in a lot of effort in exchange for a possible improvement. |
(正文)/ text
从懵懂着开始表演这份工作,到一点点自己摸索这其中的门道,几年的时间过去,陈哲远还记得早期的青涩,也体会着最近这一、两年来,自己肉眼可见的变化。
From ignorantly starting in the job of actor to gradually exploring the ropes on his own, a few years have passed. Chen Zheyuan still remembers his early youth, but also feels the visible changes in his outlook over the past couple of years.
“演小鱼儿之前,我基本谈不到要怎么去塑造一个角色,还没太搞明白演戏是一件怎样的事情。”转折发生的这个关键节点,他还记得很清楚。那时候他已经有过了一些基础的表演经验,开始知道短板是什么,于是就从最直接的办法入手,他要让自己一点点地贴近每次扮演的角色。
"Before I played Xiao Yu'er, I basically couldn't talk about how to create a character, and I didn't quite understand what acting was like." He still remembers this key turning point very clearly. At that time, he already had some basic acting experience and was becoming aware of his shortcomings, so he started with the most direct method. He wanted to get as close as he could to the role he played.
“拍游戏相关这样的戏,我会先去玩游戏,拍《暗格里的秘密》和《偷偷藏不住》,要提前看原著,就是我得先去了解这些作品本来吸引观众的那个点是什么。”
"When filming a game-related film, I would play the game first. When filming "Our Secret" and "Hidden Love", I had to read the original work in advance, which means I had to first understand what originally attracted the audience to these works. "
陈哲远还拍过不少古装戏,在演一些文戏较多的角色时,他不仅会提前了解当时朝代的历史背景、人文知识,还会很具体地去学和剧情有关的知识。比如他曾经为了拍戏专门学插花,也花过一些时间,在非拍摄日穿着古装找感觉。“天天穿着古代的衣服在自己房间里走路,去感受当时的那种氛围感。”
Chen Zheyuan has also filmed many costume dramas. When playing roles in dramas based on literature, he strove not only to understand the historical background and human knowledge about the dynasty the play was set in, but also to learn specific skills related to the plot. For example, he once learned flower arranging for filming, and also spent some time wearing ancient costumes on non-shooting days to get into character. "I wore ancient clothes and walked around my room every day to feel the atmosphere at that time."
现在回忆起自己的付出,陈哲远有时候会用开玩笑的语气说出当时的稚嫩,毕竟不是每一次尝试都有专业的老师指导,有时候难免“跑偏”。但至少在当时他足够认真,就算是试错,他也想先试了,再去判断这样是对还是错。
Now recalling his efforts, Chen Zheyuan sometimes jokes about how immature he was at the time. After all, not every attempt will be guided by a professional teacher, and sometimes it is inevitable to go astray. But at least he was serious enough at the time. Even if it was trial and error, he wanted to try it first and then judge whether it was right or wrong.
“有一场戏需要我情绪激动,拍的时候,我手里就攥着一个石子一直搓,结果等拍完之后,导演和对手演员看到了,都问我为什么拿着一块石头。”这个现在听起来好像“段子”的故事发生在三年之前,当时陈哲远戏份不多,有大把时间可以在酒店里休息,他就花了大量的精力,想找些“通过外在来促进内在”的表演方法。“跟老师们学的一个办法,说是通过触感可以激发你内心的一些东西,比如你拿着一个很光滑的东西,心情就会变得很舒畅,而如果你手里拿着一个很粗糙、会让自己不舒服的东西,心情也会容易烦躁。”真正去实践的时候,陈哲远也还没太想明白这其中的关联,他觉得这至少是一种方法,知识必须要自己试过才算数,没成想真到了镜头前,这个“小动作”并没发挥出什么作用,反而成了伙伴们对他的一个好奇。“后来我自己也发现了,真的一点用都没有。”
"There was a scene that required me to be emotional. During the filming, I held a stone in my hand and kept rubbing it. After the filming was completed, the director and the opponent actors saw it and asked me why I was holding a stone." That story seems to have happened three years after his debuts. At that time, Chen Zheyuan didn't have many roles and had a lot of time to rest in the hotel. He spent a lot of energy trying to find some performances that "promote the inner through the outer" method. "One method I learned from teachers is that touch can stimulate something inside you. For example, if you hold a smooth object in your hand, your mood will become very calm, but if you hold a rough one, things that make you uncomfortable will make you easily irritable." When he actually put it into practice, Chen Zheyuan didn't really understand the connection. He felt that it was an experiment he needed to try so that he could get insight from it. Unexpectedly, when he actually got in front of the camera, this "little routine" did not play any role. Instead, it became a curiosity for his partners. "Later I discovered that it was really useless for me."
即便是这样,陈哲远也没觉得自己使过的这些力气是浪费。直到现在,每次进入一个新剧组,他依旧会继续琢磨新方法让自己入戏,因为在他看来,进入新环境、饰演新角色难免紧张,解决这些问题最好的办法就是让自己赶紧适应。“每次进一个新的组,都跟之前的差别很大,都需要挺长的时间去进入,所以每次都会有新鲜感。”就拿最近来说,下一部戏需要陈哲远有个好身材,所以他现在就开始健身了,这一轮的训练要从他最近的短暂假期,一直延续到他下部戏彻底拍摄完成。“一般在不拍戏的时候,大部分时间都在准备下一部要拍的戏,我生活里的习惯也会跟下一部戏有关系。”
Even so, Chen Zheyuan did not feel that all the efforts he had brought were a waste. Until now, every time he joins a new crew, he will still continue to think of new ways to get himself involved in the play, because in his opinion, entering a new environment and playing a new role is inevitably stressful, and the best way to solve these problems is to adapt quickly . "Every time I join a new group, it is very different from the previous ones. It takes a long time to get into it, so it will be fresh every time." Take the recent one, for example, the next drama requires good acting skills and physical condition from Chen Zheyuan. In order to keep his body in shape, he started to work out from the onset of the project. This round of training will last from his recent short vacation until the filming of his next drama is completed. "Generally when I'm not filming, I spend most of my time preparing for the next screen work to be filmed. I tailor my habits in life to the next film."
刚开始演戏的时候,好奇和激情是陈哲远的动力,那时候他思考的问题是怎样才能让自己的表演不突兀,到现在几年的时间过去,很多当时的未知成了习惯,他除了想让自己保持最初的热爱,还开始关心怎样去提高自己的表演能力。“换了一个方向,想怎么演才能吸引观众,就是慢慢的,自己对自己的要求会越来越高吧。”
When he first started acting, curiosity and passion were Chen Zheyuan's motivations. At that time, he was thinking about how to make his performance as smooth as possible. Now a few years have passed, and much of what was fresh at the time has become routine. In addition to my wanting to keep intact my original love, I have started to care about how to improve my performance ability. "I changed objectives and thought about how to perform to attract the audience. I think that the requirements I set for myself will become higher and higher."
不怕麻烦,不怕绕路,陈哲远做的所有,都朝着一个具体的结果而努力,这是他为自己开辟的表演之路。
Not afraid of trouble or detours, everything Chen Zheyuan does is aimed at a specific result. This is the performance path he has opened up for himself.
(Q&A)
Q:你获取信息的主要方式是什么? What is your primary way of obtaining information
A:一般刷手机,和朋友聊天,还有刷完手机跟朋友聊各自刷到了什么。想深度并且快速研究一件事,我觉得纪录片是比较有意思的方式,它能帮你找好很多资料,还会有人给你讲述。还有一些平台上的短视频,你看多了之后,就会被自动推送很多相关内容,然后就可以继续点进去看。
Generally, I use my phone to chat with my friends, and after checking on my phone, I chat with them about what they have found. If you want to study something in depth and quickly, I think reading documents is the more interesting method. It can help you find a lot of information, and allow for discussions about them. There are also short videos on some platforms. After watching many topics in the same field, a lot of related contents will be automatically pushed to you, and you can continue to click on them to watch.
Q:最新掌握的一个技能是? What’s the latest skill you’ve mastered?
A:打枪,还喜欢在网上看别人打枪的视频。下一部戏可能需要用到枪,再加上刚杀青的戏里也有很多打枪的戏份,就慢慢地get到了这个点。
I did sports pistol shooting, and I also like to watch videos of other people shooting on the Internet. The next drama may require the use of guns, and the film that has just been completed also has a lot of shooting scenes, so I slowly got to this point.
Q:有没有具体的哪一个时刻,你觉得自己长大了? Is there a specific moment when you felt you had grown up?
A:我现在就觉得我长大了!刚拍完这部剧是我之前没有接触过的类型,现在我的审美都开始发生了一些变化。以前拍偶像剧,可能就会想要怎么弄发型、穿什么衣服、怎样让自己在剧里更帅一点。但拍完这部剧,我不太会考虑这些了,因为遇到很多前辈老师们,他们那种帅,让我感觉真的不是靠外在这些妆造,而是不刻意却发自内心的自信所展现出来的帅,那是男人的魅力。
I feel like I have grown up now! I just finished filming this drama, which is in a genre I have never been exposed to before, and now my aesthetics have begun to change. In the past, when filming idol dramas, I would think about how to style my hair, what clothes to wear, and how to make myself more handsome in the drama. But after filming this drama, I am not so concerned about such things anymore, because I met many senior actors, and their handsomeness did not derive from makeup of the outside, but unintentionally coming from the heart. The handsomeness shown by self-confidence is the charm of a man.
Q:你会做别人眼中“没意义”,但你觉得“有意思“的事吗? Will you do things that others think are “meaningless” but that you find “interesting”?
A:每次准备角色的时候,我都会做一些别人看起来可能很没有意义的事。比如拍上一部戏之前,我看了很多民国的纪录片,因为那是个年代戏嘛。我还看了很多当时的明星、历史人物的传记,想了解一下时代背景,和当时的人们是怎么想的。但这些感觉开拍之后,没有用到太多。
Every time I prepare for a role, I do things that might seem pointless to others. For example, before filming the last drama, I watched a lot of documentaries about the Republic of China, because it is a period drama. I also read a lot of biographies of celebrities and historical figures from that time, trying to understand the background of the period and what people thought then. But after the filming started, all these preparations did not yield much result.
Q:用一句话形容自己,你会说? Describe yourself in one sentence, what would you say?
A:帅得让人生气。 Infuriatingly handsome.
ANNEX 3 - EsquireFINE feature of Feb. 2024
撰文:@张凡Sara Written by: Zhang Fan / Sara (translation by me, frost_edelweiss)
Producer: @sendiexylcindy
Photography: @江南Nam
Styling: @Zy·boi
Editor: Tif
Makeup and hair: Tina
Producer: Sunny (CSIDE)
Art: Billo (CSIDE)
Fashion Assistant: Alison
![]() | ![]() 皮质夹克 Emporio Armani |
"A VERY GOOD FRIEND" - Think of yourself as a medium
When I made the cover of this issue, "Sword and Fairy Four" was airing. Talking about the new work, Chen Zheyuan not only hoped that the audience can appreciate the efforts of the entire crew during filming, but also mentioned that each time his work is broadcast, he will try his best to follow the show in real time, so that he can see everyone's comments while they are posted on screen. . "I usually look at everyone's opinions and think about whether I really did not do well, or to see if everyone agrees with what I did well. These reactions will definitely be helpful to my future performances."
As an actor, it may take several years from the filming to the broadcast of a play. When Chen Zheyuan's own life had taken several steps forward, looking back at the screen image he created at the beginning feels like gaining a new, unique way to know himself. "Today's episode was so uncomfortable to watch." This was a small note he posted on Weibo when he was watching the drama one day recently. It is somewhat similar to Yun Tianhe in the play. The character has experienced growth, from knowing nothing about the outside world before he took the step to go down the mountain. In a broader sense, Chen Zheyuan has also grown more mature in real life than when he filmed that drama two years ago. When watching the drama simultaneously, he was not only watching the plot, but as the pictures moved rapidly frame by frame, all the past memories came back in his mind in an instant. These were both familiar and unfamiliar versions of himself. "I knew the plot by heart. When I watched it, I would think, oh, so this is how I acted here? Or I seem to remember that there was a better way to do it than this one."
"In the past, I would think that I was that character, and I could do whatever I wanted, but now, I regard A-Zan as an old, very good friend, and I am promoting his drama and television image together with my performance."
具体到眼下跟角色的关系,如果说过去是毫不犹豫地全情投入,容易厘不清戏里戏外,那现在的变化,则是他可以分明地辨别两个独立的个体。他当然很爱自己的角色,比全世界任何一个人都爱,但经历过许多段故事的他,已经明白自己还是要跟他们有所区隔,这条界限或许淡到外人根本看不见,但至少能对他自己筑起一层保护,让他更客观冷静地,去创作一个又一个崭新的个体。 | ![]() |
About his relationship with the character, if in the past he was fully committed without hesitation and would be so immersed in it that he couldn't easily distinguish between the inside and outside of the drama, the change now is that he can clearly distinguish two independent individuals. Of course he loves his characters very much, more than anyone else in the world, but after experiencing many stories, he has understood that he still has to distinguish himself from them. This boundary may be so thin that outsiders cannot see it at all, but at least it can help build a layer of protection for himself, allowing him to create new individuals one after another, more objectively and calmly.
“这种方式挺‘自私’的,但可能对我的伤害会比较小一点。不过,我还是会毫无保留地,替阿瓒去做他的那些事儿。” 有时候拍戏很累了,累到陈哲远都怀疑自己还能不能坚持下去了,只要想起这个被他亲切地称为“阿瓒”的角色,他都能立刻鼓起劲儿来再撑一阵,毕竟“我得帮我的朋友,必须把他的好给大家展现出来,这样想,我就会更有动力去做这件事了。” 也许时间有长有短,也许彼此间的距离或远或近,但在陈哲远的心里,他的每一个角色都这样真实地存在过,他希望把自己当成一个媒介,替他们演出各自的好。
"This method is quite 'selfish', but it helps cause less harm to me in breaking with the characterenacted. However, I would still be A-Zan without any reservation, but sometimes I would feel very tired from filming." Chen Zheyuan was so tired that he doubted whether he could hold on any longer. As long as he thought of this character whom he affectionately calls "A-Zan", he could immediately summon up the energy to hold on for a while. After all, "I have to help my friends. I must show his goodness to everyone. Thinking this way, I will be more motivated to do this." Whether the time be long or short, or the distance between them is far or near, in Chen Zheyuan's heart, each of his characters has truly existed, and he hopes to use his ability as a medium to showcase their respective good qualities.
●
![]() | “70%,够了吧?”把角色当成一个朋友去认识 “从很早的时候就开始看小说、做准备了。”已经想不起自己第一次在心里认识《白色橄榄树》里这个名叫李瓒的人是什么时候了,但陈哲远还能准确地说出用眼睛“见到”他的那天:“我会为每一个角色都做一些前期工作,对阿瓒做的比较明显,因为是外形上的一些变化,比方说健身了,还把发型剪短了。” |
"70%, is that enough?" Get to know the character as a friend
"I started reading novels and preparing for acting roles very early." He can't remember the exact first time the person named Li Zan in "The White Olive Tree" entered his consciousness, but Chen Zheyuan can still be accurate. He spoke about the day he "met" him clearly, seeing him through his own eyes: "I am used to do some preliminary work for each character, and the one I did for A-Zan was more visible, because it involved some changes in appearance, such as working out and changing my hairstyle. Get a short cut."
In the process of getting to know the character as a friend, Chen Zheyuan often tried to "talk to him", especially for scenes that require extra emotional investment. Before filming, Chen Zheyuan would set aside time to "talk" with Li Zan "Although these conversations only happened in Chen Zheyuan's mind, they were real to him. He had to make sure that the Li Zan in his heart recognized his creation, so that he could fully express his joy, anger, sorrow, and joy in front of the camera, and show it.
"For example, if I had to perform a very painful scene, before the shooting started, I woud be sitting on the scene, in a daze. Others might not know what I was thinking. In fact, I was just thinking about how much I would invest in this scene. What percentage of my own feelings should be given to Ah Zan?"
This kind of dialogue is not a simple one-sided decision. Chen Zheyuan would also discuss with the Li Zan in his heart, "Is 70% enough? 70% should be about right?" Of course he wanted to perform vividly, but he also knew that a drama involves more than just one emotional outburst. He cannot get too deep into the drama and let himself be owerwhelmed by it, otherwise it would really affect subsequent creations. Therefore, when performing some sad or even damaging performances, he would pay special attention to relaxation, protecting himself while taking care of Li Zan. "I would talk to him and tell him how much I was willing to give to him."
这样深交几个月,杀青那天,看到明确宣告一切结束的通告表,剧组的伙伴们舍不得朝夕相处的陈哲远,而陈哲远也已经开始想念他的角色李瓒。“我的戏份拍完了,现场工作人员都很惊讶地看着我,说你这就拍完了?他们那个眼神我还挺难忘的。这个剧组里,大家都挺有感情的,所有人一起努力在做同一件事,很难得。”
They had been close friends for several months, and on the final day of filming, when they saw the notice announcing that everything was over, the crew members couldn't bear to leave Chen Zheyuan, who had been with them day and night. Chen Zheyuan also began to miss his character Li Zan. "After I finished shooting my scenes, the on-site staff looked at me in surprise and asked, have you finished filming now? I can't forget the look in their eyes. Everyone in this crew was very affectionate, and everyone worked hard together. It’s rare to do the same thing.”
剧里有个小道具,是属于李瓒的一根红绳,做杀青采访时,陈哲远说等会儿就要把它摘下来,但事实上,隔了很多天他还戴在手上。“我已经拍完了,而且我觉得阿瓒是一个很好很好的人,我跟他有挺大距离的,后面又想了想,觉得还是把它戴着吧,留个纪念,对这部剧,也对这个角色。”
There is a small prop in the play, which is a red string belonging to Li Zan. During the final interview, Chen Zheyuan said that he would take it off later, but in fact, he still wore it around his wrist many days later. "I have finished filming, and I think A-Zan is a very good person. There is a long distance between me and him. Thinking about it afterwards, I thought it would be better to wear it as a souvenir from this drama, and also of this character.”
也许再过一阵子,不知什么机缘,他会主动把这根红绳摘下来,但这些在陈哲远心里都不太重要了,他看重的是内心认定过李瓒这个兄弟,他也做足了努力去演绎他,他等着剧集播出时,所有观众都像他一样地认可他,喜欢他。
Maybe after a while, at some moment, he will take the initiative to take off the red string, but it is not what matters most in Chen Zheyuan's mind. What he values is that he has recognized Li Zan as a brother in his heart, and he has made enough efforts. He waits for all the viewers to recognize and like him as much as he did, when the series will be aired.
After having a certain amount of performance experience, Chen Zheyuan no longer sticks to formal investment. The way he identified Li Zan as a friend this time is a new path he has found for himself. "I feel like this is less internal friction. If I can't tell which is the character and which is myself, it will be more painful." If empathy is a goal that must be achieved during the performance, then Chen Zheyuan is Knowing that he can find many different paths to reach this end point, there is never a single standard answer on this journey.
"Perhaps the very small things in life, things that everyone encounters, are more touching, but sometimes, people haven't presented them yet." Including watching film and television works as an audience, or as a When readers read literary works, Chen Zheyuan will also extend his "tentacles" and absorb as many feelings as possible like a sponge. "You need to observe very carefully and then make a very down-to-earth and true presentation."
Compared with "when I was a child" when I kept a lot of emotions in my heart, Chen Zheyuan is now able to open himself up more. "I didn't like communicating with others before, but now I find that I still need to communicate, so that I can see everyone's different lifestyles and ways of thinking, and then I can understand more aspects of the characters."
Also on the Internet, Chen Zheyuan always insists on staying open and outspoken. As an actor, every word and action will inevitably be magnified, but he does not want to regard this reason as a "wall" erected in front of him, separating himself from the outside world. "I'm still relatively direct and say whatever I have to say, otherwise it will be uncomfortable to keep my own mind frame. If you don't feel comfortable, then you won't feel comfortable doing anything."
![]() | 经历过更多风浪后,除了主动的勇敢面对,他还学会了看得更开,面对很多问题,既然自己拥有表达的自由,那旁人也拥有评论的自由,当一切好的坏的都在眼前铺开,重要的不是扭过头去假装一切不存在,而是时刻提醒自己,在这些之外,还有更广阔的世界,没有任何一件事值得自己沉浸在负面情绪里。 | ![]() |
After experiencing more storms, in addition to facing them bravely, he also learned to be more open-minded when he faced problems. Since he has the freedom to express himself, others also have the freedom to comment, and even treat everything, good and bad, as nothing. Spread out in front of you, the important thing is to not just turn your head and pretend that everything does not exist, but to always remind yourself that there is a wider world outside, and nothing is worth immersing yourself in negative emotions.
“可能在一些时候会觉得它们很重要,但看开一点,看广一点,那些看似影响你心情的东西,一点都不重要,就是看你自己怎么想。”现在再遇到一些偏激的议论,陈哲远想开了很多,因为“很多时候,你在意的东西并没有那么重要,只是你特别在意而已。”
"You may think they are very important at some times, but look at them more broadly. Those things that seem to affect your mood are not that important in themselves. It just depends on the way you think." Now when he encounter some extreme comments, Chen Zheyuan will take a step back and reflect, because "many times, the things you care about are not that important, it's just yourself who cares about them."
眼前的人来人往都是临时的喧嚣,他越来越知道自己真正在意的是什么了。就像至今依然是他微博置顶的那条《绝代双骄》开播宣传,虽然已经是早在4年前的事儿了,但想起它,陈哲远依然记得当时的纯粹。“时间过得好快,已经那么久了,一想到那段时间,还是觉得很开心,那时也没有那么多其他的想法,很单纯。”
The comings and goings in front of him are all temporary noise, and he became more and more aware of what he really cared about. Just like the launch promotion for "Handsome Siblings" that is still pinned to the top of his Weibo. Although it was already 4 years ago, when thinking about it, Chen Zheyuan still remembers the purity of it at that time. "Time flies so fast. It's been so long. When I think about that time, I still feel very happy. I didn't have so many other thoughts at that time. It was very simple."
也许时间会让很多东西悄然改变,但他知道自己在乎什么,要付出什么,还要留住什么。这些,已经足够撑住他心中的那个世界。
Maybe time will change many things quietly, but he knows what he cares about, what he has to give, and what he wants to keep. These are enough to support the world in his heart.
The feature came with a lucky draw of autographed pictures of Chen Zheyuan for comments in the special area of the Pre-sale of Esquire FINE magazine dated January 2024 cover Chen Zheyuan
ANNEX 4 - Text and vlog of the 风尚志 (Fēng shàng Zhi/"Trendy Fashion") Dubai travel feature
- Chen Zheyuan's Cover Story for 风尚志 Magazine
- https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eGpgQ8v7qr0B3oH27EMgVA
pictures/snapshots link to original source on Twitter [edit: as of March 2025, the links to the translation on Twitter are down, only my snapshots remain as memory] and Wechat [still functioning in Chinese]
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Gif excerpt from the vlog (fully linked)
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Also check Modeling section and Food section for more from this trip to Dubai
Back to Table of contents link Annex added April 18, 2024
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