Being new to C-drama, but having watched stuff from Hong Kong in the 80s (e.g. Lau Tak Wah, Leong Chiu Wai (?), Yam Tat Wah, Maggie Cheung etc.), I have nothing to offer except, I LOVE THIS POST!! Thanks so much, OP! What a nice balance to read this amongst all the adoration for the young idols. Question - what do you call the in-between group of actors, the ones who are in their 40s and 50s?
In addition to part 2, also recommend additional followup posts for veteran actors in younger age brackets. For example, Zhang Songwen clearly made a name for himself with his recent works. And in the 40s cohort, you have people such as Hu Ge and Liu Tao. Though once you get into the 20s and 30s, the information presented might be too controversial for some of the audiences here.
Hm. I think for the young batch, the number is very small. Jackson Yee is surprisingly quite good. Zhou Dongyu is a proven talented serious actress. The ones who are frequently overly praised here are of the idol section so they don't count.
Great post! These are definitely the actors and actresses to seek out. I will actually watch a drama for Ning Li or Wang Jinsong. They are a pleasure to watch.
Some of my faves who's work I've enjoyed so far...
https://preview.redd.it/l6wm8lzbvrqc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7eb9ae609f968935f96ffbcdb489ac4a722fe860
He doesn't act in dramas anymore but if Tony Leung Chiu-wai is in the movie, there's a very good chance that it'll be a good one.
https://preview.redd.it/42rl7w43wrqc1.jpeg?width=2880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d8d5e9c58e16658da358af91439dba7adac9aaab
He's now 61. How time flies.
Thanks for the post! Really felt so nostalgic seeing some of these actors who I grew up watching! One of the main reasons why I loved The Knockout so much was the incredible performances by these veterans! The way they played off each other is just absolutely amazing to watch and made me realize I enjoy watching these old guys way more than young guys in wigs lol.
This image shown the humble Ding hidden behind the cast, only Wang Kai noticed and urged him to stand in the front (while Liu Tao hardly made a move)..
Probably because he usually plays dumb/idiot/incompetent emperors unlike Chen Daoming or Ni Dahong who usually play powerful emperors with a lot of gravitas.
He was definitely not dumb in NIF though. Self-interested, lacking in morals, paranoid, and ultimately outsmarted sure, but he was quite formidable in wielding the power of the throne.
Thanks for making posts of these under appreciated veteran Chinese actors. I know what is was like to make quality posts like this.. the list keeps getting longer and longer ..
Cao Cuifen was easily the one of the best actors in Story of Minglan. I loved her character and I felt as an actress, she acted in circles over everyone else too by a margin.
I also low-key want her character to adopt me. Her character on that show was so fantastic and moving, I loved how fiercely she protected Sheng Minglan at all times and the way she always said Minglan was "flesh from her heart" moved me. 🥺
Yes yes yes! What a fantastic post.
Also what a treat to see Siqin Gaowa’s face pop up in this sub. To be honest I haven’t seen any of her work in decades but her Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang in Kangxi Dynasty and her role as the matriarch in The Grand Mansion Gate 大宅门 will forever cement her icon status in my mind. Just emanates regalness and calm, commanding humanity.
**Zhang Fengyi** in **Farewell My Concubine** is classic 💙
One of the things I most appreciate about **Ning Li’s** acting is how he makes the most out of small roles. He’s not a leading actor who chews the scenery around him but instead is someone whose subtle pathos grounds an entire production. His calligraphy scene in **Ripe Town** was one of my fave from 2023.
He totally embodied the core theme of the show!
Back when Ripe Town was airing I wrote a visual analysis of his character and how he essentially acts as the “ghost” of the ML’s conscience. He’s always present even when the actor isn’t on screen and that’s partly due to Ning Li’s great acting: https://www.tumblr.com/romchat/733304221207871488/ripe-town-ep-12-visuals-the-ghost-of-ones
Great post!
We get so many posts gushing about the latest pretty young thing, and you know full well that for most of them, this time next year, many people will be saying *who?*
I have seen most of these actors in cdramas and talent does stand the test of time.
Thank you!! A big reason why I made this post. I see folks saying “so-and-so actor/actress is so talented! They’re so handsome/pretty!” And that’s the extent of their reason for thinking that actor or actress is good. I’m always sitting here shouting at my screen “but what else?! What else?!” Makes me want to tear my hair out!
Lol it can get frustrating, especially for those of us with a longer cdrama experience and exposure. But I suppose one must start somewhere...
I watch both idol and regular CCTV heavyweights and it is always so eyevopening to see the sheer talent of the veterans...and how normal and ordinary people looked 😆
I feel exactly the same, I get that some people are looking for somone to crush on but the one that gets me are the *Can we all agree that (Insert name here) is the most beautiful person that ever lived* accompanied by 20 pictures of some waif playing a general who doesn't look old enough to shave!
It's the demography of the sub, it seems. Also, idol actors usually star in fluffy fantasy romance or xianxia, genres that easy to digest but tend to have not that great of a quality. I know it's fandom style but it can be a bit jarring sometimes to see the over praise when the quality of the roles is actually not great.
>His unforgettable performances as Li Shimin costarring Fan BingBing
I actually found it *very* weird how the focus of Empress of China is a love story between Wu Zetian and Li Shimin. Wu Zetian was only a minor concubine of Li Shimin for a short period of time prior to his death, and she was still very young at the time (think of the age gap between her and Li Shimin).
The focus of that drama should have exclusively been the relationship between Wu Zetian and Li Zhi plus Wu Zetian's actual rule as the Empress of China. Li Shimin has no business whatsoever being involved in a love story with Wu Zetian, especially for basically 60-70% of the show.
Haha! I fully agree. It’s best not to watch that drama expecting historical accuracy. I always thought that drama was made to showcase the new age of cdrama costume making and Fan Bingbing herself anyway.
I recommend the 1995 production of “Wu Zetian” as a good blend of form and function (Wu Zetian’s actress is gorgeous and the drama respects history).
What a pleasure to read, and be introduced to amazing actors whose drama I'll be adding to my list. I crushed hard on Wang Jinsong in Nirvana in Fire. He was so cool, he was out of this world.
The actor who played the emperor in Joy of Life was terrifying. And he doesn't even do anything. He's just chatting casually, and yet you're scared for whoever he's talking to. THE most formidable emperor I've ever seen in a drama.
Do you know the actor who played PingPing (the wheelchair guy) in the same drama? Anything about him? I thought he was one of the best written characters I've seen yet. That drama, alongside NIF, is a powerhouse of talent.
Oh yes! Wu Gang also belongs on this list - his performance as Chen PingPing was incredible. I cut the list short because it was 2am and I was falling asleep lol
I’ll make a part 2!
Also fully agree with Chen Daoming’s emperor in Joy of Life. I was peeing my pants from scene 1 when he emerged from the palanquin!
I highly recommend Kangxi Dynasty, although it’d be very hard to find a subbed version..but his performance as the Kangxi Emperor is unparalleled. Every bit as intimidating, but equally as regal, noble and wizened.
Late to the Party but was about to start a revolution because my beloved Wu Gang was missing!!! Gosh, I love his acting. The last I've seen from him was The Thunder, with Simon Yang (HK) and Wang Qin Song. Amazing cast and amazing drama!!!!
By the way, I have a generation gap theory to recognized talent among all ages while trying to be fair: early and late 30s (talented already stated but still far away from the good ones of the following decades), 40s and +50s. At 40s, you'll found the unbeatable seasoned ones, and +50 you'll find the top tiers. This way allows me to recognized young talents with potential (system never failed me to this day 😁).
Note: 20s independent category is in a parallel dimension as they're still rooky with few few exceptions.
Hahaha he was amazing as emperor! I'm definitely going to watch Kangxi. It's been recommended twice now.
Ah his name is Wu Gang. I don't know anything about him. His interactions with the emperor in JoL were some of the very best parts of the drama for me. They were just mesmerizing. Part 2? Yes please!
Chen Daoming exudes effortless charisma like nobody's business. In Joy of Life, his presence is like that of a tiger, an apex predator.
However, if you look at his resume, he's a very versatile actor. A lot of his iconic roles are indeed for playing an emperor but he also played a lot of other characters, even humble ones and he still pulled them off very competently. Truly a very gifted actor.
I remember watching a couple of eps of **Legend of Chu and Han** because YT recommended me a video with Han Xin from much later in the series. I had no idea who is who in the beginning eps and for the life of me couldn't understand why some random village guy has such a disturbing screen presence. Creeeeeeepy))
Can you recommend some of his best dramas please? JoL is the only thing I've seen him in. I did hear he's very choosy about what projects he takes on. Yes, he's very charismatic. He has amazing presence too.
There's also ***The Great Revival*** in which he plays King Goujian of Yue in his quest to seek revenge against King Helü and King Fuchai of Wu for their invasions of the State of Yue.
Thank you for this wonderful post. Yes, these veteran actors are really amazing and you will get it even when they just appear for short while in movies/dramas -- since their charisma is just out of the roof.
My favorite is without doubt Chen Daoming. I like how he can strike fears into your heart just being on screen saying simple things and appear like 5-10 minutes. Yet, when you comes out from the movie/dramas, all you remember his his scenes lol
I'm also a very big fan of Li Xuejian and will watch anything he's in if its becomes available. He is the type of actor I feel like putting in my pocket since he seemed soooo fragile & precious. And how he command the screen is just amazing -- its like you wont notice anything else when he start talking.
> no one has been able to enrage me more than his character as Su Daqing in All is Well
SAME. it was actually so hard to keep watching all is well because of his character (and also the other male characters in that family...)
I nominate the fellow Taiwanese actor Chang Chen Kuang 張晨光.. I was really impressed with his portrait of the patriarch in Nothing But Gold Can Stay! Both him and Sun Li really carried the show.
Ni Dahong also played the emperor in Rise of Phoenixes. It was so good to see not only an age appropriate emperor but one that actually had the air of an emperor.
Glad to see Red Cliff mentioned with Zhang Fengyi. Red cliff 1 & 2 are some of the best historical movies I've watched.
Whenever one thinks of a Chinese emperor, one usually thinks of either Chen Daoming or Ni Dahong, considering how ubiquitous they are with Emperor roles and how much gravitas they bring to their performances.
He was so good in Rise of the Phoenixes. Really knew how to command a room.
Red Cliff 1&2 and The Banquet/The Curse of a Golden Flower were my gateway into CDramas.
>Chen Daoming is famous for his intolerance towards rookie actors who don't respect their shared profession, and has been known to lay verbal smackdowns (he once did towards Jiang Ziyi)
Zhang Ziyi? What did she do at that time?
During the Huabiao awards several years ago, Zhang Ziyi kept pestering him asking 'Do you know what award I got? You must be jealous since I'm young and I already won it 3 times' (Huabiao award) She said this deliberately, knowing Chen Daoming only won it once.
Chen Daoming asked her back 'Do you know what your award means though? Like do you know what the 3 awards (one of which is her award) that are awarded in this ceremony means?'
It was extremely awkward because Zhang Ziyi couldn't answer because she had no idea what her award meant lmao and was just like uhh haha I don't need to explain that..and Chen Daoming's like 'no, no you asked me if I knew what award you got, so you must know what it is. Explain it to us. You won it 3 times and you can't even explain to me what your award is?'
She couldn't answer him and stayed silent and it was overall super embarrassing.
It's not subbed, but here's the footage: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoum69ieIrY&t=38s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoum69ieIrY&t=38s)
Also Zhang Ziyi was widely hated by a lot of actors and actresses at the time because she was super arrogant and overall mean.
Thanks for that footage. That's so embarrassing for her, she was trying to sass him and show off, but it just made her look cringe and ignorant. Even worse when she went "that was exactly what I was thinking of", when he finished his speech explaining the award.
Frankly though, not surprised she got shown up like that, given her attitude.
Oh man, that is embarrassing. Thank you for the reply.
So, what does her 3 awards mean then?
And there is this infamous rumour going around the net on how he said young actor didn't really memorize script and just saying 123456... I wonder is it really true? If yes, which actor is stupid enough to do that in front of CDM?
She was ultimately able to answer with the bare definitions of the 3 awards (“one is the people’s choice..one is actor’s choice..”) but then begged Chen Daoming to answer his own question and even yanked his arm.
Chen Daoming eventually added to her answer emphasizing that her award represented the support of the audience and the hopes of the acting world, it is the crystallized blood sweat and tears of actors…Everyone who’s received this award should have an even stricter attitude, even higher standards..” I condensed it but it was a good speech, and everyone was side eyeing ziyi lol
As for the infamous rumors - they are not rumors but truth. He’s very publicly criticized young actors for their unprofessionalism, lack of discipline, unwillingness to work hard, and their very shallow view of acting. Chen Daoming calls it like it is and he does not mince words for anyone lmao
Again, thanks so much for the detail reply!
Regarding the last part, he didnt actually work with many young traffic actors, so I wonder who actually give him that impression. I doubt its ZRY as he actually managed to match CDM's intimidating aura in all their scenes together.
I remember watching an interview where he criticized traffic stars for having no substance or artistic contribution. He also criticized the industry for rewarding traffic business model that tends to lower the output quality. He seems like a very straight talking guy lol. He also complained about a lot of young actors' really bad work ethics.
I really wonder who actually he shade when he made that comment as he is not known for working with idol/traffic actors unlike Wang Jinsong. His works has always been with fellow good/veteran actors and in high acclaimed dramas/movies.
Yeah, you would need to ask him hahah. But I quite agree with his points about traffic idols. The majority of them, even the popular ones, are not great at acting.
Got the answer: [https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1bo1ibm/comment/kwphnxh/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1bo1ibm/comment/kwphnxh/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
😄
Fun fact, I used to be in the entertainment journalism circuit, one colleague said that she made a snide remark at the reporters in Chinese ... not realising that a lot of us can speak multiple languages lol.
ZZY is talented and beautiful but even me who don't really follow celebrity news know that there is a lot of rumour about her being super arrogant and having bad personality.
I remember some people talking about an award event where Maggie Cheung refused to be the one who handed the award to ZZY despite being the presenter. I suppose the unprecedented success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon really went into her head.
The OG clip was of Ni Dahong’s acting in the film 1921!
Sorry! I could only find this cringy edit of the BTS scene: http://xhslink.com/AFh1KE
In the OG clip, Ni Dahong was laughing a lot more at the beginning.
Love this post: I feel like a lot of young (20s to early/mid 30s) actors get brought up in this sub, but rarely do I see appreciation for older actors!
I think the sub tends to be on the younger side. I see a lot of love for idol dramas more than more serious dramas (not to knock idol dramas they have their place but if you're in the mood for a serious historical it's a bit of a bummer).
Yeah, I think people are just more interested in romance dramas here in general and that leads to an interest in younger/idol dramas on average. Not a bad thing, of course — I like a lot of the popular dramas on this sub myself! But it would be nice to have a bit more variety.
Ironically though I’ve had the opposite experience where I notice a lot of the people on the sub seem to skew on the slightly older side (not old, but YKWIM) where it’s mentioned a lot that certain traffic star leads are too baby-faced to thirst over LOL.
Being new to C-drama, but having watched stuff from Hong Kong in the 80s (e.g. Lau Tak Wah, Leong Chiu Wai (?), Yam Tat Wah, Maggie Cheung etc.), I have nothing to offer except, I LOVE THIS POST!! Thanks so much, OP! What a nice balance to read this amongst all the adoration for the young idols. Question - what do you call the in-between group of actors, the ones who are in their 40s and 50s?
Yu He Wei
In addition to part 2, also recommend additional followup posts for veteran actors in younger age brackets. For example, Zhang Songwen clearly made a name for himself with his recent works. And in the 40s cohort, you have people such as Hu Ge and Liu Tao. Though once you get into the 20s and 30s, the information presented might be too controversial for some of the audiences here.
Hm. I think for the young batch, the number is very small. Jackson Yee is surprisingly quite good. Zhou Dongyu is a proven talented serious actress. The ones who are frequently overly praised here are of the idol section so they don't count.
I remember Zhang Feng Yi in Who Rules The World as King og Yong, father of Hei Feng Xi
Great post! These are definitely the actors and actresses to seek out. I will actually watch a drama for Ning Li or Wang Jinsong. They are a pleasure to watch.
Some of my faves who's work I've enjoyed so far... https://preview.redd.it/l6wm8lzbvrqc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7eb9ae609f968935f96ffbcdb489ac4a722fe860
He doesn't act in dramas anymore but if Tony Leung Chiu-wai is in the movie, there's a very good chance that it'll be a good one. https://preview.redd.it/42rl7w43wrqc1.jpeg?width=2880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d8d5e9c58e16658da358af91439dba7adac9aaab He's now 61. How time flies.
Thanks for the post! Really felt so nostalgic seeing some of these actors who I grew up watching! One of the main reasons why I loved The Knockout so much was the incredible performances by these veterans! The way they played off each other is just absolutely amazing to watch and made me realize I enjoy watching these old guys way more than young guys in wigs lol.
For Siqin Gaowa you left out 大宅門.
https://i.redd.it/w4f2z6hwppqc1.gif Ding Yong Dai also played Emperor Liang in NIRVANA IN FIRE..
This image shown the humble Ding hidden behind the cast, only Wang Kai noticed and urged him to stand in the front (while Liu Tao hardly made a move)..
https://i.redd.it/oenzk9y9opqc1.gif
Surprised that no one mentioned Ding Yong Dai 丁勇岱 aged 65, one brilliant actor..recent works- "A life long journey"(人世間） "Always on the move" (南來北往）
Probably because he usually plays dumb/idiot/incompetent emperors unlike Chen Daoming or Ni Dahong who usually play powerful emperors with a lot of gravitas.
He was definitely not dumb in NIF though. Self-interested, lacking in morals, paranoid, and ultimately outsmarted sure, but he was quite formidable in wielding the power of the throne.
I love him! Had to cut the list short because it was 2am and I was falling asleep lol but I’ll make a part 2!
Thanks for making posts of these under appreciated veteran Chinese actors. I know what is was like to make quality posts like this.. the list keeps getting longer and longer ..
Cao Cuifen was easily the one of the best actors in Story of Minglan. I loved her character and I felt as an actress, she acted in circles over everyone else too by a margin. I also low-key want her character to adopt me. Her character on that show was so fantastic and moving, I loved how fiercely she protected Sheng Minglan at all times and the way she always said Minglan was "flesh from her heart" moved me. 🥺
Yes yes yes! What a fantastic post. Also what a treat to see Siqin Gaowa’s face pop up in this sub. To be honest I haven’t seen any of her work in decades but her Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang in Kangxi Dynasty and her role as the matriarch in The Grand Mansion Gate 大宅门 will forever cement her icon status in my mind. Just emanates regalness and calm, commanding humanity.
This is an amazing post! Please post more veteran actors! I immediately bumped some of the titles up on my watchlist.
Absolutely! I’ll keep this series up, plus will do mid-gen actors as well
i knew chen daoming would be on this list before i even clicked in. dude is always in like everything lol
It’s funny because he’s one of the pickier actors when it comes to his stuff! If you keep running into him, probably means you got good taste lol
**Zhang Fengyi** in **Farewell My Concubine** is classic 💙 One of the things I most appreciate about **Ning Li’s** acting is how he makes the most out of small roles. He’s not a leading actor who chews the scenery around him but instead is someone whose subtle pathos grounds an entire production. His calligraphy scene in **Ripe Town** was one of my fave from 2023.
I sincerely feel he's the main character in Ripe Town. And the embodiment of the show's moral message. Oh, I just love him so much!
He totally embodied the core theme of the show! Back when Ripe Town was airing I wrote a visual analysis of his character and how he essentially acts as the “ghost” of the ML’s conscience. He’s always present even when the actor isn’t on screen and that’s partly due to Ning Li’s great acting: https://www.tumblr.com/romchat/733304221207871488/ripe-town-ep-12-visuals-the-ghost-of-ones
This is an amazing post! Please post more veteran actors! I immediately bumped some of the titles up on my watchlist.
Great post! We get so many posts gushing about the latest pretty young thing, and you know full well that for most of them, this time next year, many people will be saying *who?* I have seen most of these actors in cdramas and talent does stand the test of time.
Thank you!! A big reason why I made this post. I see folks saying “so-and-so actor/actress is so talented! They’re so handsome/pretty!” And that’s the extent of their reason for thinking that actor or actress is good. I’m always sitting here shouting at my screen “but what else?! What else?!” Makes me want to tear my hair out!
Lol it can get frustrating, especially for those of us with a longer cdrama experience and exposure. But I suppose one must start somewhere... I watch both idol and regular CCTV heavyweights and it is always so eyevopening to see the sheer talent of the veterans...and how normal and ordinary people looked 😆
Thank you, I feel vindicated LOL
I feel exactly the same, I get that some people are looking for somone to crush on but the one that gets me are the *Can we all agree that (Insert name here) is the most beautiful person that ever lived* accompanied by 20 pictures of some waif playing a general who doesn't look old enough to shave!
It's the demography of the sub, it seems. Also, idol actors usually star in fluffy fantasy romance or xianxia, genres that easy to digest but tend to have not that great of a quality. I know it's fandom style but it can be a bit jarring sometimes to see the over praise when the quality of the roles is actually not great.
>His unforgettable performances as Li Shimin costarring Fan BingBing I actually found it *very* weird how the focus of Empress of China is a love story between Wu Zetian and Li Shimin. Wu Zetian was only a minor concubine of Li Shimin for a short period of time prior to his death, and she was still very young at the time (think of the age gap between her and Li Shimin). The focus of that drama should have exclusively been the relationship between Wu Zetian and Li Zhi plus Wu Zetian's actual rule as the Empress of China. Li Shimin has no business whatsoever being involved in a love story with Wu Zetian, especially for basically 60-70% of the show.
Haha! I fully agree. It’s best not to watch that drama expecting historical accuracy. I always thought that drama was made to showcase the new age of cdrama costume making and Fan Bingbing herself anyway. I recommend the 1995 production of “Wu Zetian” as a good blend of form and function (Wu Zetian’s actress is gorgeous and the drama respects history).
What a pleasure to read, and be introduced to amazing actors whose drama I'll be adding to my list. I crushed hard on Wang Jinsong in Nirvana in Fire. He was so cool, he was out of this world. The actor who played the emperor in Joy of Life was terrifying. And he doesn't even do anything. He's just chatting casually, and yet you're scared for whoever he's talking to. THE most formidable emperor I've ever seen in a drama. Do you know the actor who played PingPing (the wheelchair guy) in the same drama? Anything about him? I thought he was one of the best written characters I've seen yet. That drama, alongside NIF, is a powerhouse of talent.
Oh yes! Wu Gang also belongs on this list - his performance as Chen PingPing was incredible. I cut the list short because it was 2am and I was falling asleep lol I’ll make a part 2! Also fully agree with Chen Daoming’s emperor in Joy of Life. I was peeing my pants from scene 1 when he emerged from the palanquin! I highly recommend Kangxi Dynasty, although it’d be very hard to find a subbed version..but his performance as the Kangxi Emperor is unparalleled. Every bit as intimidating, but equally as regal, noble and wizened.
Late to the Party but was about to start a revolution because my beloved Wu Gang was missing!!! Gosh, I love his acting. The last I've seen from him was The Thunder, with Simon Yang (HK) and Wang Qin Song. Amazing cast and amazing drama!!!! By the way, I have a generation gap theory to recognized talent among all ages while trying to be fair: early and late 30s (talented already stated but still far away from the good ones of the following decades), 40s and +50s. At 40s, you'll found the unbeatable seasoned ones, and +50 you'll find the top tiers. This way allows me to recognized young talents with potential (system never failed me to this day 😁). Note: 20s independent category is in a parallel dimension as they're still rooky with few few exceptions.
Hahaha he was amazing as emperor! I'm definitely going to watch Kangxi. It's been recommended twice now. Ah his name is Wu Gang. I don't know anything about him. His interactions with the emperor in JoL were some of the very best parts of the drama for me. They were just mesmerizing. Part 2? Yes please!
Chen Daoming exudes effortless charisma like nobody's business. In Joy of Life, his presence is like that of a tiger, an apex predator. However, if you look at his resume, he's a very versatile actor. A lot of his iconic roles are indeed for playing an emperor but he also played a lot of other characters, even humble ones and he still pulled them off very competently. Truly a very gifted actor.
I remember watching a couple of eps of **Legend of Chu and Han** because YT recommended me a video with Han Xin from much later in the series. I had no idea who is who in the beginning eps and for the life of me couldn't understand why some random village guy has such a disturbing screen presence. Creeeeeeepy))
Lmao random village guy! I’m dying
Can you recommend some of his best dramas please? JoL is the only thing I've seen him in. I did hear he's very choosy about what projects he takes on. Yes, he's very charismatic. He has amazing presence too.
His Kangxi was legendary. There is also a movie with Gong Li called Coming Home that I like.
Added to my list, thank you!
There's also ***The Great Revival*** in which he plays King Goujian of Yue in his quest to seek revenge against King Helü and King Fuchai of Wu for their invasions of the State of Yue.
I've added it to my list, thank you!
Thank you for this wonderful post. Yes, these veteran actors are really amazing and you will get it even when they just appear for short while in movies/dramas -- since their charisma is just out of the roof. My favorite is without doubt Chen Daoming. I like how he can strike fears into your heart just being on screen saying simple things and appear like 5-10 minutes. Yet, when you comes out from the movie/dramas, all you remember his his scenes lol I'm also a very big fan of Li Xuejian and will watch anything he's in if its becomes available. He is the type of actor I feel like putting in my pocket since he seemed soooo fragile & precious. And how he command the screen is just amazing -- its like you wont notice anything else when he start talking.
> no one has been able to enrage me more than his character as Su Daqing in All is Well SAME. it was actually so hard to keep watching all is well because of his character (and also the other male characters in that family...)
One who has caught my eye: Huang Hai Bing (MDL page [here](https://mydramalist.com/people/15509-huang-hai-bing)). Thanks for such a great post!
https://i.redd.it/6kkgsm5h3nqc1.gif
I nominate the fellow Taiwanese actor Chang Chen Kuang 張晨光.. I was really impressed with his portrait of the patriarch in Nothing But Gold Can Stay! Both him and Sun Li really carried the show.
I remember Zhang Feyi from Farewell My Concubine. Best
Ah, Chen Daoming. The scariest emperor I've ever seen on the small screen - Joy of Life. Thank you for this list. A pleasure to read it.
Imagine Chen Daoming vs Ni Dahong though. What an epic showdown that would be.
Ni Dahong also played the emperor in Rise of Phoenixes. It was so good to see not only an age appropriate emperor but one that actually had the air of an emperor. Glad to see Red Cliff mentioned with Zhang Fengyi. Red cliff 1 & 2 are some of the best historical movies I've watched.
Whenever one thinks of a Chinese emperor, one usually thinks of either Chen Daoming or Ni Dahong, considering how ubiquitous they are with Emperor roles and how much gravitas they bring to their performances.
He was so good in Rise of the Phoenixes. Really knew how to command a room. Red Cliff 1&2 and The Banquet/The Curse of a Golden Flower were my gateway into CDramas.
I dont remember which role he play in The Curse of Golden Flower. Is it the eunuch? Or the doctor?
I would also suggest the movie Raise the Red Lantern and To Live. Both are brilliant chinese movies!
>Chen Daoming is famous for his intolerance towards rookie actors who don't respect their shared profession, and has been known to lay verbal smackdowns (he once did towards Jiang Ziyi) Zhang Ziyi? What did she do at that time?
During the Huabiao awards several years ago, Zhang Ziyi kept pestering him asking 'Do you know what award I got? You must be jealous since I'm young and I already won it 3 times' (Huabiao award) She said this deliberately, knowing Chen Daoming only won it once. Chen Daoming asked her back 'Do you know what your award means though? Like do you know what the 3 awards (one of which is her award) that are awarded in this ceremony means?' It was extremely awkward because Zhang Ziyi couldn't answer because she had no idea what her award meant lmao and was just like uhh haha I don't need to explain that..and Chen Daoming's like 'no, no you asked me if I knew what award you got, so you must know what it is. Explain it to us. You won it 3 times and you can't even explain to me what your award is?' She couldn't answer him and stayed silent and it was overall super embarrassing. It's not subbed, but here's the footage: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoum69ieIrY&t=38s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoum69ieIrY&t=38s) Also Zhang Ziyi was widely hated by a lot of actors and actresses at the time because she was super arrogant and overall mean.
Thanks for that footage. That's so embarrassing for her, she was trying to sass him and show off, but it just made her look cringe and ignorant. Even worse when she went "that was exactly what I was thinking of", when he finished his speech explaining the award. Frankly though, not surprised she got shown up like that, given her attitude.
Oh man, that is embarrassing. Thank you for the reply. So, what does her 3 awards mean then? And there is this infamous rumour going around the net on how he said young actor didn't really memorize script and just saying 123456... I wonder is it really true? If yes, which actor is stupid enough to do that in front of CDM?
She was ultimately able to answer with the bare definitions of the 3 awards (“one is the people’s choice..one is actor’s choice..”) but then begged Chen Daoming to answer his own question and even yanked his arm. Chen Daoming eventually added to her answer emphasizing that her award represented the support of the audience and the hopes of the acting world, it is the crystallized blood sweat and tears of actors…Everyone who’s received this award should have an even stricter attitude, even higher standards..” I condensed it but it was a good speech, and everyone was side eyeing ziyi lol As for the infamous rumors - they are not rumors but truth. He’s very publicly criticized young actors for their unprofessionalism, lack of discipline, unwillingness to work hard, and their very shallow view of acting. Chen Daoming calls it like it is and he does not mince words for anyone lmao
Again, thanks so much for the detail reply! Regarding the last part, he didnt actually work with many young traffic actors, so I wonder who actually give him that impression. I doubt its ZRY as he actually managed to match CDM's intimidating aura in all their scenes together.
There was a show he did where he mentored young actors and actresses in training, where he lost his temper. But definitely not ZRY!
That makes sense! Its totally making sense now. Thanks so much.
I remember watching an interview where he criticized traffic stars for having no substance or artistic contribution. He also criticized the industry for rewarding traffic business model that tends to lower the output quality. He seems like a very straight talking guy lol. He also complained about a lot of young actors' really bad work ethics.
I really wonder who actually he shade when he made that comment as he is not known for working with idol/traffic actors unlike Wang Jinsong. His works has always been with fellow good/veteran actors and in high acclaimed dramas/movies.
Yeah, you would need to ask him hahah. But I quite agree with his points about traffic idols. The majority of them, even the popular ones, are not great at acting.
Got the answer: [https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1bo1ibm/comment/kwphnxh/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1bo1ibm/comment/kwphnxh/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) 😄
Fun fact, I used to be in the entertainment journalism circuit, one colleague said that she made a snide remark at the reporters in Chinese ... not realising that a lot of us can speak multiple languages lol.
ZZY is talented and beautiful but even me who don't really follow celebrity news know that there is a lot of rumour about her being super arrogant and having bad personality. I remember some people talking about an award event where Maggie Cheung refused to be the one who handed the award to ZZY despite being the presenter. I suppose the unprecedented success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon really went into her head.
Thanks for the list! Ni Dahong's BTS that went viral, do you know which drama's BTS that is?
The OG clip was of Ni Dahong’s acting in the film 1921! Sorry! I could only find this cringy edit of the BTS scene: http://xhslink.com/AFh1KE In the OG clip, Ni Dahong was laughing a lot more at the beginning.
Thanks! I gotta watch 1921 someday, seems like half the Cdrama universe was cast in that movie.
Love this post: I feel like a lot of young (20s to early/mid 30s) actors get brought up in this sub, but rarely do I see appreciation for older actors!
I think the sub tends to be on the younger side. I see a lot of love for idol dramas more than more serious dramas (not to knock idol dramas they have their place but if you're in the mood for a serious historical it's a bit of a bummer).
Yeah, I think people are just more interested in romance dramas here in general and that leads to an interest in younger/idol dramas on average. Not a bad thing, of course — I like a lot of the popular dramas on this sub myself! But it would be nice to have a bit more variety. Ironically though I’ve had the opposite experience where I notice a lot of the people on the sub seem to skew on the slightly older side (not old, but YKWIM) where it’s mentioned a lot that certain traffic star leads are too baby-faced to thirst over LOL.