Oliver Chen: “I Don’t Think I’m Popular”

Following actor Oliver Chen Xingxu‘s (陳星旭) breakout performance as the complex and cunning Li Chengyin in the Chinese historical drama Goodbye My Princess <東宫>, viewers couldn’t wait to see what he would deliver in his next projects. Although it wasn’t easy for Oliver to break out of his Li Chengyin character mold, he challenged himself to do so by taking on diverse roles, such as Ning Cai Chen in The Enchanting Phantom <倩女幽魂>, a Chinese film remake of A Chinese Ghost Story <倩女幽魂>. In an interview, the 24-year-old actor compares his real self to these two characters and delves into his acting philosophy. 

Viewers of Goodbye My Princess would think Oliver, who perfectly embodied his character, would possess the same qualities as Li Chengyin, but the actor said they are complete opposites. He added that he had to let go of his own self and believe that he is Li Chengyin to successfully pull off the role. “We might be similar in terms of loneliness, but I don’t share his arrogance and inner evilness,” Oliver expressed.

On the other hand, the star sees more of a similarity between him and Ning Cai Chen, who is afraid of being alone, bugs, and ghosts. “It’s because I can get scared of anything like him. If the things that happened to him had happened to me, I would probably be the first one to run off. I can get really scared,” he said.

The young actor also shared that he was initially worried that fans would find it difficult to see him portray a character who was drastically different from Li Chengyin, but he felt reassured after checking the reviews. Fans even praised his performance and said he made this role his own just like he did in Goodbye My Princess.

Despite the positive feedback, Oliver is not letting the success get to his head. When the interviewer asked if he feels he achieved popularity, he humbly answered, “I don’t think I’m popular, and I don’t feel popularity is all that important. What’s most important is that I can receive more opportunities to participate in different kinds of projects and work with more talented actors. This would make me so happy.”

Showing such mature insights, many netizens believe he shows great potential as an up and coming actor. To such compliments, Oliver modestly said he needs to work harder. He believes that being an actor involves a long learning process, and his skills will only get better as he ages and gain more experience.

Source: Sohu

This article is written by Minna for JayneStars.com.