Zhao Liying Soars to New Heights with “The Journey of Flower”

Mainland Chinese actress Zhao Liying (趙麗穎) has seen her popularity soar since the broadcast of her new fantasy-wuxia drama, The Journey of Flower <花千骨>, in which she stars opposite Taiwanese actor Wallace Huo (霍建華). Despite the unceasing praise from netizens, Liying admits that her acting is far from perfect and that she will continue striving to be more natural.

The Journey of Flower, which is currently airing on Hunan Satellite TV on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, tells of the doomed romance between Hua Qiangu (Zhao Liying), an unlucky orphan, and Bai Zihua (Wallace Huo), an immortal who becomes Qiangu’s master. Though the drama has been on air for only four weeks, it has already captured the first-place spot among TV show ratings in the province of Hunan. Moreover, online views of The Journey of Flower have already surpassed the 2-billion mark.

Many viewers have praised Liying and Wallace for portraying the characters so well that it appears as though Qiangu and Zihua, who were originally characters in a novel of the same name, have come to life. Liying in particular was deemed the most fitting actress by not only the producer of The Journey of Flower, but also by Fresh Guoguo (fresh果果), who wrote the online novel and co-wrote the drama’s screenplay.

Zhao Liying: “I Hope My Acting Will Be Natural”

Although she has won over many viewers with her portrayal of the kind-hearted and adorable Hua Qiangu, Zhao Liying humbly admits that she still has a lot to learn. “I haven’t reached the point where my acting could be called sensational,” she said. “I still have to think up various methods to draw myself as close as I can get to the role. I hope that my acting will be as natural as possible.

“As actors, we need to give the lines and characters vitality,” Liying went on. “When we are acting, we should not just imitate the script. Sometimes the changes are involuntary, but perhaps that is when we become closer to the character.”

Though some netizens feel she is only able to portray foolish or simple characters, Zhao Liying shared that she no longer minds being labeled as “sweet” or “delicate.” “I actually rather like this evaluation of myself,” she remarked. “Before, I didn’t wish to be defined by other people, but now I feel that this type of situation depends entirely on myself.”

Since her acting debut in 2006, Zhao Liying has tirelessly worked toward becoming the leading actress she is today. She recently revealed that her dedication to her work caught the attention of her costar, Wallace Huo, who is himself known for taking on many filming projects. “I told him that he and I are the same,” she said with a laugh. “We don’t have any other hobbies, so what would we do if we weren’t filming?”

Source: Sohu.com 

This article is written by Joanna for JayneStars.com.