ACTOR PROFILE OF Chén Zhéyuǎn (陈哲远) My GiF from The White Olive Tree video update ("Ah Zan")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 |
LATEST UPDATES OF THE PAGES Jan.17-March 16 2024 (Sword and Fairy 4 2024, Golden Hairpin news and launch of his new studio Weibo with the clip "Invisible Angel", "ID card picture", and in the "Modeling" section, his feature in Feb 2024 Esquire magazine, his Visit Shenzhen video ad, and the PapaJohns pizza ad ; plus a copy & translation of interviews in Annex 2 and Annex 3). February and March 2024 (Dark Night and Dawn , The White Olive Tree; rumors about Love on the Turquoise Land Age20 brand ambassador, holiday with mom in Thailand, March charity for hearing impaired children, support for his friend's upcoming movie, March 8 live stream and photo shoot for GQ and March 11 Gucci event in Shenzhen, New variety shows + Fashion and travel feature in Dubai in April 2024. Rumor of possible drama Steel Forest). 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 |
1/ BIODATA, family, pet, personality, nicknames
"ID card" below from Chen Zheyuan 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, 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).
 My gif: Chén Zhé Yuǎn growing up  |
Born on October 29, 1996, in Shenzhen 深圳市, Guangdong, China, Chén Zhé Yuǎn 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 Liu Yi (6-1) We only know he was raised and educated in Shenzhen, graduating from the Department of Performance Arts of Shenzhen University. |
It has been said that his parents were divorced and that was the sadness he drew on when he did the crying scene at the cemetery in Hidden Love, perhaps that's true. He did not have much contact with his father who did not have real comforting words for him when he needed them. He had been raised by his grandparents... A video did catch him in a flash of sudden grief, when he once phoned to his dad, and the lack of warmth he felt then suddenly broke young CZY's usual brave and cheerful front. |  |
 My GIF from modeling picture
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 is estimated at 5 million USD, and he is 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 This video (in Chinese, no subtitles) shows 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, #4 |
 | PETSHe likes cats and has rescued some, but was somewhat wary of dogs, until Zhao Lusi 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 Liu Yi, his big white cat. [Stills from Wēibó reposted to FB CZY Precious Boy fan page, recut and labeled by me} |
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 Ma called him familiarly Chén Gē 陈哥 (Brother Chen), while his ex co-star Shen Yue 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.
 |  | 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) |
This section last updated April 17, 2024
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 : #ChenZheyuan won the Asia Pacific Popular Actor Of The Year 2023 award at iQiyi scream night 23.11.25 in Macau. (2'23 with many snippets of footage and a speech where he introduced himself as YuǎnYuǎn / 远远). Full 2hrs event here: Part 1 and Part 2, with English subtitles. (CZY was the first to appear)
On January 23, 2024, he added another statuette, to his awards shelf collection, at the Weibo awards night. The picture links to the 4min28 footage of the event when he stepped on stage and delivered his speech (02:02-02:49) : |  |
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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Other adaptations of the novel exist, starting with a 1971 HK movie, where Xiao YuEr is a girl (
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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
Livestream of CZY, WXY, Shi Zixun and Wang Luqin 2023.08.09 (in Chinese).
Chén Zhéyuǎn has shared for CCTV6 thoughts about the dramas he performed in : this video has no English subtitles, but some well chosen representative footage. Jianghaven 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 Xiao Yu'er. He is the kind of person who fears making mistake. He learnt to let go while playing Yu'er and as he became Yu'er, he became bolder in performing and braver, not fearing to make mistakes.
- [current project spy drama DNAD] 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 Shenzhen 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 Wu Lu Ke Tao” drama couple (Zhào Lùsī/ Leo Wu 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
 |  Chen Zheyuan 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) lists all the unreleased dramas (as of March 2024) that Chen Zheyuan 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 asYǔ 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 4also known as Chinese Paladin 4, or The Legend of Sword and Fairy 《仙剑奇侠传四》{xiānjiàn qí xiá chuán sì”][Shooting 2022.02.16-2022.06.16 in Hengdian film city studios] Airing 2024.01.17-2024.02.01 on iQiyi or Youtube (direct links to watch it). Cast and voice-actor dubbers (v):
Note : ML and FL names credited "in no particular order"
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The story is adapted from the popular RPG of the same name. "The play tells the story of Hán Língshā 韩菱纱 played by Jū Jìngyī 鞠婧祎), Yún Tiānhé 云天河 (played by Chen Zhéyuǎn), Liǔ Mènglí 柳梦璃 (played by Máo Xiǎohuì 毛晓慧) and Mùróng Zǐyīng 慕容紫英 (played by Máo Zijùn 茅子俊) who are involved in the dispute between the two worlds of monsters during the journey of "seeking immortals". The four of them try their best to save the common people in various adversities and write a legendary story. "The investment of the play is as high as 300 million RMB, with excellent production and strong cast. The looks of Chén Zhéyuǎn and Jū Jìngyī are obvious to all. In addition, the show also has beautiful men and women such as Máo Zijùn, Máo Xiǎohuì, Wāng Duó 汪铎, (who plays Xuán Xiāo 玄霄) and Chén Chǔhé 陳楚河 (who plays Yún TiānQīng 云天青) joining in. It is expected to be a reappearance of the classics." [min.news and Baidu] The series, which can be watched as independent stories in same universe, started in 2005 with Chinese Paladin, followed by Chinese Paladin 3 (2009) ; Chinese Paladin 5 (2016); and Sword and Fairy /formerly Chinese Paladin 6 (2024 on WeTV from Jan.18, 2024) starring Xu Kai. Chinese Paladin 4 is described as a prequel to Chinese paladin 3 ; and these are both "prequels" to the original Chinese Paladin, while Chinese Paladin 2 did not come into being: numbers jumble... :-) There is also a long parodic side story called Pal Inn (2015), and still unreleased, a remake of the original Chinese Paladin titled Paladin Legend, but none of these other projects feature Chen Zheyuan.
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| DARK NIGHT AND DAWN暗夜与黎明projected for airing in 2024 on CCTV + iQiyi. [shooting dates 2023.07.10- 2023.08.23 in Shanghai, i.e. 43 days July-August ; CZY joined the cast on April 28, 2023, before the booting ceremony on May 21]. Cast lineup released in July 2023 on Weibo, starring :
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.
Snippets in Chinese on Weibo (3'20) 2023.08.23 (BTS pictures and wrap incl. 3'20) Trailer on Weibo (1'04) 2023.09.21 and, together with a message by Chen Zheyuan announcing the upcoming drama, a new Trailer on Youtube (1'20) 2023.12.15 -- (excerpts in GIF below).
The series has its own Weibo page. |
      | THE WHITE OLIVE TREE 白色橄榄树 [Báisè Gǎnlǎn Shù]. 40 episodes, iQiyi 2024 - high quality S+ drama - producer is Han Hao 韩颢 who already produced Wolf Warriors 2 (2017) and Winner is King (see below). Screenwriter Yan Qianzi 杨千紫 is an author and also wrote script for The Legends (2019) and Only For Love (2023 drama with Bai Lu and Dylan Wang). The other screenwriter, credited on Baidu : Han Hao 韩颢 is also a producer ; he wrote for Winner is King (the shelved drama of CZY). Complete cast and crew was still not disclosed on Baidu, as of 2024.02.23 but a Twitter post (picture to left) disclosed some already :
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. "Li Zan 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; Wang Yuwen almost left the production in a pinch, before Liang Jie quickly stepped in. <-- My Gifs of booting and the search for FL. (from Twitter repost of Weibo and TikTok videos, adding text and merged-. Drama booting ceremony took place on 2023.09.16 and filming started immediately in Sichuan, Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture. Liang Jie arrived on Sept26 at Xichang airport nearby. Filming was scheduled for 150 days. It wrapped on 2024.01.13. 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 Dongguo (Eastern country ) from the original novel .  The TV series has its own Weibo pages.btw, for those who don't know it, here's a link to the beloved song Ganlan Shu (The Olive Tree), lyrics penned by Sanmao, and sung by Chyi Yu. It was composed for an old movie about refugees, but can be remembered here. It has been covered by countless singers, and the symbolism is also in tune with the new drama. |
Reshoot confirmed
  Chén Zhéyuǎn as SML Yǔ Xuān Péng Guānyīng 彭冠英 as ML Lǐ Shūbái Yáng Zǐ 杨紫 as FL Huáng Zǐxiá Xuān Yán 宣言 as Wáng Yùn  Qiū Xīnzhì 邱心志 as Wáng Zōngshí | The Golden Hairpin[Qīng Zānxíng 青簪行]
This was an S+ (expensive) drama that got stopped in its tracks because of the scandal that ended with jailing of actor and singer Kris Wu. It was reshot end of 223, 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 Wu, decided to bow out. He was finally replaced by Péng Guānyīng in Nov.2023. (Full story on koalasplayground 2023.08.28, 2023.11.21 , 2024.01.13 ). The news are now confirmed also by several posts of January 2024 by Yang Zi (who had finished her reshot parts), Xuan Yan and LiuYihang. Cast : Chén Zhéyuǎn as SML Yǔ Xuān 禹宣 Xuān Yán 宣言 (as Wáng Yùn 王蕴) Yáng Zǐ 杨紫 (as Huáng Zǐxiá 黄梓瑕) Péng Guānyīng 彭冠英 (as Lǐ Shūbái 李舒白 ) Qiū Xīnzhì 邱心志 (as Wáng Zōngshí 王宗实) Calvin Yú Xiǎowěi 于小伟 (as Emperor Huángdì 皇帝) Suí Jùnbō 隋俊波 (as Empress Wáng Huánghòu 王皇后) Zhào Yīngbó 赵英博 (as 7th Prince Qī Wángyé 七王爷) Lǐ Yìnán 李逸男 (as 9th Prince Jiǔ Wángyé 九王爷) Ruǎn Jù 阮巨 (as Princess Qí Lè jùn zhǔ 歧乐郡主) Liú Yǐháng 刘已航 (as Zhōu Zi Qín 周子秦) Summary of story and rest of cast on Baidu : The play is adapted from the novel " The Record of Hairpin " 《青簪行》 by CeCe Qinghan . It tells the story of a love-hate relationship between the daughter of an official, amateur sleuth Huang Zixia (only survivor of a family that had been brutally wiped out, and falsely accused of the murders), and Li Shubai. They gradually uncover shocking secret cases touching the Tang Dynasty royal family 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
the most serious one long looked like it would be "Love on the Turquoise land", but by March 2024 this project appeared to have been rejected. Chen Zheyuan studio seems very secretive about giving information on his future projects, which may come as a surprise.
Projects discussed but not agreed (or not yet):
* 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), possibly titled 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 CZY as ML alongside Dilireba, while other rumors were pointing to other actors, and reporting that CZY had dropped the project ; it snowballed into a heated debate around January 2024, and finally, the production decided to choose Chen Xingxu, to start filming around March 15, 2024 in Ningbo. |
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). IN WAIT TO BE CONFIRMED (March 16, 2024. |
Shelved Project
Note1 : A news report gave some information in July 2023 about the 5 dramas, CZY 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, CZY 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 16, 2024
Next : ENTERTAINER (Selected shows)
4/ ENTERTAINER - AMONG THE SHOWS
KEEP RUNNING Season 11CZY 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 CZY 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, CZY 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 CZY come to prepare the recording of the "Great Detective" aka Who's The Murderer (大侦探 #9) in Changsha 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 can be watched here but do not feature CZY. "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 Weibo)
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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....
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 I am Just So Confident (就是这么自信 jiùshì zhème zìxìn) play on words:  | This was the prize to be won in a lottery drawn on April 11, 2024, 10:29 : a limited edition button : Among the comments was this one : |
Upcoming variety show : The New World of The Rubik's Cube was being shot in Changsha on April 17, 2024.
This section last updated April 17, 2024
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's also a fun "dance compilation".
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 this video of him singing Hacken Lee's "Half-Moon Serenade" (lyrics MV here) in Cantonese. :-)
Still 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 :
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The group included 7 members when it was lauched on 2015.09.10: Zhu Xingjie, Zhou Yanchen, Zhou Rui, Yang Zhonglin, Li Zhifan, Luo Mingjie and Chen Zheyuan. 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 livestream with his co-stars from Hidden Love.
Shěn Yuè showed she knew a lot about CZY, with whom she had appeared in entertainment shows before Mr Bad. (video link) |  |
FANDOMFANDOM NAME AND COLOR:
same sound as “Yuǎn“bǎo 远宝 (*) |
|
No Ig, FB, TikTok, Twitter |
EMERGING STAR .....
 His fame has grown with the confirmation of his acting talents, so he has risen to #4 among male Chinese actors, as reported on this TikTok chart (over 6 billion views as of 2023.09.11) 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 are often relayed on the fandom Instagram account, that has now 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)".
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(*) Learn more about the yuanbao 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 yuanbao 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 yuanbao name, there is also the Chunhua Yuanbao pictured to the right below which had an inscription in emperor Taizong's valued calligraphy ); and the metal was also diverse : gold, silver, copper... But the coins were not considered as yuanbao per se, since they had to be stringed together to be exchanged for the proper, usually boat shaped yuanbao. As Baidu explains : "Yuanbao originated in the Tang Dynasty. In the early Tang 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 Tang 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 "Yuanbao" began in the Yuan Dynasty. In the third year of the Yuan Dynasty, the silver from Pinghuaiku (the national bank at that time) was melted into "ingots". Any weight up to 50 taels was called "Yuanbao". It also means "treasure of the Yuan 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... |
 silver ingot "saddlepack" yuanbao specific to Yunnan in 1800s |  Song dynasty yuanbao ingot with long calligraphy on top. |  Henan Yaoding. Silver Provincial Waisted Ingots. 4.75 Tael Ingot. |
|  |  Chinese New Year decoration |
Today, yuanbao 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 2024.04.11)
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" 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)
Next : WORK AS MODEL AND ADVERTISING
7/ ADVERTISEMENT & MODELING
 Of course, he has modeled for sports brands: here, Fila pop up event in Chengdu, 2023.09.05 (GIF from a short video) See the ad further below. |  But he also wears jewellery for brands, here: a nice pair of rose brooch and ring necklace from Tiffany, in August 2023. (GIF from pictures on his Weibo) |
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 (nice video; subtitled part from 1:59 on this cut of longer interview), 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. |
Also look at the footage of the ALLOVE high jewelry launch on 2023.08.22, Chinese Valentines Day Qi Xi, when CEO Mr Ling presented 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 Chen Zheyuan 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.   "In the ninth year of his debut, as the number of works he shot increased and the things he encountered became more complicated, Chen Zheyuan learned to create a pure space in his heart. There were characters he regarded as close friends, and there was also a side of him that he deliberately kept from the outside world. Disturbed self. This most sincere inner world is his fortress and his foundation." |
[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 “
AMBASSADOR FOR SHENZHEN TOURISM [2024-02-05 10:53] Chén Zhéyuǎn posted on his Weibo a video ad he made to promote his birth city tourism : "Shenzhen University alumni @陈泽元 - invites everyone to the Spring Festival." Background music is the "Little star" song that he sang once. He invited visitors to come to Shenzhen experience the 24h fun with the young people. There are sunny beaches and super delicious food that can no longer be secretly hidden! I am in Shenzhen. Waiting for the top people. Reasons to come to Shenzhen to celebrate the New Year!  |  And to prepare Chinese New Year 2024 fusion style, he also shot an ad for PapaJohns pizza (left, GIF) -- the brand continued to showcase CZY in ads on and before "white day" March 14, 2024. |
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.) For more on that, in Chinese without English subtitles, here is a link to the 16 mins video on YouTube, reposted from Weibo, featuring the "black carpet live broadcast part with the neck cushion" and the "cute cat expressions ". |
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 |  In April 2024, Chén Zhéyuǎn was invited to Dubai to do a travel feature for the magazine 风尚志 (Fēng shàng Zhi/"Trendy Fashion") : "Half desert, half sea water, this is a wonderful city... ChenZheyuan began to put down his luggage, and he roamed in the mysterious ancient city, staring at the strange buildings, rushing rivers, and endless streams of people." "People here come from all over the world, with a population of 3 million from more than 200 countries and regions. Most of them are open-minded and hospitable..."Modeling for Gucci and other fashion brands. A short but memorable trip! |
This section last updated April 17, 2024
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 . (The picture below is of another contestant, WinWin of WayV who 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 ; ).jpeg?v=5cfcf)
| 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. Here is a video of an outing on a yacht in the period of Chinese mid-autumn festival 2022, where we can 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 Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan’s pairing and quickly named them “Yuan Xing Bi Lu (远形毕露)” or for short, YuanLu CP, with the success of the drama Hidden Love. |
 Story adapted to GIF by me :D (Humor only, no real rumor intended!) | I had noticed, on the same xiaohongshu page where the meatballs picture were displayed on CZY's social media, a cryptic dialogue in which Liu Yi (CZY's big white female cat) was asking CZY about another cat, whose photo featured, and if that one was "outside the door": Liu Yi jealously concluded that his owner did not love her any more, since he had set his eyes on another cat!... (I was thinking: Now, what color is Rosy's cat, if she still has one, besides her dogs? Is it still RóuRóu? Yes, "róu", again (but the "soft" meaning instead of "ròu/meat"), and it was white... So... But time has come and gone, and this now seems to have been just skilfully keeping the CP fire stoked for the audience of the drama they filmed together, by letting the rumor fly high. |
showing them with their CP color phones, and CZY mouthing "Ai ni" /I love you"!! while he signed "telephone call" with his left hand - the video was filmed facing a mirror.) | As months went by, each went on to new projects : ZLS filming a new costume drama from November (The Legend of Jewelry 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 the 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"). |
Photoshots of their Weibo pages (Anyway, nobody will complain for having been smiling, dreaming, be surprised at their daring, and look at their sweet mock-hidden message exchanges with fondness. |
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 does like ice-cream (which featured famouly 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
Next : HUMOR AND SERIOUSNESS
10/ HUMOR AND SERIOUSNESS
Despite appearing goofy and gangly 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 rocketship too, although he'd surely make a fine Superman !
SERIOUS AND WISE
An interview (no subtitles). of 2022 shows him mostly straightfacedly 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 Tan Jianci 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.
 Charity ad for raising money for deaf children | [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 in this BTS of Chén Zhéyuǎn showing the contents of his box, 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
|  CZY charming chuckle [Credit: GIF Posted by TOFU on JIANGHAVEN] |
Chén Zhéyuǎn fits of explosive laughter [GIF made by me from this  | This July 2023 cheeky post on xiaohongshu ("little red book" Chinese Instagram style social media) shows 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]. | [selected screenshots recut and turned into a gif by me] |
Gege, what are you doing !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 jewellery : 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 : 2024.04.17 （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
 |  he approved the cupcakes! |  |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9wgcTmw1OA
 |
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:
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 :
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
Producer: @sendiexylcindy
Photography: @江南Nam
Styling: @Zy·boi
Editor: Tif
Makeup and hair: Tina
Producer: Sunny (CSIDE)
Art: Billo (CSIDE)
Fashion Assistant: Alison
 Tudor Ranger watch - White shirt Louis Vuitton - Tie CELINE HOMME - Trousers Alexander McQueen |  Leather jacket Emporio Armani皮质夹克 Emporio Armani |
 | “一个很好的朋友”把自己当成一个媒介 拍摄这期封面的时候，正赶上《仙剑四》热播。聊起新作，陈哲远除了希望观众能看到拍摄时整个剧组的努力，还提起每次赶上作品播出，自己也会尽量实时追剧，这样才能在第一时间就看到大家最直接的评价。“我一般都会看大家的意见，想一想是不是确实自己做得不好，或者说，看看自己做得好的地方大家是不是认同，这些肯定对我以后的表演会有帮助。” Bath towel skirt and mules are all Balenciaga |
"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."
 | 作为演员，一部戏从拍摄到播出，可能要经历好几年的时间跨度，当陈哲远本人的人生已经向前迈出了好几步，再回头看当初塑造的银幕形象，就像一种重新认识自己的独特方式。“今天这段看难受了。”这是最近某天追剧时，他发在微博上的一段小感受。和剧里的云天河有点相似，角色从对外界一无所知到下山后经历了种种成长，戏外的陈哲远也比两年前拍这部戏时更成熟了。同步追剧时，他看的不只是剧情，伴随着画面一帧一帧的流动，过去的记忆全都在一刹那涌到眼前，这些都是他熟悉又陌生的自己。“剧情心里都知道了，看的时候就会想，哦，原来我这里那时候是这样演的？或者我记得好像有演得比这条好的。” |
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."
 | 一月初，陈哲远刚结束新剧《白色橄榄树》的拍摄，几个星期的时间过去，回到熟悉的城市见了老朋友，也开始期待过年就要吃上姥姥包的饺子，这些属于他本人的日常固然能帮他尽快告别角色，而提起过往，他还是能“秒切”回拍戏的状态里。或者说，理智上，他知道一段告别已经发生，而情感上，他还记挂着那个一起走了好几个月的朋友。 “以前我会觉得我就是那个角色，我要怎样怎样，但现在是，我把阿瓒当成了一个很好的朋友，我是在通过我的表演，呈现一个他的影视形象。” |
"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."
因为刚杀青没多久，这次来拍杂志的陈哲远，在造型上还顶着为李瓒留的短头发，这个形象和此前粉丝们熟悉的他截然不同，他本人也曾经为之“眼前一亮”，很喜欢这种“由外而内”带来的心理变化。“因为这个角色的动作、表情都比较少一点，那我就尽量让自己的外型，和整个人的思考问题的方式都更贴近他。这样的话，当我站在镜头前，心里就不会有那么多杂念，不会总想着要怎么去演，而是自然而然地站在那儿，我感觉自己就是他了。”还有发型之外，为了让身材更贴近在异国战场维护和平的李瓒，拍戏那几个月，陈哲远格外注意干净饮食，还把很多休息时间都用在了健身上。“运动一下”“强壮的我又来了”……翻翻社交媒体，很多训练记录都被他用图片或者小视频的方式留存下来，这些都是他为李瓒做出的特别努力。 |  Tudor Ranger watch - Wool vest with metal details, brown jeans with rivets, - Derby shoes by Givenchy - Checked shirt Loewe |
 | “在那一段时间，会跟他有一定的共情，我会进入到他的世界里。而且这个角色前后变化挺大的，后期得了PTSD，也就是创伤后应激障碍，有很长一段时间是生病的状态，所以我在拍戏时，也想试试看，能不能捕捉到一点他眼里的看到的世界。在准备这个角色时候，比方说当我陈哲远碰到了一些事情，我也会想，如果是阿瓒，他会怎么想，怎么做，怎么回应别人。” 在把角色当成一个朋友去认识的过程中，陈哲远经常会试着去跟他对话，特别是有一些格外需要情感投入的戏份，拍摄前，陈哲远还会专门留出时间来跟李瓒“聊聊”，这些对谈虽然只发生于陈哲远的心里，但于他来说就是真实发生的，他得确信他心里的那个李瓒认可了自己的创作，才能在镜头前，把他的喜怒哀乐尽情展示出来。 |
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.
“比方说要演一场很痛苦的戏，开拍之前，我就会坐在现场静静地发呆，别人可能也不知道我在想什么，其实我就是在想，为了这场戏，我要付出百分之多少的感情给阿瓒。” 这样的对话不只是单方面的告知，陈哲远也会跟他心里那个李瓒商量，“70%就够了？70%应该差不多了吧？”他当然想淋漓尽致地演一场，但他也知道，一部剧不止情感爆发这一场，他不能入戏太深出不来，这样才真的会影响后面的创作。所以在进行一些伤心乃至伤身的表演时，他就会格外注意张弛有度，一边保护自己，一边照顾李瓒。“我会跟他聊，说我愿意付出多少给你。” |  |
"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.
 | “只是你特别在意而已”从来都没有什么唯一的标准答案 拥有了一定的表演经验后，陈哲远不再拘泥于形式上的投入，像这次把李瓒认定为朋友的方法，就是他为自己找的一条新路。“我感觉这样子不太内耗，如果我分不清哪个是角色，哪个是我自己，那样反而会更痛苦。”如果说在表演过程中，共情是个必须要实现的目标，那当下的陈哲远知道，他可以找到许多不同的通路去抵达这个终点，在这段路途中，从来都没有什么唯一的标准答案。 |
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.
“可能生活里那种很微小的事情、大家都会碰到的事情，是更能打动人的，只是有些时候，大家还没有把它们呈现出来而已。”包括自己当观众去看影视作品，或者当读者去阅读文学作品时，陈哲远也会伸出“触角”，像海绵一样去吸收尽可能多的感受，“需要观察得很仔细，然后做出一个很接地气、很真实的呈现。” 比起把很多情绪憋在心里的“小时候”，现在的陈哲远，已经可以更打开自己。“我以前不太喜欢跟别人交流，但我现在发现，还是得沟通，这样才可以看到每一个人不一样的生活方式和思考方式，然后能了解到人物的更多方面。” |  |
"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."
 Leather jacket Emporio Armani | 有时候，他会主动跟认识的人聊天，有时候甚至会再往前一步，走到街上去跟完全不认识的人交流，这些画面都是原来的他完全不敢想的，但试过之后也觉得没什么，渐渐的，它们都能成为他表演的支撑，让他更容易理解阅历不同的各种角色。“有时间的话，可以去街上找不认识的人聊聊天，去看看他们，那可能你的素材库就更大了一点。” 还有在网络上，陈哲远也一直坚持着打开自己。作为演员，一言一行难免被放大，但他不想把这个原因当成竖在眼前的“一堵墙”，就此隔开了自己和外界。“我还是比较直接的，有什么就说什么，不然‘框’着自己也很难受。自己心里不舒服，那你干什么都不舒服。” |
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 and Wechat
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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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