Top Chinese film actress in TV series criticised for bad acting and looks, joining Zhang Ziyi and Tang Wei as big-screen stars panned for small-screen work
- Zhou Dongyu drew critics’ ire for her performance in the period drama series Ancient Love Poetry, which launched on Tencent Video on June 17
- Zhou herself said on a talk show in 2018 she doesn’t have the right face to play period drama beauties
The first television drama to star top Chinese film actress Zhou Dongyu launched recently to widespread criticism, echoing the disapproval that met fellow star Zhang Ziyi’s disastrous foray onto the small screen earlier this year.
Zhou’s first period drama series – Ancient Love Poetry – launched on Tencent Video on June 17. Reportedly costing 400 million yuan (US$62 million) to make, the 49-part series tells the story of romance between two deities, Shang Gu, played by Zhou, and Bai Jue, played by Kevin Xu Kai.
Critics and viewers say Zhou’s small stature and distinctive features do not lend themselves well to her role of Shang Gu, an ethereally beautiful goddess.
Zhou herself has said she doesn’t have the right face to play period drama beauties. In 2018, on the talk show Fei Chang Dao, she said she had once turned down such a role in a costume drama series set in the ancient world.
“I feel I can’t play that kind of role as I am not one of those beauties with big eyes,” she said. “It’s too embarrassing to play a role that is not suitable for you.”
Besides her mismatched look for Ancient Love Poetry, Zhou, who has previously appeared in modern drama series, was also panned for her exaggerated acting and because the series has been dubbed.