[TRANS] 160608 Sina Entertainment Interview: Zhang Yixing
“The first person to eat the crab won't have a good outcome. I'm that first person who eats the crab.”
“Hello everyone at Sina Entertainment, I am Zhang Yixing~~”
Backstage at the press conference for <To Be A Better Man>, we had just set up the camera and before we had the chance to say anything, Zhang Yixing began with an introduction like this. Under normal circumstances, other interviewees would only introduce themselves upon our leading prompts according to routine.
Alright then, since you’re so familiar with how it works, then I will also take the liberty of greeting you! “We will first talk about this…”
“Ei, I haven’t greeted you yet, hello~”
Zhang Yixing intercepted the question and continued to say, fluttering his large eyes and staring at me adorably.
In my not-too-short years of conducting interviews, this was the first time I had encountered such an unexpected greeting, I was so stunned I stuttered a little: “Oh oh, uh, hello, then…shall we begin?”
This is my second time interviewing Zhang Yixing, the first time was actually the opening press conference for <To Be A Better Man>. At that time, the first season of <Go Fighting> had just started broadcasting, Zhang Yixing who was still at the stage of a “Little Sheep” was naturally blank. But today, having gone through his brothers’ unique style of detailed care, he who has risen to a “Little Fox” is now increasingly able to calmly cope with various traps and pitfalls, the speed of his speech has also increased a fair bit, and if he was in high spirits, he would even start singing:
“Let me tell you what is a good man, ‘A good man will never let his beloved woman suffer a little bit of harm…’”
Mm, these words of love, are quite beautiful to hear!
Honglei-ge who gives me tips in acting is a truly good gege
Speaking of <To Be A Better Man>, this is the first television drama where the “Magical Suitcase Celebrity Couple” named by people as “Hong Xing OTP” Sun Honglei and Zhang Yixing have joined forces on. Talking about these two people, there are many stories about them. Ever since that summer day where they would never have met if a suitcase had not been stolen, “Yixing is crying”, “Don’t go Yixing”, “Honglei-ge will go on the Gyro Drop for you”, “Wait for me Honglei-ge I’ll go to the radio station to look for you”, and more of such legends of friendship that evoke both song and tears, have all become folk legend, such that even a certain noodle restaurant has jumped on the bandwagon to produce a set meal named after them. Who would have thought, while the two of them are recording a variety show, they are also distributing fan benefits with a drama in their free time, so don’t speak of how high the fans’ expectations are.
In this drama, Zhang Yixing acts as the apprentice of a chef, and is the “Little Tongue” of head chef Sun Honglei (as for what the tongue is for, you’ll have to watch the drama, don’t think “dirty”). Because of their “special” relationship, when doing scenes together they frequently break into laughter, laughing till they perspire.
However, Sun Honglei has famously high expectations towards acting, he’s strict towards both others and himself. Zhang Yixing being someone who as of yet has only acted in a few small-budget movies, and being a junior with insufficient experience, Little Sina was actually very worried that he would be shaken by Sun Honglei’s aura…but Honglei told Sina, the reason why he recommended Yixing to act as Xiao Cai, is because he was afraid that he would go astray when he was just beginning to learn to perform. “In here with me leading him, I can guide him.” He also expressed, that precisely because it was Yixing, so his expectations are even stricter, he must let Yixing build a good foundation in acting…
Sina: Is Honglei-ge in the same state when filming dramas and when recording variety shows?
Zhang Yixing: Of course not, when recording variety shows he may be adorable, but when filming dramas he will be a bit more professional, diligent, cautious, and careful.
Sina: Would he be serious? When acting with him would you be stressed?
Zhang Yixing: Serious. When you’re doing scenes with Honglei-ge, it’s impossible to have completely no stress.
Sina: If you don’t complete a certain scene very well, would he admonish you?
Zhang Yixing: If I didn’t act well he would tell me. He would even tell me that for a comedy, it doesn’t mean I have to do that kind of action on purpose, it means I have to express it diligently. Because I’ve never acted in any drama, with regards to this kind of performing technique I may not know anything. Honglei-ge would sometimes give me tips, I think this way he is a truly good gege, good teacher, he can give me a bigger space to advance.
Aiyowei --- Women can't be kissed anyhow, if you kiss them just anyhow there'll be chaos in the world!
Dang dang dang, fans pay attention, aside from continuing on his relationship with Hong Lei-ge, in <To Be A Better Man>, Zhang Yixing will also be in a relationship with Guan Xiao Tong. Hearing this news, Little Sina immediately thought, what stage of the relationship is this, will they ying ying ying (T/N: chirping noises). Will the "filthy king" appear, aiyaya, having a thought like this, it can't just be me! I still remember in the programme (Go Fighting), no matter how the geges shouted and supported him, he couldn't put his mouth towards Zhi Ling-jie jie. Such a shy sheep, how can he film an romantic scene. No wonder when we came to this topic, Zhang Yixing's replies became incomparably short, you can feel it yourself.
Sina: Will you be nervous when acting in romantic scenes with Guan Xiao Tong?
Zhang Yixing: Nervous.
Sina: What degree of closeness/intimacy?
Zhang Yixing: At most it's a hug.
Sina: No kiss scenes?
Zhang Yixing: No!
Sina: Have you filmed a kiss scene up until now?
Zhang Yixing: I have filmed it, but up until now I've never actually kissed. (Little Sina os: Meaning to say the first kiss on-screen is still there.)
Sina: Are you still embarrassed to film kiss scenes now? <Go Fighting> in front of Lin Zhi Ling you were very nervous.
Zhang Yixing: That wasn't... if you stand from my point of view, suddenly one day there was a guest (on the show) Mr Andy Lau. Suddenly you're asked to kiss Mr Andy Lau, can you kiss him? No one will be able to bring their mouths to it! We don't even know (each other).
Sina: But actors filming scenes, will often meet unfamiliar partners, many directors just like filming a kiss scene on the first day.
Zhang Yixing: No, when filming you'll first greet each other, eat a meal, chat for a bit and get to know each other then film. If on the first day when you meet someone you have to give them a kiss, I can't do it, I haven't reached that critical stage.
Sina: Didn't your master say, you can't have a limit (holding back) when filming.
Zhang Yixing: I'm still working hard, I just hope that in the future through such learning, in the area of acting I'll try to approach the geges. Not to say there are no limits, but I'll do my best, anyway time will solve these problems.
Sina: With girls in real life, would you be this shy?
Zhang Yixing: If it's my girlfriend, why would I be shy, it's very normal right? But with regular women they can't be kissed just anyhow, if you kiss them just anyhow there'll be chaos in the world, oh my goodness.
These year these few works can all be defining --- whether or not I can act
Zhang Yixing actually showed up twice in movies last year. But those two movies, though they both had casts that made everyone scream, the quality just made one want to hehe. With the turn of the new year, Zhang Yixing brought <To Be A Better Man> and <The Mystic Nine> to challenge the movie-drama circle again. These two works, had strong backing material, filmed with feeling, whether it is the actors or the behind-the-scenes teams, are filled with capable individuals. Following on quickly, <Kungfu Yoga> <Unexpected Love> will be placed on the schedules subsequently too. One will quickly see if sheep Xing can have a work on screen of his own that is real, and of high value.
Sina: The past two movies, the word-of-mouth wasn't exceptionally good, do you feel a setback?
Zhang Yixing: Ay, this is life, right? Maybe my luck isn't that good, that's ok, let's go again, life is so long.
Sina: Fresh Meat's acting skills are questioned at times, do you feel wronged?
Zhang Yixing: I won't, I didn't specially learn acting, and at our age, how much of life could we have seen? How much experience an we have? Why can the geges act in so many things and cat it so well? Because they have rich experiences, when they've experienced 10 incidents, maybe they can extend these 10 incidents to 20 incidents. And we've only experienced 5 incidents, we can't extend it to 20 or 30 incidents. So I believe, as long as there is the accumulation of time, and a cultural foundation, the acting skills will definitely come.
Sina: As an actor, actually you're a convert midway. In this process, have you questioned or been not confident about your identity as an actor?
Zhang Yixing: There is nothing to be unconfident about, because this year is the first year my works are released. I chat with our studio's Little Secretaries too, let's go back to our initial heart first, see if each step we take is steady, if it is correct, where the problem is. These few works can all be defining for me, whether or not you can act, whether or not you act well. I hope that everyone can watch these works in their entirety, to understand them more.
Sina: Hong Lei-ge feels that, you do like singing and dancing.
Zhang Yixing: Diversity is helpful to me, because I have to write lyrics and compose, look I acted as Er Yue Hong, and even wrote the background music for me.
A new starting point in China + repaying gratitude in Korea --- a fatigue which there has not been a case of before or since!
Zhang Yixing is now a celebrity who has established a studio in china, but never left his original group. When his peers formerly had raised contract nullifications, turning their focus back into China, or were standing out in major works, or acting in hugely popular movies, or even gaining notice from the nation in headlines because of their family background -- half of Zhang Yixing's time is still spent on performance activities in Korea. Little Sina feels that, to some extent this will affect the resources that he receives in China, and, with such a dual identity, the internet killers with greatest attacking power -- anti-fans -- will also appear from time to time.
Regarding this question, Zhang Yixing gave an 'awe-inspiring' reply: "Everyone who is the first to eat the crab won't have a good outcome. I'm that first person who eats the crab, a fatigue which there has not been a case of before or since."
Starting last year, Zhang Yixing already filmed 2 dramas, 5 movies, and over 20 variety shows, "From the album <Growl> up to now, it seems like I've never rested." That episode of <Go Fighting> in Hainan, Zhang Yixing suddenly fainted, scaring the geges, and causing heartbreak for fans. And during our conversation, Zhang Yixing kept feeling that his body was a little itchy, and even broke off the interview for a few seconds. "My body is in fact sending some messages, my whole body...... is breaking out in 'bubbles'." (T/N: He uses the words 全身冒泡)
When Little Sina sent out a survey for questions to fans, many fans didn't ask any questions, and just wanted him to be mindful of his health. Little Sina passed on fans' hopes that he'll rest more, but Zhang Yixing was troubled, "I want to rest too, that's so difficult. But you see, so many people are awaiting your music and your works, if you have time and energy, then you'll do it. But... physically I am still quite tired, ay, so to say, having too great a sense of responsibility isn't a good thing either." Zhang Yixing laughed in a self-deprecating manner.
Although his work schedule is intense, but many fans feel that, since Zhang Yixing returned to mainland (China) and established a studio, he'd become more lively. Zhang Yixing himself admitted too, that when working in China and Korea, his mindset is different, "As for what the difference is, I don't know either."
"In the country (China), when I speak everyone will give me a reaction, allowing me to know that so it is, I can bring everyone happiness this way. In Korea, I still feel that I'm repaying gratitude, because that's where I trained, so it is where I have maintained my initial heart."
FUN Q&A - Three relaxing questions from fans
Fan: Yixing, what is the problem you want to solve the most recently
Zhang Yixing: The problem I want to solve the most is, releasing an album, this album is really...... we're discussing it, but, ay......
Fan: After <To Be A Better Man>, what dish have you learnt?
Zhang Yixing: I learnt many ways of making Western dishes, tomato pasta, olive-oil pasta, and butter pasta, I'll be honest, what I made was quite tasty.
Fan: Xue Zhiqian in your eyes?
Zhang Yixing: He's an oddball, when chatting he really likes to type text. This is the 21st century, voice messages are so convenient, how exhausting it must be to type text.
FUN thoughts - what was he thinking then?
Dangdang! <Star FUN>'s fixed segment "Fun thoughts" has started. Want to know what Zhang Yixing's state was during the shooting of a recently super hot photo? What was he thinking then? This is the image.
After <To Be A Better Man>, Zhang Yixing's <The Mystic Nine> is about to start airing too, every time he speaks of the character Er Yue Hong, Zhang Yixing has an expression of light sorrow that just descended from his brows but is embedded in his heart. On the day of the interview, Zhang Yixing's alluring "beauty" styling photo had just gone online for a while, an Little Sina immediately liked it. In the end, Yixing baby didn't take much of it, and even said, "That one is still ok, there are actually even nicer ones." His thoughts were like this then:
That day it was very cold, Zhejiang's biggest cold front in 30 years. But these red leaves will bring warmth to people, just like Er Yue Hong. That day I was actually filming a crying scene, with a bit of melancholy in my expression. But that day was a gathering of the Nine Gates, so all the teachers were there, and my Little Secretaries all came too, it felt like a little get-together, I was very happy.
FUN benefits - want an autograph? Look here!
Later, at the <Mystic Nine> press conference, Little Sina saw Zhang Yixing again. As we were asking him to sign, the sheep suddenly looked up, and looked directly at himself in the mirror.
Little Secretaries and Little Sina all gathered round: "What are you looking at? You can't be entranced by yourself right..."
Then, the sheep slowly replied: "Have you not noticed, when your eyes keep looking directly at those eyes (in the reflection), you just won't want to leave (look away)......"
Finally Little Secretary exclaimed: "You're in a daze right! Stop looking, there are lots of media outlets waiting behind!"
Source: Sina
Translation by: laymerence and elaysium.
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