Authentic Elegancy Magazine

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SWEET TRUTH

Sweet words are easy to say; Sweet things are easy to buy; but Sweet people are difficult to find.

TRUTH OF LIFE

Life ends when you stop dreaming; Hope ends when you stop believing; Love ends when you stop crying; and Friendship ends when you stop sharing.

AShooting Wrap-up of Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Sword & Beloved for Cheng Yi...

t the start of the Year 2024, the team escalated the shooting of the most hipped drama - Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Sword and Beloved which is an ancient drama, the painful love story of a powerful warrior named Wang Quan Fu Gui, and a little spirit named Qing Tong, and Cheng Yi has wrapped-up his shooting part for it. ChengYi also sent the wishes for this New Year to his beloved fans, saying "The new year is coming. Do you have any wishes? Let's make a wish together at midnight. I hope you will be happy on every single day of 2024. No need to work within other people’s expectations, you are the best version of yourself.Keepitup!

Last Year, he introduced the character of Fu Yunshen (a researcher at a Pharmaceutical Company who is very passionate towards his work) in the drama "South Wind Knows", Li Xiangyi (the No. 1 Martial Artist in the world) and Li Lianhua (the miraculous doctor) in the drama "Mysterious Lotus Casebook", to the audience with youthful, energetic and gentle portrayal. The work in which he has honed his craft over the past years have gained a lot sense of appreciation and the role in Mysterious Lotus Casebook has led to him being an "influential , expressive and sensational actor" acknowledgedbytheaudience.

As an actor, he maintains a pure heart saying, "I can only understand how the filming process works, and I really can't predict what impact the drama will have in the market after it airs. Because playing a role well is already a difficult task, and other things should be left to professionals."

He still goes to work as usual - trying on makeup, studying scripts, and acting, among other things. He also takes walks to the supermarket in his free time. Many times, he gets recognized, and during filming, people shout out his character's name. This makes him feel a kind of happiness that he cannot describe as an actor. "Maybe it will make me more firm inpursuingmydreams."

"When I'm playing a role, I'm probably more sensitive. I usually focus my energy and time on these aspects. For example, as everyone knows, filming can be done out of order. Sometimes, on the first day of filming, I might be shooting the final scene. At times, my experience and intuition will tell me that a scene doesn't seem quite right, or, my emotions in a particular scene aren't being conveyed as wellastheyshouldbe."

He received awards at IQIYI Scream Night as an Influential actor, at Weibo TV & Internet Video Summit as an Expressive actor. He also received the honor of Star of the Year at Tencent EntertainmentWhitePaper.

Also, he received many accolades, awards for his incredible performance in "Mysterious Lotus Casebook", saying "I am truly honored to receive the Outstanding Actor Award at the 2023 Chinese American Television Festival and want to thanks to the entire crew of Mysterious Lotus Casebook for their hardwork and dedication. It's through our collective effort that this production was brought to life in such a splendid way. Thank you for all your support and love for Li Lianhua & Li Xiangyi. In future, I will continue to strive to bring to life better andgreatercharacters."

"MysteriousLotusCasebook"isastory about a martial arts expert who exits the world of Jianghu, only to return due to fate and unravel the mystery. The theme and expression of this story are rarely seen before. From reading the novel to reviewing the script, in the early stages, Cheng Yi had been pondering over it. "The structure and opening of the story are very different, and the character is also very different," hesaid.

Since he was young, Cheng Yi grew up with his grandmother. Due to his parents' work, he lived with his grandparents. "My grandmother spoiled me very much since I was young. She would leave all the good food for me." His grandparents had more life experience and shared many wise sayings. "When I was young, my grandmother often told me a phrase that I have never forgotten - no matter whether it is good or bad, just accept it calmly and let it go. Everything will turn out good if you go with the flow." Until now, Cheng Yi still carries this calmness and doesn't pay too much attention to the "smooth" and "bumpy" parts of his life. Looking back, they are allpartofhislifeexperience.

Childhood Times

A Short Season of Life

e process of climbing Mount t, the pinnacle of his life, like a warrior, he remained calm, ent, natural, and straightforward. climbing,actorChengYi.

teenage years, Cheng Yi was mischievous, but now he has a calm and unhurried demeanor, which is a natural change. "I seem to need to concentrate on one thing at a time and can't do several things well at the same time. For example, if I am shooting today and you ask me to do something completely unrelated to the shooting tomorrow, I may feel a bit detached and out of the moment." Friends who know him well know that Cheng Yi sometimes forgets to check his phone, responds to messages slowly, and occasionally misses messages. "Fortunately, they have known me for many years and understand me, and they will say it's okay. If there is an emergency, they will call me. I want to thank my friends for their understanding."

PastYears

The Experiences that he gained during these years.

May is the month when the spring flowers blossom, and it's also the month whenChengYicelebrateshisbirthday.

His career in the entertainment industry has gone through the "four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter". He has faced moments of doubt and uncertainty where he felt "lost in the mountains and rivers with no way out", but he persevered and eventually experienced the "sudden clarity in the midst of confusion" and the emergence of "new opportunities after overcoming hardships".

In 2016 and 2017, he went through a low point in his career. After filming a movie in 2016, he didn't receive any new roles. "Everyone has their share of setbacks in life, and during that time, I wasn't sure about my future. Without any acting projects,Iwasalmostidleathome."

Like every young person, he was also lost and unsure if he should continue pursuing his career in the industry. He spent almost two years waiting, traveling to different cities, working out, watching movies, and learning new skills. "It was like giving myself a slightly longer break in life." Waiting can mean the unknown, or perhaps hope, and this word contains manymeanings.

Later, by chance, he finally returned to his normal rhythm in 2018 and has been filming every year since then. "I feel grateful and especially thankful to thosewhohelpedme."

In 2018, when he went for his first audition, the director and producer thought he had a good mindset and attitude, and he was eventually favored and given the opportunity in the castingprocess.

"Those that belong to you will come slowly. As an actor, when you reach a certain age, you will have different states," said Cheng Yi, who is now in his 30's. It seems that he has gradually been recognized for his abilities, and he has experienced some changes himself. "If you ask me what advanced things I learned during those two years, there really weren't any. But I firmly believe that hard work will pay off. If you don't work hard, you won't even have theopportunitytoreaptherewards."

In the past, from xianxia dramas like Love and Redemption and Immortal Samsara to costume dramas like The Imperial Age, Cheng Yi has performed in many action scenes. The fight scenes in Mysterious Lotus Casebook gave him a solid texture. "In addition to Li Lianhua, the fight scenes of other characters in the drama also require 'real fighting'. Although the difficulty increases, I think this experience is very importantatthisstage."

In the past five or six years, most of the time, Cheng Yi has been on set in Hengdian, rarely going on vacations. The only time he did travel was to Xinjiang to shoot Immortal Samsara. "You could say that my main shooting location is in Hengdian," he said with a soft laugh, "Hengdian is a magical place where you can shoot costume dramas, republican-era dramas. It's small but well-equipped, and you can shoot many different types of productions."

His views regarding his profession of acting.

On set, actors need to wholeheartedly embody the characters they're playing. In this type of work environment, for Cheng Yi his, "working hours" are not just limited to the time he spends performing in front of the camera. Every time he joins a project, he automatically switches into a 24 - hour standby mode. He doesn't even think of this as a special treatment he gives to his career; in his mind, this level of respect should be inherent in any profession: "For example, doctors definitely have treatment plans constantly on their minds. I've noticed that many of my friends, even those who aren't in this industry, are the same way. Often, they forget to take careofthemselves."

"Every different role and story will bring freshness. Whenever I receive a new script, I always think about how I can portray it differently, how can I bring something new to the audience? This process keeps me curious and interested."

"The profession of an actor is to bring different roles to the audience through performance, because human nature itself is multifaceted, so there are no limitations to acting. I think no one is one-dimensional, you will encounter different things, different people, and have different attitudes. You can show the multifaceted nature of human beings to the audience through the roles you play."

In the depths of his performance, Cheng Yi is also contemplating carefully. In the past, he would observe characters, such as the street cleaners or pedestrians passing by. However, after reading the script and memorizing the lines, he later realized that observation was only the initial stage. If he truly wanted to become "that person", he needed to "perceive". The director is different, the situation is different, and the collaborating actors are also different. "Although we often talk about 'listening, watching, and feeling', when it comes to specific performances, like playing Li Lianhua, it's important to understand his identity and goals. When on set, we need to set aside distractions and consider how he would act and what he would do, which requires a deep understanding of the character."

As an actor, Cheng Yi pursues freshness and improvement in his mentality. "Actually, I'm a bit stubborn. The more difficult something is, the more I want to do it well. Challenging roles usually give memoremotivation."

He said that female actors are even more hard-working. In the cold winter, they may have to wear thin gauze skirts and jump into the water for shooting. "Filming summer scenes in winter, and winter scenes in summer is normal because in a few months of each drama, all scenes must be completed well. There will be seasons in the drama, which may be completely opposite to the real world's seasons. During the hottest period, there are many outdoor scenes, and no one can shoot outdoor scenes with air conditioning on. Speaking of hardship, many crew members work harder than I do. And a drama cannot be completed by me alone without directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, lighting, costume, hair and makeup teachers. After filming, there is still post-production, and many other people need to put in effort. It is a difficult process. But this is also what we are willing to do. The goal of everyone is to createagoodworktogether."

Hobbies

ntheearlyspringof2024,branchesarestretchingout, and buds are beginning to bloom. Warm and gentle breezes are blowing throughout the land, heralding the arrival of the best season of the year. The scenery is beautiful,andpeople'sheartsarealsojumpingwithjoy.

For Cheng Yi, even though he is immersed in the location and atmosphere of filming all year round, he canstillfeelthestrongsenseofnewbeginningsandnew possibilities when he looks up occasionally. The people around him, including his friends and those within his line of sight, are all embracing the turbulence of the future world with a sense of fresh starts. Cheng Yi is no exception. "The feeling of new beginnings is always so intense," he said. "Whether it's the roles I play in my acting, or the time at Paris Fashion Week last year, everythingfeelsnew."

With most of his time spent on film sets, the trip to Paris last year gave Cheng Yi a small taste of traveling. Although he was there for work, he couldn't help but feel a bit of a holiday vibe. "In spring 2023, I saw many people lining up outside art museums, and I saw people with unique tastes and personalities that were just more than fashionable. I saw beautiful buildings and felt the romantic atmosphere of Paris in the spring." If he comes to Paris for a personal trip next time, he would plan to visit museums and art galleries and have some free time to explore and feel the city. Maybe it will be a few days journey, "like reserving in advance the restaurants that need to be booked, getting the tickets for the places I want to go to, and then enjoying the romantic atmosphere of this place in a more relaxed way."

When he is not filming, Cheng Yi enjoys traveling, climbing mountains alone, or wandering aimlessly without a destination. That's when he feels the most relaxed. He has also gone through a phase of "since I've come, I might as well see it all" style of traveling. "It's like when I arrive at a place, I must go here, then go there, very busy, and I may have to walk tens of thousands of steps every day to see all the scenery." But now, immersing himself in one destination and spendinganafternoondrinkingteaanddaydreamingis whatheloves.

He likes to immerse himself in life, "What scenery I see, what music I hear, what food I eat, or what feelings I have, those joys and experiences are fully preserved in thepresentlife."

Ten years ago, there was a trip to Tibet that deeply touched Cheng Yi's heart. The vast and spectacular natural scenery, as well as the clear eyes of the locals, left a deep impression on him. "Especially the eyes of the local people, so pure and bright. When they smile at you, you will be deeply infected too." A few years ago, while filming Immortal Samsara in Xinjiang, it also left a deep impression on Cheng Yi. The local weather fully demonstrated the magic of nature, with sudden bursts of sunshine, fierce winds, and sudden rain. "Every day, we experienced several seasons, which was quite magical. We even encountered a sandstorm and fought against the weather, but we also felt the charm of nature."

He also enjoys watching documentaries, "animals have cute and interesting parts, as well as parts that make you feel the vitality of life. You will admire the wonders of species evolution and also contemplate the relationship between humans and nature." Cheng Yi's parents love taking care of plants and flowers, and recently he learned a bit from them. "I planted some seeds,Ihopetheysproutedbynow!"hesaid.

Q&ASession

Q:Do you have any long - term friends that you've maintained over the past decade? What is the nature of your relationships with friends inside andoutsidetheindustry?

Cheng Yi: Yes, I have such friends with whom I've maintained a good relationship over the past ten years. However, the friends in the industry are actually due to work-related reasons, for example, we work together on a project, we may have more time to get together. If we're not in the same crew, we may not have as many chances to meet or contact each other, since we are all very busy. As for friends outside the industry whom I've known since childhood, we have the opportunity to get together during the Chinese New Year, have a meal, drink tea, and talk about our experiences fromwhenwewereyoung.

Q: What was the last time you went out with friends like and what was the background?

Cheng Yi: To be honest, I haven't gone out with friends in the past few years, especially after 2018, when I was working almost every day. Even when I go home, I only stay for three or fourdayseveryfewyears.ButI'mstillhappy.

Q: It's often said that an actor's career is built from a series of small roles. Have you ever come across a role that really excited you? Could you shareitwithus?

Cheng Yi: There are many roles that I would like to play. Even though I've been in the industry for ten years, I still have the mindset of someone who's just starting out. So there are too many roles I want to try, for example, the role I just finished playing is one that I've always wanted to play. People imagine heroes to be invincible, but those great heroes who selflessly serve their country are actually just like ordinary people around us. They're ordinary, but they have flesh, blood, and soul. They do extraordinarythingsforbeliefsintheirhearts.

Q: What kind of help has the accumulation of life experience brought to your acting career afterenteringyour30s?

Cheng Yi: It definitely has been helpful. Every day I set myself small goals to make progress step by step. Knowledge and acting experience are accumulated over time. It's like practicing martial arts, where constant training day after day and year after year can lead to continuous improvement.

Q: Some new roles may not be in your original comfort zone. When faced with such opportunities, do you get more excited or more anxious?

Cheng Yi: Any role, such as the fantasy drama Love and Redemption and Immortal Samsara I played a few years ago, or the historical drama The Imperial Age, including the realistic drama Draw The Line, are all adventures. When actors perform different genres, they must have a spirit of adventure. What if I fail? Actually, these are all things actors need to digest on their own. If you want to be a good actor and go further, I think you should learn moreandbreakthroughmore.

Q: You haven't appeared in many variety shows. Is this because you want to preserve the mystique of being an actor or do you have your own preferences when it comestovarietyshows?

Cheng Yi: It's true that many variety shows have approached me. It's not that variety shows are not good, but I feel that I am no i l l d h b honest, I always feel th the program, and I don still hope to focus mor needtofirstunderstand

Q: It seems that you spend a lot of time in Hengdian or on various sets, are there any itemsthatyoumustbringwithyoutotheset?

Cheng Yi: I might bring half of my belongings to Hengdian (laughs). It's not that exaggerated, just bringing my water bottle, tea cup, and in the summer Ibringafan,inthewinterIbringhandwarmers.

Q: You are a particularly focused person, is this focus innateordevelopedthroughtraining?

Cheng Yi: I can only focus on one thing at a time. For example, when I watch a drama, I rarely look at the barrage comments because they move too fast. I tried it before. As soon as the barrage appeared, I stared at it, and I didn't know what the plot was about. The same goes for eating, I just focus on my food, and it's difficult for me to multitask. I don't think I was born this way, but rather, when I first started acting, some teachers told me that focus is very important. For instance, when I am acting, I mightnotevenhearsomeonecallingmyname.

Q: Acting is a profession that requires a lot of 'sensitiveness', but in life, being a little 'desensitization' can lead to more happiness. Howdoyoubalanceyouremotions?

Cheng Yi: When people see me on set, I might seem like I'm always laughing and joking around, and I think I'm pretty quick to snap out of character. I tend to keep my sensitivity focused on my roles, and in my daily life, I am actually quite desensitized in a way. If someone talks to me, I may react a bit slowly, which can help me balance myself out. I believe that there's nothing in life that cannot be overcome, and the most importantthingistoenjoyeverydaywithhappiness.

At last he said, "I'm so thankful to the audience and friends who have liked my characters. Being an actor is my profession, but behind this profession, I'm an ordinary person. Because of some characters in the dramas, I have received a lot of love and support fromtheaudienceandfriends.So,I'mverygrateful. Coming out from one character and going back into another character. I will continue to keep working hard.Thankyou,everyone,haveapleasantday."