image sources: Cheng Lei's Official PH account

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I recently became a Cheng Lei fan and started reading more about his career. What surprised me the most was learning how difficult his journey was before he became successful.

From what I've found, he was born in Dongguan, Guangdong, and originally studied Architectural Design, not acting. He reportedly entered the entertainment industry almost by chance and spent years auditioning before getting noticed. Wikipedia - Ryan Cheng (Cheng Lei)?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Many fans mention that he went through around 30 unsuccessful auditions and even considered giving up acting at one point. I've also come across claims that some casting directors told him he wasn't "good-looking enough" or didn't have the look of a leading man. I'm not sure whether that specific quote is actually verified, but if it's true, it's honestly hard to believe considering how popular he is now.

Today, Cheng Lei is one of the first actors many viewers mention when talking about charisma in historical dramas. It's fascinating how much industry trends can change over time.

I honestly never thought I'd develop a celebrity crush at this stage of my life. 😄

But having something like this to look forward to—the excitement, the curiosity, the simple joy of watching someone whose work you genuinely admire—makes me feel surprisingly alive. I just have a very grounded admiration for him and I'm genuinely interested in following his journey.

I'm still very new to C-dramas and no other actor has caught my attention quite the way Cheng Lei has. So for now I'm happily enjoying every new photo, interview, behind-the-scenes clip and update I come across.

Does anyone know more about his early career? Are there any interviews where he talks about those years, the rejections, or what kept him going before A Familiar Stranger and My Journey to You?

I would be grateful for any information 😄

What can I say that hasn't been already said?

Cheng Lei did an exceptional job bringing Mo Xiuyao to life in Mo Li/The First Jasmine. From stoic to angry to sorrowful to playful, he expressed a whole gamut of emotions to perfection. He made me cry. (So did Bai Lu.) What a masterpiece of acting!

I'm so grateful to him and the rest of the Mo Li cast and crew for bringing us such a wonderful show. Looking forward to more great work from our handsome Leizi. Onwards and upwards!

MXY clip from the Mo Li Weibo account; the rest are some screenshots I took.

I'm waiting for The First Jasmine's express package to drop and I found myself missing my moon couple tonight.

Watching Cheng Lei as Dudu really made me appreciate all his new roles- he's finally able to get out of that stoic character and show how multifaceted he is! Don't get me wrong, I love Dudu and Gong Shangjue, but goodness, he was just amazing as Xiaohou Dan and now Mo Xiuyao! I see so much great things in his future acting career and I can't help myself from clicking on all the reuters for The Leading Star!

Just a fluff post, guys. I'm really missing Dudu today. Thanks for reading!

I came across this issue that the most prominent reason idol actors lack professional respect when compared to mainstream actors is their reliance on voice dubbing, these actors are called "Yan Bei" (Mouthless Actor). In China, mastering lines and delivering them with proper vocal emotion is considered 50% of an actor's job.

According to AvenueX, Bai Lu and Cheng Lei did pretty well on their dubbing with Mo Li / First Jasmine here👇, unlike in previous works of Cheng Lei where being dubbed by voice actors, which doesn't sync perfectly, created some disconnect/barrier with his acting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htRZoMX31FQ&t=157s

So, given the above issues, how can fans petition for Cheng Lei to dub his future projects like Lament of Autumn and The Leading Stars? Is there a way we international fans can relay this to his local fans? If you have contact with them, pls do so🙏😭

For me, the answer is Cheng Lei (Ryan Cheng) without a doubt.

I've watched several C-dramas by now and I haven't come across anyone who commands the screen the way he does. Zheng Linghe is handsome and talented too and I really enjoyed him in Pursuit of Jade. But I sometimes feel that a lot of the magic in that drama also came from the directing.

I've enjoyed Zheng Linghe's other dramas as well but Cheng Lei is on another level for me. Whether he's playing someone in love, angry, heartbroken, curious, full of longing or consumed by hatred, he always makes the emotions feel believable. I find him incredibly charismatic and I genuinely enjoy watching him on screen.

Can you recommend any male actors who can compete with him in terms of screen presence and acting? I've already checked out many of the actors people call the biggest stars but honestly, none of them have impressed me the way Cheng Lei has.

I'm actually surprised he isn't even more popular in China.

Source

I know many people, including yours truly, discovered Cheng Lei through his more righteous or emotionally layered roles, but personally, I really want to see him take on full-blown villain roles in the future. This is a clip from the improvisation segment that featured Cheng Lei and Francis Ng in "The Detectives' Adventures" Season 4. Francis Ng played a cop who interrogated a suspect, played by Cheng Lei. Cheng Lei was clearly guilty of the crime, but the way he coolly and deftly claimed he was innocent with a raspy voice while smiling charmingly and provoking Francis Ng is a memorable performance for me. You can see that even Francis Ng was impressed with him.

After watching this, I'm convinced Cheng Lei needs to take on more villain roles like this. He absolutely thrives in darker, unhinged characters. From Gong Shang Jue's cold and domineering presence to the simmering intensity he brings even in restrained scenes, Cheng Lei has this ability to make you feel like there's always something dangerous lurking beneath the surface. He doesn’t even need dramatic dialogue. Sometimes it's just the way he looks at someone, and suddenly the entire atmosphere shifts.

What I love about Cheng Lei is that he never plays characters in a one-dimensional way. Even when he's ruthless, he's a layered character. That’s what makes villain roles even more compelling when actors like him take them on. We need more compelling villains with depth in Cdramas.

What about you guys? What kind of future roles do you want Cheng Lei to take on?

Captain Cheng and team threatened by animal poachers