LayarHijau – The popularity of Chinese actor and singer Liu Yuning continues to rise following his appearance in the drama A Dream Within A Dream (书卷一梦). However, amid the spotlight, rumors emerged claiming that he has stayed away from filming for over a year because he has “leveled up” and now only wants to accept dramas where he holds the lead billing. Liu Yuning directly shut down the speculation with a firm statement during a live broadcast.
Responding to accusations that he places too much importance on name order or billing position, Liu Yuning spoke bluntly, “If I really thought name position was that important, I wouldn’t have been able to get to where I am today.” He added a line that quickly went viral: “My value doesn’t need to be proven by name position.” For Liu Yuning, debates over whose name appears first on a poster are empty matters that do not determine an actor’s quality.
Over the past two years, Liu Yuning has indeed maintained a consistent presence through a string of costume dramas that performed well in popularity and audience response. After A Journey to Love (一念关山), he continued with The Story of Pearl Girl (珠帘玉幕), The Prisoner of Beauty (折腰), and A Dream Within A Dream. These four projects cemented his transition from singer to a recognized and competitive actor.
Liu Yuning has previously revealed that A Dream Within A Dream is the project he likes the most. He likened entering a filming set to buying lottery tickets: the more often you try, the greater the chance of “winning.” At the same time, he emphasized that he does not want to waste energy on projects with poor quality. That is why he prefers to rest rather than accept offers carelessly just for the sake of continuing to film.
The rumor that he “only wants lead roles” was once again denied during the live broadcast. Responding to comments suggesting that he had run out of projects due to fighting over billing positions, Liu Yuning answered head-on. In his view, being overly attached to name order has no real meaning at all. He even stated that even if he were placed fifth, as long as it was something truly meant for him, the honor would not diminish. Conversely, something that does not belong to him cannot be held onto, even if it comes with the top position.
He also admitted that he often encourages himself in front of the mirror with the same words: that his value is not determined by name position. Liu Yuning is aware that his remarks may sound excessive to some people, but he said he does not mind. Shortly after his statement, the topic “Liu Yuning’s Value Doesn’t Need to Be Proven by Name Position” shot up the Weibo trending list.
Public response was largely supportive. Many netizens said his words were exactly why they admire Liu Yuning. Quite a few agreed that name position is not the true measure of an actor’s worth, and that consistency in work and ability speak louder.
Several observers noted that this attitude aligns with Liu Yuning’s career choices over the past two years. In A Dream Within A Dream, he was willing to take second billing for the sake of the script and his co-stars. The same happened with The Prisoner of Beauty, where he was also listed as second billing. Even so, through that drama he won awards such as “Most Shining Male Actor” and “VIP Star” from two major video platforms, and became a male actor involved in multiple dramas with top-tier viewership achievements.
Liu Yuning’s approach is seen as revealing a reality of the entertainment industry, where competition over name order often draws more attention than discussions about the quality of the work itself. For him, “leveling up” is not about moving his name forward on a poster, but about tangible results, industry recognition, and the trust of viewers.
While some people remain busy debating name order on posters, Liu Yuning chooses to let his work speak for itself. Through the success of The Prisoner of Beauty and A Dream Within A Dream, he has shown that even from second billing, one can still become the true pillar of a drama.
