LayarHijau – Hong Kong actress Michelle Ye, once known as one of TVB’s most iconic costume drama actresses and the winner of Best Supporting Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards, recently made her first appearance in a mainland Chinese short drama. The series titled 少夫人来自东北 (The Young Madam Comes from the Northeast, literal translation, not an official English title) quickly achieved impressive results, with both its viewership and popularity index surpassing 100 million.
In a recent interview, Michelle Ye revealed that she agreed to join the project after being impressed by the script and the production team. Joking in the Northeastern Chinese dialect, she even described filming the short drama as “really enjoyable.”
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According to a report by Yangtze Evening News, Michelle Ye admitted that she has been away from the screen for quite some time. Over the past two years, she focused on caring for her father after he was diagnosed with cancer. Only in the last six months has she gradually begun reconnecting with the rapidly growing short drama industry in China.
Some observers believe that appearing in short dramas is a sign that established actors are lowering their status or simply experimenting with a new format. However, Michelle Ye sees it very differently.
“This actually isn’t my first time acting in short dramas. When I first entered the industry and worked at TVB, the productions I was in were also short-form dramas,” she explained.
She added that the storytelling style of short dramas—which focuses heavily on characters, strong conflicts, and simpler backgrounds—is something she is already very familiar with.
For 少夫人来自东北 (The Young Madam Comes from the Northeast), the filming process lasted only eight days. Michelle Ye said the production team also took her health into consideration by trying to reduce late-night filming schedules.
The experience was very different from the early days of her career at TVB, when she often had extremely demanding filming schedules.
“Back when I was at TVB, we could be filming all year long. Sometimes we only slept two hours a day, and there were even times when we slept in the makeup room,” she recalled.
Because of that, the filming process for this short drama felt much more relaxed for her. She was also impressed by the professionalism of the entire team, especially the director’s careful attention to detail and aesthetics. The atmosphere even reminded her of TVB’s golden era of production.
Michelle Ye believes that the quality of a production is not determined by its length.
“A good long drama, a good movie, and a good short drama are essentially the same at their core. What matters most is shaping the characters and creating strong content. When a production is well made, the length of the story doesn’t really matter,” she said.
When asked about her reasons for taking the role, Michelle Ye mentioned two main factors. First, she trusted the professionalism of the production team. Second, she was moved by the realistic and detailed character in the script.
She also appreciated that the story did not rely on overused plot devices such as time travel or characters coming back to life, themes that she feels are becoming too common.
During the interview, Michelle Ye also addressed another topic that has recently sparked discussion in the Chinese entertainment industry: the rise of AI-generated short dramas.
Debates about whether human actors might eventually be replaced by AI have become increasingly common. However, Michelle Ye views technological development from a more open perspective.
According to her, every industry must keep up with the times and embrace technological change.
“From Peking Opera to film, from film to television, and later to live streaming, short videos, and now short dramas—each stage represents a technological revolution, and these trends are irreversible,” she said.
She added that people who refuse to learn or adapt to change will inevitably be left behind by the industry.
Even so, Michelle Ye believes that the emergence of AI will not truly replace talented actors.
“AI can imitate an actor’s expressions, tone of voice, and movements. But it cannot feel the subtle emotions that humans experience every second. It also doesn’t understand what human suffering really is. Emotional expression rooted in life experiences like that is something AI simply cannot master for now,” she explained.
For that reason, she believes actors should not worry too much about the arrival of new technologies.
“Instead of worrying about being replaced, it’s better to focus on improving your skills and making yourself irreplaceable,” she said.
In Michelle Ye’s view, short dramas represent a form of artistic innovation that combines storytelling with modern technology. As long as creators have talent and creativity, they will always find opportunities to shine in the entertainment industry.
