LayarHijau — Actor Cheng Lei has opened up about the evolution of his character, Yu Changxuan, in the Republican-era drama The Lament of Autumn (玉簟秋). According to him, the character’s temperament changes quickly throughout the story, with episode 16 marking the biggest turning point. He shared this in an interview with Sohu Entertainment.
The drama, which stars Cheng Lei alongside Xu Ruohan, premiered on October 12 on Hunan TV and Mango TV. Set in Republican-era China, it features Cheng Lei as Yu Changxuan, the fifth son of the Yu family and a young military commander who leads troops and has a cold demeanor.
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Cheng Lei said the character keeps developing. “Yes, a lot. He changes about every two to three episodes, and he progresses very fast,” he said.
He singled out episode 16 as a key threshold. “After episode 16, Yu Changxuan’s temperament changes quite a lot, and there are more big changes after that. But episode 16 is the threshold,” he said.
Asked whether viewers will see Yu Changxuan’s commanding, authoritative side, Cheng Lei joked, “Wasn’t that enough in the beginning?” He then hinted at where the story is heading. “When everyone shares the same ideals and goals, all the small grudges suddenly feel trivial, and the mood turns solemn,” he said.
Cheng Lei also responded to netizens who say he was “born for the role.” He stayed humble and said a character is shaped by many people.
“A character is built through a lot of careful thought, from the author and the director to everyone involved in the creative process. They construct the person, and then we gradually get to know him and fill him in through effort, communication, and discovery together. So I think that phrase isn’t quite accurate, because everyone is working together to build this character,” he said.
He said he stays open to all kinds of roles. “Playing Yu Changxuan in the Republican era has been very fulfilling for me. I’ve felt and learned a lot,” Cheng Lei said.
Yu Changxuan’s most iconic scene so far is his first appearance at the mahjong table, which has dominated the platform’s homepage for the past few days. Cheng Lei believes the scene’s strength lies in its atmosphere. “That was actually Yu Changxuan’s first appearance. The setting, the mood, and the lighting were built so well that what you see on the monitor feels almost the same as being right there on location,” Cheng Lei said.
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