Of course, existences at Jiang Ling’s level are extremely rare, like phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
The vast majority of actors remain in a weak position, basically unable to get any resources, and have to beg directors for opportunities to work.
In such a situation, how would they dare to demand whether the role is good or not? It’s good enough to get a part.
…
The accommodation arranged for Jiang Ling by the crew was of a five-star hotel standard.
The room was not only spacious and well-lit, but also fully equipped with all kinds of living amenities, including a swimming pool, gym, cinema, and sauna.
However, after looking around, Jiang Ling merely nodded and asked her assistant, “Are the script lines for Qi Fei printed?”
She paid no mind to the luxurious five-star accommodation.
As a qualified actor, once she entered the crew, she should devote herself entirely to filming.
Upon hearing this, the assistant took out a document from his briefcase and said, “They’re all printed.”
“Thank you!”
Jiang Ling took the document handed to her by the assistant, said ‘thank you,’ and then let him withdraw.
Immediately after, she said, “Sister Sa, please help me inquire about the cast members in this production. I need information on all the actors, even the extras playing palace maids and eunuchs.”
Between her and An Qiuyan, there was an unseverable karmic connection.
The first time she played Tianshan Tonglao, this little bitch jumped out to snatch the role.
When she played Li Shengnan, she appeared again to make her presence known.
When she played Jiang Yuyan, she again came to disgust her, like a persistent plague god.
This time, she had to guard against any further mishaps.
“Okay!”
Sister Sa knew that Jiang Ling had developed a psychological shadow from An Qiuyan and naturally had to keep a close watch.
“Mhm!”
Jiang Ling nodded, picked up Qi Fei’s script, and began memorizing lines and studying the character.
Qi Fei, known in the jianghu as ‘Qi Erha,’ was the only concubine in the harem who admitted to poisoning others.
Although she was just a supporting character, she left behind three major famous scenes in history: ‘pink and tender,’ ‘Third Prince growing taller,’ and ‘Cui Guo slaps her.’
Her intelligence, along with Consort Qi and Consort Liu, could be considered the ‘hidden dragons and crouching tigers’ of the harem.
But no matter how foolish Consort Liu was, she was still endearingly naive. Qi Erha, on the other hand, could only be described as a funny old aunt.
This was a tragic character masked by comedy.
The role of Qi Erha, though seemingly simple, was not easy to portray.
Many people assume that intelligent characters are difficult to play, whether they are witty and smart protagonists or cunning villains.
Little do they know that compared to intelligent people, foolish ones are even harder to act.
The difficulty of such characters lies in controlling the character’s ‘insensitivity.’
Take Guo Jing, the male protagonist in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, for example. He complemented the female protagonist Huang Rong in personality; Huang Rong was brilliant, while he was honest and slow-witted.
There have been many adaptations of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, and Jiang Ling had watched almost every version. She particularly wanted to comment on the 2003 mainland Chinese adaptation.
Huang Rong was played by Zhou Gongzi, and her acting was impeccable; she portrayed Huang Rong’s ethereal spirit very well. Aside from her rather off-putting hoarse voice, there was almost nothing to criticize.
On the contrary, the role of Guo Jing, played by that male actor surnamed Li, seemed to have turned the male lead into an idiot, as if he hadn’t read the original novel or the script.
Huang Rong liked the adorably foolish Brother Jing; the emphasis was on ‘adorably,’ not ‘idiotic.’
Playing Qi Erha was the same principle.
Being foolish was just the base layer; cuteness and humor on top of that were the key.
Therefore, in the performance, the degree of portrayal must be precisely controlled.