She preferred to play villains who were hell-bent on self-destruction, arrogant, and overbearing throughout the entire drama, rather than a meek, long-suffering heroine who only found her moment of triumph at the very end.
The next day, Jiang Ling arrived at the makeup studio an hour early.
A man and a woman were already seated inside, chatting.
This man and woman were the actors playing the Emperor and Zhao Feiyan in the show.
Zhao Hede's scenes accounted for over eighty percent of the drama, and they all involved these two characters.
The actor playing the Emperor was named Ren Donglin, a highly capable young actor.
He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, regular features, a tall stature, and an air of righteousness.
Jiang Ling thought to herself, with such a physique and face, would it be jarring for him to play Emperor Liu Ao of Han Cheng, a character known for his lecherousness and incompetence, who met his demise at the hands of Zhao Hede?
Then she reconsidered, if an actor's appearance wasn't dissolute enough, wasn't there always the makeup artist?
Makeup, one of the four great mystic arts, was no joke.
Hadn't there been a popular online jest that makeup remover was more terrifying than sulfuric acid, capable of turning a beauty into an old hag with just one application?
As long as the makeup was right and the acting was on point, any role could be mastered.
The actress playing Zhao Feiyan was a popular star affectionately called 'Yaya' by her fans.
She had a small, oval-shaped face, with eyes that were both pure and captivating, and delicate, exquisite features. Even without makeup, she was a definite stunner.
As a professional dancer, Yaya's years of training had given her a slender, graceful physique that seemed boneless. Her dancing was light and ethereal, and a glance over her shoulder conveyed a captivating charm, perfectly fulfilling the audience's imagination of the legendary Zhao Feiyan.
As soon as Wang Jianzhong saw her, he had immediately decided to cast her as Zhao Feiyan.
These two were also capable and dedicated young actors, arriving even earlier than Jiang Ling.
The moment Jiang Ling appeared, both of them were drawn to her.
"After the dinner last night, I assume you both know that Miss Jiang is the Zhao Hede that Director Wang has chosen."
The assistant director pushed the door open and smiled as he saw the three of them looking at each other.
"Oh, hello Miss Jiang!"
Ren Donglin was the first to react, smiling genially.
Although Yaya had heard many negative rumors about Jiang Ling, she knew that the entertainment industry was a murky place, making it difficult to discern truth from falsehood.
Someone with a lot of negative press online might not necessarily have a bad character, just as someone who smiled readily and presented a flawless persona might not be a good person at all.
Yaya also greeted Jiang Ling with a smile, her attitude neither overly warm nor cold, yet it felt very comfortable.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three of them took their seats at their respective dressing tables and began their makeup.
Filming historical dramas was the most troublesome. The attire and styling required not only historical accuracy but also a classical aesthetic.
Each makeup session for a historical drama took at least half an hour.
If the historical backdrop was the Tang Dynasty, and the actresses played roles like empresses, consorts, or princesses, a proper makeup look could take up to two hours.
While having her makeup done, Jiang Ling glanced back and saw Yaya and Ren Donglin, with makeup artists styling their hair, intently studying their lines. She nodded repeatedly in her heart.
Memorizing lines was a fundamental skill for an actor.
Taking one's lines seriously was the mark of a good actor.
Among the younger generation of artists, those like them were becoming increasingly rare.
Jiang Ling enjoyed acting alongside such actors.
If she had to act with a 'traffic star' who lacked professionalism, and who mumbled "one, two, three, four" during their scenes, she felt she would go mad.