Renowned filmmaker Zheng Xiaolong recently admitted that he was not the person responsible for casting Xiao Zhan in the new series, “The Legend of Zang Hai”, but that he was happy with how it turned out.
In a recent podcast, the director questioned the casting culture in TV and movies nowadays, saying, “Many actors are now chosen not by directors but by producers, production companies and streaming platforms. Do actors even exist as real, living people in your minds? Do you actually read the script seriously?”
Zheng revealed that the way he would cast an actor is that he would first have a chat with the actor of choice, listen to his perspective on life and see if the said actor possesses the qualities he was looking for.
However, after meeting Xiao Zhan, he described the actor appearing elegant and refined. Zheng said that the protagonist of “The Legend of Zang Hai” doesn’t rely on martial arts to achieve revenge, instead, it’s crucial to bring out the hidden inner strength.
He said that he felt Xiao Zhan achieved this, and therefore commended his acting. He particularly noted the numerous crying scenes in the drama, believing Xiao Zhan’s emotional control to be spot-on.
