The youthful feeling is one of the reasons why many audiences fall in love with Chen Youwei, such as the white moonlight Yuanroku in the finale of "A Thought on Guanshan" that broke the hearts of countless audiences.
From "A Thought on Guanshan", "The Bamboo Pavilion of Huaishui" to "The Storm of Destiny", Chen Youwei has often played a member of a small team in costume group dramas in recent years.
Talking about the opportunity to take on the role of Feng Qingzhuo in "Ding Feng Bo", Chen Youwei admitted that it was because the production team saw Yuanlu and "thought I was particularly suitable for the role of Feng Qingzhuo."
Stills from Ding Feng Bo
For Chen Youwei, what attracted him most to Feng Qingzhuo was that "even when facing pressure, he still chose his own firm direction."
Talking about the "short-lived husband" joke among fans, Chen Youwei said with a smile, "This time, I am definitely confident that I can survive to the end."
What was the biggest challenge in portraying Feng Qingzhuo? Did he poison Xiao Beiming intentionally or accidentally? Why did he "protect Ye Fu"? What song did he say still sticks with people 10 years later?
Recently, a reporter from The Paper interviewed Chen Youwei about the behind-the-scenes story of filming "Fate of the Storm". In order to "protect the audience's viewing experience", he "gives some spoilers but not much."
Chen Youwei plays Feng Qingzhuo
【dialogue】
When facing pressure, choose your own firm direction
The Paper : What made you decide to take on the drama "Ding Feng Bo"?
Chen Youwei : Initially, after watching "A Thought on Guanshan," the production team thought I was particularly suitable for the role of Feng Qingzhuo, so they invited me. We interviewed in Beijing. After the audition, both parties confirmed the future collaboration.
Stills from "A Thought Across the Mountains"
The Paper : What is the most attractive thing about the character Feng Qingzhuo?
Chen Youwei : What captivated me most about Feng Qingzhuo is that, despite facing the pressure of prejudice from those around him, he remained steadfast in his own path. He grew up in the so-called "evil" Poison Valley, where he wasn't particularly well-received. But after joining the Divine Constable Camp, he never poisoned anyone, whether his companions or outsiders, even though he had the ability to do so. Therefore, I think the most appealing aspect of this character is his innocence, kindness, and inner strength to persevere towards good.
Stills from Ding Feng Bo
The Paper : In recent years, there have been many costume detective dramas, many of which are narrated from the perspective of a coroner. What is the biggest differentiating feature of Feng Qingzhuo?
Chen Youwei : Other coroners are all thinking about how to save people by all means, but Feng Qingzhuo learned a lot of techniques in the Poison Valley about how to poison people and how to identify the properties of poisons, but he has never used them. I think this is the biggest difference in him.
If you ask him how to treat or cure this disease, he may not have the answers; but he will definitely tell you how it came about.
Stills from Ding Feng Bo
Our goal is to protect the Night Fury.
The Paper : Many comments asked whether Feng Qingzhuo might have poisoned the male lead on purpose.
Chen Youwei : As a viewer, based on the information we have so far, I think it's reasonable to assume he may have poisoned her intentionally. But if you watch the later episodes, you might see more possibilities. The poisoning was foreshadowed, but whether it was intentional or unintentional, I can't say. It would be meaningless to say it.
The Paper : Some viewers analyzed it very seriously, saying that the name "Feng Qing Zhuo" itself means white and black, with the first part being clear and the second part being turbid.
Chen Youwei : The answer is right on the riddle, right?
The Paper : When you’re following a drama, do you read the audience comments? Are there any that left a deep impression on you?
Chen Youwei : Yes. Actually, there's one thing that left a deep impression on me. I was thinking, since you're a coroner and you have so many poisons, you should have them categorized and stored properly. For example, in a Chinese medicine clinic, many people know that when a Chinese medicine practitioner dispenses medicine, there's a wall behind them with clear instructions on which compartment to put what medicine in, and how much it weighs. But as a coroner, I have such amazing skills, and yet I gave the wrong medicine. It was truly unprofessional. The comments were saying I was unprofessional, but I think that's not wrong. We were also trying to avoid this issue at the time, but I think it was because the information was limited to what people could analyze up to that point, and there would be a reversal later.
The Paper : I noticed that Feng Qingzhuo had some specific actions when performing the autopsy, such as bowing to the deceased first, or wearing a mask in advance. Are these your own designs, or were they written into the script by the screenwriter?
Chen Youwei : Some details were created collaboratively with the director and everyone involved. The masks and gloves were decided right from the start, along with the material and style. Some of the smaller gestures were designed by me. For example, how should respect for the deceased be demonstrated? The bowing part was something I discussed with the director, and he thought it was a good idea, so he included it.
Stills from Ding Feng Bo
The Paper : What is the biggest difficulty in interpreting this role?
Chen Youwei : I think the difficulty in interpreting a coroner lies in his professionalism. What should he be like in a given time and situation? For example, in ancient times he was like this, and in modern times he is like that.
In the script for "Ding Feng Bo," I think the biggest challenge for Feng Qingzhuo was that we all shared a common goal: to find the Night Fury. But as actors, I think the most challenging part was not being able to immediately declare, "I know he's the Night Fury," or "I know I am the Night Fury." We all shared a common goal and mission: to protect the audience's viewing experience; we had to "protect the Night Fury."
This was the most difficult part of interpreting Feng Qingzhuo, because we were only reading the first 20 episodes, when no one knew who the final answer would be. I felt my challenge was figuring out how to control it, how to prevent the audience from immediately figuring out whether I was a good guy or a bad guy. If I told everyone the final answer right from the start, it would be pointless.
The Paper : Among these seven cases, which one is your favorite?
Chen Youwei : My favorite is the Ghost Escort Cart Case, because in this case, I can see how much Feng Qingzhuo values his friends, which is a turning point.
Until now, I haven't been able to help others and atone for my guilt because I gave the wrong medicine. Now, it's just me who has to do this, and my involvement in the case will be greater, which will help me feel more at ease. The "blood bag" also played a crucial role and is very important to me. Before I left, I told Xiao Beiming that my only regret was that I couldn't cure you. This scene is still very memorable for me.
The Paper : Can you tell us about your relationship with your teammates on Team Bobo?
Chen Youwei : First of all, I think every character in Team Bobo fills the gap in companionship that Feng Qingzhuo lacked during his childhood. He was worried that others would mind his origins from the Poison Valley, so he didn't actively make friends. It wasn't until Zhong Xueman (Xiang Hanzhi) came to his rescue that he was offered an olive branch. She harbored no ill will towards him and didn't disdain him because of his background.
As for Ms. Huo (played by Zhang Nan), I think she helped Feng Qingzhuo open up many doors to problem-solving. Before, when he encountered a problem, he would be a bit evasive. But Ms. Huo told him that he was overthinking it. Ms. Huo was guiding him and helping him get out of his "closed zone."
Then there's the story of Big Brother Xiao Beiming (Wang Xingyue). I think my relationship with him, and with Tong Shuang (He Luoluo), is like that of brothers to Feng Qingzhuo. Tong Shuang and I might have different paths to the same end, though our methods might be different. He's got a fiery personality, but his heart is the same. I think they complement Feng Qingzhuo's brotherly relationship.
The Paper : How similar are Feng Qingzhuo and Chen Youwei himself?
Chen Youwei : Throughout the first half of the play, Feng Qingzhuo is constantly feeling "sorry," having caused great trouble to others due to his own mistakes. For this part, I put my own past experiences into the play, recalling an incident in my life where I felt very sorry for someone, and then put myself in Feng Qingzhuo's shoes. I think the similarity is 50%.
Stills from Ding Feng Bo
This time, I have the confidence to survive to the end
The Paper : From "A Thought on Guanshan", "The Bamboo Pavilion by the Huai River", to "The Storm of Destiny", you have often played a member of a small team in costume dramas in recent years, but the roles are often short-lived. Are you confident that you can survive to the end this time?
Chen Youwei : I must have confidence! This time, I definitely have the confidence to survive to the end, but I don’t know whether I can survive to the end.
Stills from "A Thought Across the Mountains"
Stills from "Huaishui Bamboo Pavilion"
The Paper : Are there any interesting things that happened on the set of “Team Bobo”?
Chen Youwei : When we shoot night scenes, it’s actually different from daytime. If we just stop there, we’d think, why is it so quiet? So we’ll create some music videos, or have everyone dance or sing to relieve the fatigue of the night. I think it’s very interesting.
Our drama was shot on location a lot, with seven cases filmed in different places. For example, when Wang Xingyue was shooting on location, he would drive himself to the gym, and then drive back to the set. Sometimes we would leave together after work, just like a colleague taking me home after get off work. It was quite interesting.
The Paper : Use three words to describe "Ding Feng Bo"?
Chen Youwei : First, it's different from the past. The structure of the play "Ding Feng Bo" is very interconnected. I've never encountered a similar narrative method in any script I've read. It throws you into a big mess right from the start.
The second word is "predictor of the ending." This ending doesn't mean who the Night Fury is; it's a prophet. Xiao Beiming is already searching for the Night Fury. We all know this person exists, so he also counts as a prophet of the ending. Finally, I'll tell you the ending is this. Listen as I slowly explain the process and why it happened.
The third word is the meticulous dialogue. This play sometimes doesn't go well with rice, because once you get caught up in it, you'll put down your chopsticks and stop eating. Once you're absorbed in your food, you'll miss details like why something was said, what was said just now. The dialogue is quite meticulous, and the editing is fast.
For example, Feng Qingzhuo's lines in the Haiya Strange Case were also very meticulous. And Tong Shuang, whose identity as the young master of the escort agency was recently aired, also explained the cause and effect of his life. We will definitely fill the holes we dig ourselves. When you finish watching, you will know when we filled them.
The Paper : What do you think is the main theme that "Ding Feng Bo" wants to convey to the audience?
Chen Youwei : Don't give up. As long as you don't give up, everything is possible. Xiao Beiming didn't give up, even when everyone thought he was wrong. Ye Fu didn't give up either, and he kept committing crimes, right? Team Bobo didn't give up either, they kept searching for the truth. Feng Qingzhuo didn't give up either, he kept looking for the antidote for Brother Xiao! (laughs)
The Paper : You mentioned that Ye Fury didn’t give up, so I was wondering whether you were Ye Fury or not.
Chen Youwei : I'm curious too, hahahaha. The Night Fury definitely can't give up. If the Night Fury gives up and jumps out saying "I am the Night Fury", then the whole show will be over!
The Paper : This time you sang the OST "If I", for "Ding Feng Bo", was there anything memorable when you were recording this song?
Chen Youwei : I am deeply impressed by this song. Not only me, but I think it will also leave a deep impression on everyone 10 years later.
I love this song so much! Maybe it was because we had just finished filming and were still immersed in the atmosphere of the drama. I think "If I" is really well-written, and I'm really lucky to be able to sing this OST. I listened to it right away and thought, this is amazing.
The lyrics are quite well-written: "If I remain silent, different from when we first met, will you still be with me?" It's kind of like, "If I'm not the same as when we first met, will you still love me?" I think it's a song of helplessness, expressing a complex mix of reluctance and resigned acceptance.
In "Ding Feng Bo," everyone has their own regrets. When those regrets are portrayed, it's crucial for this song to convey those regrets and move the audience. I think this song should have that effect when the accompanying scenes are released.
Cover of "If I"
A good story is not about length, I want to play a contrasting and dark role
The Paper : What other types of roles would you like to try next but haven’t tried yet?
Chen Youwei : I especially want to try a role that looks very serious but is extremely contrasting and sinister inside.
The Paper : Is it because you've played too many youthful roles before? Now you want to play cooler characters.
Chen Youwei : It's not because there are too many. I wanted to try it because I thought it would be very emotional to act. I think the aloofness might be because when people don't know each other well, when they're relatively unfamiliar, there's an inevitable sense of distance. Once you get closer, you realize that everyone is actually similar and not so distant.
The Paper : Would you consider taking on some high-quality short dramas of 8 or 10 episodes?
Chen Youwei : I think the market has many such opportunities, and we're all participating and striving for them. I believe a good story isn't about how long or short it is. It's about adjusting the pacing and length based on people's viewing habits. For example, if I tell you half a story at a time, or a quarter at a time, I think the same thing applies. For example, even if "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" had 360 episodes, I'd still be happy to watch it.
The Paper : If it becomes a daily drama, would you be willing to continue acting?
Chen Youwei : Of course I would! If it ran for 365 episodes, it would be great if I could participate. I could tell the story of the coroner for a whole year!
