LAY ZHANG x NEW Weekly — The Interview
Music is the origin of my life, acting has added more colours to the painting of my life
Q: You have been exploring the role as a actor. Beside ‘Crime Crackdown’, you also took part in ‘Challengesat Midlife’. Recently, you have added the filming of ‘No More Bets’ on your schedule. How do you balance the roles in music and filming?
A: I don’t have to intentionally balance them. For me, music is the origin of my life, acting has added morecolours to the painting of my life. Both of them are important. I feel that I’m really lucky to have theopportunities to work with so many excellent seniors. I have met a lot of them through filming.
Q: You have already knew Sun Honglei very well even before the filming of ‘Crime Crackdown’; you also acted alongside Liu Yijun. Did anything impress you during the filming?
A: I think that Liu Yijun laoshi is so great with his acting, and he’s so handsome as well! When I look at him, I feel like I’m on the set for those Hongkong films. Those 90s Hongkong crime drama. I wish that we will have chance for another collaboration, playing the roles of master and apprentice, for instance.
Q: Can you share your thoughts during the filming of “Challenges at Midlife”? We heard that you’ve got a very complex character.
A: I think the complexity of this character focuses on the one question of human nature: are we born good or evil? In my opinion, we were born good. This character was a good person in the beginnning. But his childhood has left him with a “root cause”. When he entered the workforce and face the society, this root cause has given him negative mindsets. I can’t spoil too much about it. You can look forward to this, this character is quite interesting.
When I’m lost, they can provide me with thinking from different perspectives
Q: Who has the biggest influence on you when you’re growing up? What were the influences?
A: My grandpa, grandma, dad, and mom. They are the ones that influenced me the most. When they come together and discuss about me, they rarely reach an agreement. On top of that, there’s me with my own opinion. So, we always have 5 different opinions that don’t agree with each other. This might also be the reason why I’m a bit stubborn with what I do. I met a teacher later on who also has a big influence on me. He told me that I should list out the options that I have, with pros and cons for each, compare and contrast before I reach my decision. He said that one can’t ask for too much, focus on the things you want to do most and then make your decision. That’s the most effective way to solve problems.
Q: You said you wanted to be “a complete four-out-of-four Lay Zhang”, how far are you now?
I found that life is not just “four”. It may be “one hundred”. And now, I want to be “ a 100-percent Lay Zhang”. How much has that been reached? I haven’t counted but I know I still have lots to learn and explore, such as how to pay for utilities and things like that. I guess probably because I was well-protected for most of my life, to be exact, I was ‘covered’ up for most of the time. If I don’t go look for it, it’s hard to see the reality. So I will just have to go out of this cover and take a look for myself.
Q: Do you still meet up with friends who are outside of the entertainment industry?
A: It’s good to communicate and intereact more with your friends, but we all know the nature of an artist’s work. (Like me) A day of work is filled with making music, dance practice, catch up with all kinds of work, and frequent worktravels. It’s quite hard to meet up in person with my friends who are in Beijing and Shanghai. I feel bad if I have to ask my friends to fly over and visit me. At the same time, it’s also impossible for me to fly over and visit them. My friends understand, but I still feel bad. I would tell them not to come over, let’s talk on the phone. I feel like I haven’t done much (for my friends).
I still have friends whom I talk to frequently. They’re like my outside help. When I’m lost, they can provide me with thinking from different perspectives.
What’s going to happen next?Let’s just wait and see.
Q: We often say, “Standing firm at 30s”. Do you think that you have “stand firm”? Is there anything that makes you anxious?
A: Just like anyone else, everyone(in this age) has anxieties and worries, and I’m not an exception. That’s just how life is. You never know what will happen next. As long as you have a goal, you can only take one step at a time to find out what will happen next. Some people say it’s good to see what happens in the next three or five years. And of course, I think it’s good to have a vision and set it as a goal, then go toward that direction. What’s going to happen?Let’s just wait and see. I read a book last week, “Life”, life is about one thing only, practice. Practice what? Practice to understand yourself, accept yourself, accept your flaws, and then we can readjust to start again.
Q: Are you a Realist?
A: Not quite. It can be adjusted through some self-allocation. But am I a Realist? I think I’m still an Idealist. I once said, “As time goes by and the world changes, I am still the same Lay Zhang”. I want to tell Xback that, I will continue on the road toward my dreams. You enjoy your life, and when you come back to take a look, there will still be a little land outside of this world that belongs only to us. Xback, let’s embark on the journey as a whole, and each be happy separately.
Q: Who is the idol or role model in your heart?
A: I think idols can be categorised, (in performing arts) Andy Lau is particularly worthy of respect and love. In today’s society, people like Zhong Nanshan and Yuan Longping should be the idols for all of us.
Q: When you’re being loved by so many people, what do you think of the relationship between artists and the generation?
A: When we chose to be a public figure, we must take on the responsibilities that we’re entrusted with by this generation, and to work with everybody to create a better society and convey the real positive energy. My Xback and I have gone through time, they have become my strength, I also (hope) to become someone they can count on, mutually supporting each other, and together we walk forward step by step.
Q: Say something to the 30-year-old Lay.
This is the most difficult question to answer! What can I say? Congratulations, you’re old! I thank you for your hard work, for being persistence with your faith and boundary in the past 29 years. Hope that in the future you can continue to pursue the dream we all know, and also as what your family wishes, to be a contribution to the country and society. Bless you, 30-year-old Lay.
Interview by New Weekly 尤蕾
Translation by XingTweetTRANS
