Dai Xiangyu apologises for ‘scumbag’ role in period drama
Chinese actor Dai Xiangyu took to social media to convey an apology for his recent role in popular Chinese period drama Strange Tales Of Tang Dynasty II: To The West (2024).
The 39-year-old played serial womaniser and murder victim Li Yun in the sequel to the sleeper hit Strange Tales Of Tang Dynasty (2022).
The series, based on a Chinese novel of the same name, starred Chinese actors Yang Xuwen and Yang Zhigang as two detectives solving mysterious cases during the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907) in China.
“I was scolded by viewers for being such a ‘scumbag’ after the series was aired,” Dai told Chinese-language evening daily Shin Min Daily News in an interview, as some netizens said his role made their blood boil.
Chinese actors usually pen their thoughts on TV roles on social media, but Dai told Shin Min that he decided to make an apology video instead as he felt that the written word did not sufficiently express his feelings.
In a Weibo post on Aug 3, the actor wrote: “I have heard all the scoldings, but you still love me, right?”
Raising his hands and kneeling on the floor in an accompanying video, he said: “I am sorry for playing a scumbag again.” He played similar roles in Chinese dramas My Heroic Husband (2021) and Rising Lady (2022).
He then held a piece of paper, on which “sorry” had been written multiple times in Chinese, saying: “I, Li Yun, should not have toyed with other people’s feelings.”
He continued in the video: “Please scold (me) in the comments section if you are still angry, but spare me if you bump into me on the street.”
Dai’s apology garnered support from some fans, who commented: “What does a bad character have to do with you? You can’t apologise just because your acting is good.”
The former Mediacorp artiste, who used to be known as Dai Yangtian, is married to Chinese actress Chen Zihan. He told Shin Min that he was not against taking up the role of Li Yun, as he felt that it was a meaty role and that the director was confident of him.
“If I can’t be lovable, why not play a detestable character?” he said.
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