1993 was a turning point for 30-year-old Wang Zhiwen. He starred in the TV series "Addiction" directed by Zhao Baogang, playing the role of dialect. This work, which is only eight episodes, has become an important milestone in Wang Zhiwen's acting career.
With this role, he won the Outstanding Actor Award at the 14th China TV Drama Feitian Awards and became famous in one fell swoop. The success of "Addictive" not only stems from Wang Zhiwen's excellent acting skills, but also benefits from the excellent creative team.
Director Zhao Baogang is recognized as a powerful person in the industry, and his works such as "Desire", "The Story of the Editorial Department", "Never Look Away", etc., are all classics of that era. The screenwriter Wang Shuo is a famous writer, and his works "Party A and Party B" and "Sunny Day" have been widely acclaimed.
Under such a golden partner, Wang Zhiwen's talent has been fully displayed. He interprets the role of dialect very well, which makes the audience remember it vividly. This drama also made Wang Zhiwen a literary male god in the hearts of many fans at that time, and he was highly sought after.
In the following years, Wang Zhiwen's acting career became wider and wider. In 2001's "Black Ice", his 11-minute inner prison monologue was hailed as "actor-level analysis", which made him famous in the industry.
"The Way of Heaven" in 2006 pushed him to the pinnacle of his career. In the play, he plays a business wizard who has insight into the times, has a deep understanding of policy, culture, human nature, and can even talk about religion and Buddhism.
Wang Zhiwen vividly interprets this complex character, especially those long passages, which seem so natural and smooth under his interpretation. Film and television dramas with the theme of spy war have always been loved by the audience and used to be a beautiful landscape in the Chinese TV drama market.
From "Latent" starring Sun Honglei and Yao Chen, to "The Pretender" by Hu Ge, Zheng Kai, Jin Dong and Liu Mintao, to "Rebel" by Wang Zhiwen, Zhu Yilong, Wang Yang and Tong Yao, each work has brought surprises to the audience and has been regarded as a classic.
These dramas not only have ups and downs and gripping plots, but also create distinct, three-dimensional characters, which have won wide acclaim from the audience. However, the pointer of time points to 2024, and the aura of spy war dramas seems to have begun to fade.
In the first quarter of the year, two highly anticipated spy war dramas "Infernal" and "Thin Ice" were broadcast one after another. These two dramas bring together many powerful old drama bones, including Wang Zhiwen, Wang Jinsong, Fu Dalong, etc.
Among them, "Infernal" has an investment of up to 210 million, with the slogan of "sharpening a sword in seven years", starring Wang Zhiwen, Zhang Zhijian, Jin Dong and Wang Likun. Seeing such a cast, netizens' expectations were instantly full.
"Jin Dong enters No. 76 again, spy Wang Zhiwen!" Such reviews fully reflect the audience's ardent expectations for this drama. However, it backfired, and when "Infernal" was officially broadcast, it unexpectedly dissuaded a wave of viewers.
The audience complained that the plot arrangement was extremely outrageous, the story lacked logic, and the character creation was even more confused. Some netizens bluntly said that every character in this drama is rotten to the fullest, and some people are even worried that Wang Zhiwen will "lose his luck in the evening" because of this.
This huge gap can't help but make people sigh. From "Latent" to "Infernal", the development trajectory of spy war dramas seems to show an inverted U-shaped curve. The glory of the past seems to be just yesterday's yellow flowers, but today's works are difficult to reach the heights of the past.
This change not only reflects the rise and fall of a single drama genre, but also reflects the changes of the entire TV drama industry. What is the reason for the decline in the quality of spy war dramas? Is it the solidification of creative ideas, or is it a change in market demand? Or is it the impetuous atmosphere of the entire industry that affects the quality of the work? These are questions worth pondering.
Although the overall evaluation of "Infernal" is unsatisfactory, the 57-year-old Wang Zhiwen still proves what it means to be an "old drama bone" with his performance. In the play, he plays Mu Xihe, a ruthless and cunning deputy director of the Military Administration Bureau.
Wang Zhiwen's image perfectly matches the characteristics of the character: his face is full of wrinkles, his eyes are swollen, the pimples and spots on his face are clearly visible, and his sparse hair adds a bit of vicissitudes.
This old face has just become the best carrier of his acting skills. Wang Zhiwen's performance has always not relied on the performance technique of opening and closing to conquer the audience, but interpreting the role through delicate micro-expressions.
In "Infernal", his expressions, movements, and eyes are just right, and he can hardly find any fault. Especially those slightly cloudy but still sharp eyes, as if they can penetrate everything, which makes people shudder.
In addition to superb expression management, Wang Zhiwen's line skills are even more unique. His magnetic voice, coupled with just the right speed of speech, allows people to be brought into the emotions of the characters even if they can't understand the specific content.
This sense of mystery is very apt with the image of the deputy director, which is very impressive. In the rivalry with Wang Zhijian, the competition between the two powerful actors is exciting.
The duel between light and dark, good and evil, whether it is the presentation of the picture or the performance of the characters, is perfectly interpreted by the two. This scene is considered by many viewers to be one of the highlights of the whole show.
Compared with other actors, Wang Zhiwen's performance is more outstanding. For example, when playing against Jin Dong, Wang Zhiwen's acting advantages were immediately highlighted. Every subtle change in his expression, the pronunciation of every line, shows the profound skills accumulated over the years.
In "Infernal", Wang Zhiwen used his performance to tell everyone: real acting skills are regardless of age. Even if he has passed the age of knowing the destiny of heaven, he is still able to interpret a complex role with solid basic skills and rich life experience.
His presence is undoubtedly the biggest highlight of this drama, and it is also a reflection of the quality of domestic TV dramas. Looking back at Wang Zhiwen's golden age, it is not difficult to find a significant change in China's TV drama industry: from high-quality short dramas to long-form dramas with dozens of episodes.
This shift not only affects the quality of the work, but also changes the performance space of the actors to some extent. The early "Addiction" only had a short eight episodes, but it was able to portray the characters accurately, and the plot was compact and not procrastinating.
This "short and concise" creative concept makes every frame and every line full of value. It is in such a boutique short drama that a group of outstanding actors such as Wang Zhiwen were able to fully show their acting skills, which also left a deep impression on the audience.
However, as time went on, "not the best, but the longest" seemed to become the creed of many producers. Four, five, six, seven, or eighty episodes of dramas fill the screen, but the quality is difficult to guarantee.
This kind of creative method of pursuing "short, flat, and fast" has made many excellent actors have to go with the flow. In such an environment, even a powerful actor like Wang Zhiwen is difficult to find a stage where he can really display his talents.
The decline in the quality of the script and the simplification of the character creation have limited the space for actors to play to a certain extent. What's even more worrying is that in this era when traffic is king, some producers do not hesitate to spend huge sums of money to shoot so-called "ingenuity" in order to "circle money".
However, these works are often five-cent scripts with bloody plots, coupled with the so-called traffic stars, and the final effect can be imagined. This change not only affects the development of individual actors, but also reflects the changes of the entire industry.
From high-quality short dramas to lengthy soap operas, from elaborate polishing to rapid production, this transformation reflects the impetuosity and short-sightedness of the entire industry. Against this backdrop, we have to ask: what exactly is causing this change? Is it a change in market demand, or is it a short-sighted behavior of the producer? Or is it a change in the entire socio-cultural environment? These are questions worth pondering.
With the changes of the times, even a powerful actor like Wang Zhiwen will inevitably face ups and downs in his career. Since 2017, we can clearly feel the changes in Wang Zhiwen's participating works, which are not only reflected in the quantity, but also in the importance of the role.
During this period, among the TV series in which Wang Zhiwen participated, only "Wind and Rain Sending Spring Back" played the leading role. In other works, he mostly appears as a "special star".
This change can't help but make people sigh: the former protagonist has now been reduced to a supporting role, or even a "special appearance". Even in "Wind and Rain Sending Spring Back" as the protagonist, Wang Zhiwen's acting skills are still online.
However, excellent individual performance could not make up for the lack of overall production. For example, the partnership of Wang Zhiwen and Yu Feihong always makes people feel like they are dancing, which is not a problem with the actors, but a mistake in character setting and casting.
In addition, the casting of the "little three" Lin Miaoxue in the play is also quite controversial, and it seems that the director has misunderstood "beauty and sexiness". What's even more surprising is "The Awakener", which will be released in 2022.
The producer used the gimmick of "Wang Zhiwen and Jiang Shan combined" to attract the audience, but after the actual broadcast, Wang Zhiwen only appeared for three minutes and hurriedly went offline. This approach not only disappointed the audience, but also disrespected a powerful actor like Wang Zhiwen.
This situation reflects that even an old actor like Wang Zhiwen is facing many challenges in today's film and television industry. On the one hand, there are fewer and fewer roles suitable for them; On the other hand, in order to attract audiences, some producers do not hesitate to "sell dog meat on the head of a sheep" under the banner of well-known actors.
However, even in such a predicament, Wang Zhiwen still maintained his professional standards. In every role, no matter how many scenes there are, he tries his best to interpret them, showing his professionalism as an old actor.
This dilemma is not only a problem faced by Wang Zhiwen alone, but a challenge that veteran actors in the entire industry are experiencing. How to insist on their own artistic pursuit in the era when traffic is king has become a difficult problem that every powerful actor needs to face.
Standing at the node in 2024, looking back on Wang Zhiwen's acting career, we can't help but think deeply about the future of China's film and television industry. From "Addiction" to "Infernal", Wang Zhiwen's experience is like a mirror, reflecting the changes and challenges of the entire industry.
We look forward to seeing more well-crafted characters like Wang Zhiwen in the early days, and we look forward to seeing more high-quality short dramas. is like "Addicted", although there are only eight episodes, the characters can be portrayed thoroughly, and the plot is compact and not procrastinating.
We hope that traffic is no longer the only criterion, and quality is the eternal pursuit. At the same time, we also expect that old actors like Wang Zhiwen can continue to shine.
Their existence is a valuable asset of China's film and television industry, a model for young actors to learn, and a backbone to improve the level of the entire industry. We hope to see more excellent directors and screenwriters, like Zhao Baogang and Wang Shuo, who can create wonderful characters and scripts for actors.
Finally, we hope that the industry as a whole will return to its original intentions and create more works that will stand the test of time. As the article said at the end: "I hope those directors can stand in the perspective of China's film and television development and make some good dramas that can be remembered by the times!" Use a lot of powerful old drama bones! With such acting skills, it's a pity not to film! "Only in this way can China's film and television industry truly go to the world and shine on the international stage.
Let's look forward to seeing more wonderful performances like Wang Zhiwen in the early days, and seeing more high-quality film and television works, so that the quality of Chinese TV dramas can be fully reflected in excellent actors like Wang Zhiwen.