Wu Jing stepped onto the podium of the 17th Huabiao Awards, holding the actor trophy in his hand, and his eyes were filled with unconcealable joy. At this moment, he finally climbed to the peak of his career.
The movie "Wolf Warrior 2" not only won him this heavyweight trophy, but also created a record-breaking box office of more than 5 billion, breaking the historical record of China's film box office in one fell swoop.
Wu Jing recalled the difficult stage of filming "Wolf Warrior 2", and a smile inadvertently appeared on his face. However, while he enjoyed the joy of success, some negative voices followed.
Some people criticized him for "fighting all by shouting", while others questioned him for opportunism through "patriotic" themes, and these criticisms were like a thorn in Wu Jing's heart.
Although Wu Jing has made considerable achievements, such as the "Changjin Lake" series, "The Wandering Earth" and other works have successively attracted the attention of the audience, and the box office is also rising, he is not complacent because of this.
Instead, he began to realize that he was in a delicate position and needed to be more careful with his work and life.
The movie "Changjin Lake" made Wu Jing gain attention again in the entertainment industry. This work not only broke the box office record held by "Wolf Warrior 2", but also made Wu Jing have a deeper breakthrough in acting skills.
However, the controversy that ensued also intensified, with some viewers praising him for portraying a vivid Wu Qianli, while others thought that his performances were the same, always playing the same type of role.
Faced with various voices, Wu Jing fell into deep thought. He clearly knows that success brings not only glory, but also responsibility and challenges. He needed to find a balance between commercial success and artistic pursuits, facing increasingly high expectations and increasingly sharp skepticism.
These questions will continue to hover in his mind for days to come.
From 2018 to 2023, these five years have been immersed in the pinnacle of glory and the whirlpool of controversy for Wu Jing. His works such as the "Changjin Lake" series and "The Wandering Earth" continue to break box office records, and Wu Jing's appeal seems unmatched.
However, behind the success, the voices of skepticism have never stopped.
Wu Jing's main theme film works have been loved and controversial by the audience. Some viewers are obsessed with it, while others say that the essence of these films is "films that use patriotic feelings to earn attention and commercial profits".
Wu Jing began to find himself in a dilemma, and continuing this route would inevitably lead to more controversy, and changing the course could result in the loss of an existing audience base.
Over the past five years, the reputation of Wu Jing's work has been deeply polarized. Proponents believe that his films inspire national pride and convey positive energy, while critics argue that his films look hollow without a patriotic shell.
This disagreement left Wu Jing confused and stressed.
However, to Wu Jing's surprise, the label of "patriotic" instead subjected him to more scrutiny. At a Golden Eagle Award ceremony, he just held up his mobile phone to take pictures of other guests, but caused an uproar because of the mobile phone brand.
As the spokesperson of ZTE mobile phones, his behavior of using Apple mobile phones was interpreted by some people as a small matter of inconsistent words and deeds, which was infinitely magnified and became a reason to attack him.
Wu Jing will also be innocently involved in controversy in some incidents that have nothing to do with him, for example, after the Xiaoguo Culture Incident, some people reported that "Wolf Warrior" compared soldiers to wolves is derogatory and suspected of insulting soldiers, this kind of groundless accusation makes Wu Jing cry and laugh.
Faced with these controversies, Wu Jing began to examine his own situation. He is soberly aware that his every move may be over-interpreted, and every work may trigger a strong public opinion stir.
This effect of "making a big move" made him feel helpless and tired.
However, Wu Jing did not let this determine, and he understood that these controversies also reflected his influence to some extent. He decided to continue to stick to his creative philosophy, but also to be more cautious in his approach to public affairs.
The experience of these five years has made him more mature and more determined, and he knows that in this complex entertainment industry, only by maintaining his original intention can he go further.
In 2024, it should have been the moment for Wu Jing to shine again, and it was the year when the two Huabiao Awards were jointly held. However, in the list of awards announced, Wu Jing's name unexpectedly did not appear.
Not only did he not win the award, but he didn't even get a nomination, which made Wu Jing feel a little in a trance, as if overnight, he changed from the focus of attention to an ordinary audience.
Wu Jing, who was sitting in the audience, looked at the shining winners on the stage, and had mixed feelings in his heart. He remembered the "Changjin Lake" series and "The Wandering Earth" starring him, which did well at the box office but failed to win him the favor of the judges.
Wu Jing began to realize that maybe in this industry, the box office doesn't represent everything.
In contrast, Zhang Yi, whose strength is comparable to Wu Jing, although he won the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor with "Man Jianghong" in 2022, at this year's Huabiao Awards, he won the Best Actor award again with the unit film "My Motherland and Me".
However, to Wu Jing's surprise, Zhang Yi did not have many scenes in this film, and even only had one line.
This result made Wu Jing think deeply, and he began to wonder if there was a problem with his performance, or if everyone's expectations of him had changed. He recalled that 5 years ago, his performance in "Wolf Warrior 2" won the honor of Huabiao Award for Best Actor, but now that glory has become a distant memory.
However, Wu Jing was not annoyed by this. He began to reflect that perhaps this "cold bench" experience was an opportunity to re-examine his career from a different perspective. He came to understand that he needed to build a balance between commercial success and artistic pursuits.
On this night, Wu Jing's career ushered in an important turning point. He decided not to overdo his evaluation in the unexpected world, but to focus on improving his acting skills and the quality of his works.
Wu Jing firmly believes that only through continuous improvement and speaking with strength can we regain the recognition of the audience and judges.
Although the result of the Huabiao Award was somewhat unexpected, Wu Jing understood that this was just a small twist in his long acting career. He firmly believes that as long as he sticks to his original intention and continues to work hard, he will be able to usher in a new peak of his own.
The experience of the Huabiao Award reminded Wu Jing of the advice Jet Li gave him many years ago: "Be a man with your tail between your legs". It was a very precious exhortation, and now it seems to be even more meaningful.
As a result, Wu Jing decided to adjust his strategy and choose a more low-key way of doing things.
After the success of "Wolf Warrior 2", Wu Jing was a little afraid, he clearly realized that his ability had not yet met the audience's expectations, and at the same time, he deeply understood the danger of making a big move.
He decided not to prepare for "Wolf Warrior 3" for the time being, because if it was released at that time, it would not be a problem to get a high box office, but it might be boycotted by insiders and even cause controversy among netizens.
Wu Jingyou consciously tried to reduce his self-propaganda activities. Even on an important occasion like an awards ceremony, he chooses to give more light to young actors. At an event, he enthusiastically introduced the young actor Wu Lei to Donnie Yen and Hui Yinghong, and called each other "son", which undoubtedly created a valuable opportunity for Wu Lei to get in touch with his seniors.
Wu Jing's behavior shows his mind and pattern. He knows that in this highly competitive industry, helping each other can go a long way than going it alone. He thought that he had also been supported by his predecessors to achieve what he is today, and now it was time to pass on this warmth.
Regarding the results of the Huabiao Award, Wu Jing chose to remain silent. He understands that he may have actively chosen to avoid excessive marketing pitches. After all, he is the protagonist of "Changjin Lake", even if he fails to win the Huabiao Award for Best Actor in the end, he deserves to be nominated for Best Actor.
However, Wu Jing did not appear in any of the lists, which may be a reflection of his low-key behavior.
In the face of doubts, Wu Jing did not choose to argue about every one of them, but proved his sincerity with practical actions. He is convinced that real gold is not afraid of fire, and as long as he sticks to his original intention, he will eventually be recognized.
This way of dealing with the world may be the wisdom of Wu Jing to survive in this complicated entertainment industry. He knows that in this era of information explosion, sometimes it is better to be silent than eloquent.
Wu Jing is determined to continue to keep a low profile, use his works to speak, and let time prove everything.
Although Wu Jing has tried his best to adjust his image and behavior, misunderstandings and criticism have not diminished. Some people continue to question his acting skills, thinking that he will only rely on roaring; Some people feel that his films are the same, always linked to patriotic themes.
These sounds were like thorns, constantly stimulating Wu Jing's nerves.
To Wu Jing's surprise, he was also involved in some incidents that were not directly related to him. For example, in the Xiaoguo Culture incident, someone reported that Wu Jing's movie "Wolf Warrior" compared the military to wolves, which was derogatory and suspected of insulting.
This kind of groundless accusation made Wu Jing feel laughing and crying, but he couldn't defend it.
The effect of "tree big wind" made Wu Jing feel helpless and tired. He found himself in a strange circle: doing well was said to be famous, and doing badly was said to be incompetent.
Sometimes, he would be alone in the middle of the night thinking: Why did it become like this? Did you do something wrong?
Critics believe that Wu Jing's films, if stripped of their patriotic shells, will become empty and devoid of substance. This evaluation made Wu Jing feel frustrated, because he knew that he had put his heart and soul into each work.
However, these efforts do not seem to be appreciated by all audiences.
Wu Jing is often criticized by some people, and he is not immune even in small matters. For example, at the Golden Eagle Award ceremony, he picked up his mobile phone to take pictures of other guests on stage, which was actually not inappropriate, but the mobile phone and mobile phone case he used caused controversy.
Because he is the spokesperson of the ZTE brand mobile phone, but he uses an Apple mobile phone, which is interpreted by some people as inconsistent with words and deeds.
In the face of these misunderstandings and criticisms, Wu Jing began to learn to find inner peace in a complicated environment. He understands that in this industry, criticism and questioning are inevitable. What matters is how you face these voices, how you maintain yourself in them.
This process is not easy, but Wu Jing knows that only in this way can he continue to move forward in this complex environment.
In the face of many difficulties and doubts, Wu Jing did not choose to back down or change his core philosophy. He deeply understands that true success is not simply pleasing everyone, but being able to firmly maintain self-belief and original intention.
Wu Jing is increasingly focusing on improving his performance skills and creating high-quality works. He knows that only continuous improvement can earn respect with strength. At the same time, he did not give up his love for the main theme movie.
In his view, this is not only a business choice, but also a responsibility and mission.
Regarding the evaluation of the outside world, Wu Jing has been able to face it more calmly. He understands that no matter what it is, there will be people who like it and some people who don't, so the most important thing is not to let these voices sway his direction.
He decided to keep a low profile, to speak with his work, and to let time tell.
Wu Jing is well aware of the importance of promoting younger generations. He firmly believes that in this highly competitive industry, helping each other can go far beyond going it alone. This kind of open-mindedness and big picture have won him the respect of his peers.
Looking ahead, Wu Jing's path may still be full of challenges and controversies. But he's ready to move on his way. He is convinced that as long as he sticks to his original intention, one day, people will see a real and comprehensive Wu Jing.
This road may be lonely and difficult, but Wu Jing knows that this is the life he has chosen. He will continue to find a balance between commercial success and artistic pursuits, and strive to produce works that have both box office appeal and artistic value.
Wu Jing is convinced that as long as he sticks to his original intention and makes unremitting efforts, he will eventually usher in a new peak of his own. His story may become a model of self-perseverance and continuous improvement in the entertainment industry.
No matter what happens in the future, Kure will continue to shine on this stage in his own way.