Zhou Dongyu in ‘Ancient Love Poetry’: did she get leftover roles from Angelababy?

Zhou Dongyu is a Chinese actress who shot to fame after starring in a Zhang Yimou film. She is currently ranked 3rd in the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list! However, she is currently being criticised for her latest work in ‘Ancient Love Poetry.' What is going on?

Zhou Dongyu was born on 31 January 1992 in China’s Hebei province. Prior to fame, she had no acting experience and was just an ordinary high school student. Yet, Zhou Dongyu was picked by one of China’s top filmmakers and auteur, Zhang Yimou, to star in ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ in 2010.

Starring in a Zhang Yimou film placed Zhou Dongyu into the spotlight as one of ‘Yimou’s Girls’. Among the other ‘Yimou Girls’ are huge Chinese starlets Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, Maggie Cheung, and Ni Ni - many of whom were also previously unknown and became big stars after appearing in a Zhang Yimou film!

(Image: Edko Films)

For her first acting role, Zhou Dongyu won Best Actress at the 56th Valladolid International Film Spain Festival, the prestigious Outstanding New Actress Award at the Chinese government’s 4th Huabiao Awards, and the Best New Performer Award at the 20th Shanghai Film Critics Awards.

(Image: Edko Films)

After starring in Zhang Yimou’s film, Zhou Dongyu settled into acting by taking up role after role.

(Image: Lian Rui Pictures)

Right after her first breakthrough and debut in 2010, Zhou Dongyu would make a second breakthrough in Chinese cinema with playing Li Ansheng in ‘Soul Mate’ in 2016. Her performance in ‘Soul Mate’ landed her more awards and even the prestigious status of being one of the ‘Four Dan actresses of the post-90s Generation’!

(Image: Beijing Jiaying Pictures)

Her success in acting would then place her in Forbes China Celebrity 100 lists consecutively in the years 2017 till present. In 2017 she was ranked 71st. Currently, she is ranked 3rd on the list - what a jump!

Zhou Dongyu’s fame earned her the position of Burberry ambassador. However, the actress herself dumped the ambassadorship over a political dispute over the fashion house’s boycott of Chinese cotton in 2021.

Read more about the Chinese cotton scandal and actors' reactions to it

Other than film, Zhou Dongyu has also acted in TV productions. Her first foray into the small screen was in ‘Sparrow’ in 2016. Her acting in ‘Sparrow’ was praised by netizens, and Sohu notes that Zhou Dongyu’s acting in ‘Sparrow’ allowed for audiences to grow attached to her character.

(Image: Hunan TV)

Despite having earned a reputation for being a talented actress on the big and small screen, South China Morning Post reports that netizens are calling for her to leave TV after criticizing her acting in ‘Ancient Love Poetry’. Why is that so?

‘Ancient Love Poetry’ is a Chinese romance drama that details the love story between deities. Zhou Dongyu plays the female lead Shang Gu while her co-star, Kevin Xu Kai, plays the male lead Bai Jue.

(Image: Tencent)

According to South China Morning Post, critics are saying that Zhou Dongyu’s looks were not cut out for the role of Shang Gu. They argue that she did not look ethereally beautiful enough for the role due to her “small stature” and “distinctive features”.

(Image: Tencent)

Critics are also saying that supporting actress Luo Qiuyun upstaged Zhou Dongyu in terms of looks in ‘Ancient Love Poetry’ - they thought that Luo Qiuyun looked more like a deity than Zhou Dongyu!

(Image: Tencent)

It is interesting to note that, as the South China Morning Post recalls, Zhou Dongyu herself has stated that she's not cut out for period drama roles. In a 2018 interview, Zhou Dongyu said she had turned down a role as she felt it “embarrassing” to play it, as “[she was] not one of those beauties with big eyes” that were typically expected for “that kind of role.”

Given her views on period drama roles in 2018, it is surprising that Zhou Dongyu took up the role of Shang Gu in ‘Ancient Love Poetry’ after all. Is there more to her decision than a sudden change of heart?

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'Today' cites an anonymous insider who claims that, prior to leaving Mountain Top Entertainment in April 2020, Zhou Dongyu had been forced by the agency to take up roles that she was not cut out for, including the role in ‘Ancient Love Poetry’.

(Image: Beijing Jiaying Pictures)

Although she's no longer with Mountain Top Entertainment today, Zhou Dongyu signed the contract to undertake ‘Ancient Love Poetry’ before she switched agencies, 'Today' reports. Due to contractual obligations, the actress had to take up the role whether she wanted it or not.

(Image: Tencent)

Most shocking about the reveal was that, allegedly, the roles Zhou Dongyu was forced to take were roles that Hong Kong star actress Angelababy had previously rejected!

(Image: Beijing Jiaying Pictures, Wuzhou Film Distribution)

According to the report by 'Today,' Mountain Top Entertainment was originally Angelababy’s personal work studio, as it focused more on the Hong Kong star actress than on the other artists in their management. Angelababy was with Mountain Top Entertainment up till June 2020.

All about Angelababy, the 'Kim Kardashian' of Hong Kong

Despite being allegedly forced to undertake a role she did not like, Zhou Dongyu hired her own band of people, including a scriptwriter, to work on scenes in ‘Ancient Love Poetry’ that might put her in a bad light, 'Today' reports.

Zhou Dongyu’s efforts to save the show and her track record did not pay off, though. Dramapanda reports that viewers of ‘Ancient Love Poetry’ were not impressed with Zhou Dongyu and her lead co-star Kevin Xu Kai’s acting skills. These bad reviews came on top of the criticism about her mismatching looks for the role.

(Image: Tencent)

Zhou Dongyu’s work on ‘Ancient Love Poetry’ may be the first stain on her excellent acting track record. Either way, Zhou Dongyu is now under new management. Having gone independent and founded her own management studio, the actress is sure to bounce back better than ever!

Next: The film 'Dynasty Warriors' features an impressive Hong Kong star cast