"Taiwan's first temperament beauty" Zhang Junning is 38 years old this year,
She is the "school bully" and "inspirational goddess" of the showbiz industry:
Getting up early, running, yoga, for decades like a day,
While acting, shortlisted for the Golden Horse,
Won the Best Actress Award at the Taipei Film Festival,
While taking a graduate degree from one of the world's top 50 law schools,
At the age of 29, I decided to become a full-time actor.
Then, she came to the mainland to develop from scratch,
Two years later, he became famous with the drama "The Most Beautiful Time".
Zhang Junning's mother, Zheng Ruqing (left), is a writer
She grew up in a bookish doorway,
His father was a doctor of law and a university professor.
Mother is a writer and translator of children's literature,
Entering the show business is purely accidental,
She was not from the class,
I've also suffered 40 auditions, but I've been hit.
"You see I think it's very smooth,
But in fact, it is because behind it can adhere to what ordinary people can not insist on. ”
Zhang Junning played the criminal police officer Ah Bang in the new film "Soul Hunting"
During the Spring Festival in 2021,
We met her in Taipei.
On the third day of the Chinese New Year, she has started work,
We talked about the hit movie "Soul Hunting" a few years ago,
And the mental journey of the debut 18 years,
She said she was a very "slow" person.
Find ambitions very late, get married very late, have goals very late...
"Girls have to find what they like to do,
It doesn't matter if it's a little slower.
Our whole life should be about ourselves,
Not to find a husband or to have children. ”
Self-description Zhang Junning wrote by Bai Wenping, responsible editor Shi Ming
An interview with Zhang Junning
On the third day of the Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, when we met Zhang Junning, she had already started work.
With a neat and short haircut, she changed the image of the past temperament and gentleness, and during the noon break, she and the staff ate bento and chatted together, and the atmosphere was relaxed and warm. Before the interview officially began, she said to us mischievously: "Everyone has been deceived by my appearance, but in fact, I have a little boy inside." ”
Talking about her age and debut qualifications, she showed a small expression, tilted her head and replied: "I am 18 years old this year, 18 years old." ”
Zhang Junning made a cameo appearance in "Lonely Taste"
Zhang Junning came from a family of scholars, her grandfather was a noble family in central Taiwan, her father was a doctor of law, her mother was a writer and university professor, and her parents gave birth to her during their study in Germany. When she was a child, Zhang Junning and her sister attended kindergarten together in the local area, and because of her shy and restrained personality, everything had to be relayed through her sister. The sister is very lively and expressive, often becoming the focus of everyone, Zhang Junning always hides behind her sister, and almost never speaks to the kindergarten teacher.
She described herself as a child as a "person without a sense of existence." "If you've seen me when I was a kid and seen my first audition tape, a lot of people don't think I can be an actor, my mom doesn't think so."
Under the influence of her family, she studied hard, stayed up late to do problems, and finally was admitted to the history department of Taipei University, and then transferred to the law department.
Stills from "The White Tower"
In her sophomore year, she was shopping in Taipei's East District, a work student asked her to help fill out the questionnaire, a few months later, this work student became an agency assistant, remembered the fresh temperament of Zhang Junning, invited her to appear in the film to shoot advertisements, and she entered the show business circle.
At first, her mother was very opposed to her being an actress, thinking that this matter was not a proper job, but Zhang Junning told her mother that she wanted to try more, so she began to take advertisements and MVs while reading.
In the MV of Jay Chou's "Back to the Past", she is a girl in orange and only appears for two seconds.
In 2002, the first TV series "Meteor Garden II.", cameo the little secretary of Young Master Ximen, only spoke one line, appeared for less than 30 seconds, and was paid 500 New Taiwan dollars, equivalent to less than 120 yuan.
The movie "Sleepwalking in Hawaii" made Zhang Junning fall in love with acting
In 2003, Zhang Junning participated in the TV series "Going to the Banquet", she acted while taking graduate school, and was admitted to the graduate school of central university.
In 2004, she shot her first film work, Sleepwalking in Hawaii, playing Chen Xinxin, a young girl who was insane because of the pressure of reading. It's also one of her favorite movies.
"White Tower" is Zhang Junning's famous work
In 2006, Zhang Junning was photographed by director Cai Yuexun to perform the anesthesiologist Guan Xin in "The White Tower", a female figure independent and resolute, which made her show her prominence and gradually attracted attention.
Stills from "The Way to Survive"
In 2007, zhang junning won the Best Actress Award at the 10th Taipei Film Festival and was shortlisted for best supporting actress at the 44th Golden Horse Awards for her role in "The Way to Survive". In the next two years, she did a lot of things: acting in TV dramas, acting in musicals, forming orchestras with Zheng Yuanchang, Peng Yuyan and others, and recording theme songs.
Zhang Junning took care of both acting work and studies
In 2009, when his acting career was entering its peak, Zhang Junning retreated. She paused for a year, squatting in a small room every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., desperately trying to finish her master's thesis. In 2010, she finally got a master's degree in the law group of the Institute of Industrial Economics of Chuo University, giving her family and herself a perfect explanation.
Next, Zhang Junning moved to the mainland to develop. In "The Legend of Wu Meiniang", she played Xu Hui, from the gentle image of being proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, to the later Wu Meiniang who was opposed to wu Meiniang because of men and sisters.
Zhang Junning dressed up gracefully in "Ruyi Zhuan"
In 2018, she played Kerryet Hyland in "Ruyi Biography", and Ruyi, who played Zhou Xun, was a good girlfriend, and never betrayed Ruyi from beginning to end, and even changed her docile personality after Ruyi's death, uniting other concubines to avenge Ruyi.
Zhang Junning excitedly cut off 20 centimeters of long hair
In 2021, the new film "Soul Hunting" was released, she played the criminal police officer Ah Bang, and Zhang Zhen's prosecutor Ah Chao was husband and wife, and the two unveiled the emotional entanglement against humanity in the process of investigating the bloody case of the giants. Zhang Junning said that she liked the role very much because "I could finally cut off my long hair."
She once said in a speech: "If you had the choice, the following two completely different lives are in front of you, which one would you choose?" One is a master's student who has spent more than 6 years to get a master's degree in law, and the other is an extra who has auditioned more than 40 times and still can't get a job offer. ”
The truth is, she's been through both of these lives. She uses "self-discipline" to cope with the difficulties she encounters: running, fighting, yoga, and strict body management. Every morning, I get up at six o'clock, go to the vegetable market to buy vegetables, and make myself a fitness meal. Download a lot of apps on your phone, learn English when you have time, or read a book.
She believes in the power of "repetition" and "persistence": ten times if it doesn't work once, twenty times or thirty times when it doesn't work ten times. If someone else can do it, so can I. Life is a marathon, each time only look at the three steps in front of you, three steps after three steps, the last 21 kilometers can really run.
The following is Zhang Junning's self-statement:
Workaholic who works 360 days a year
I'm a workaholic who works about 360 days a year and takes 5 days off for new year's.
For me, work is a lot of time playing, I don't take it very seriously, for example, I must finish something today, or I must go to work, but it is very easy to face, like when shooting magazines or filming, it is more fun, because it is creating, I really love to work.
Many people have misunderstandings about my image, thinking that I am a girl with an elegant temperament, in fact, my real personality is more like a little boy, sometimes very childish, sometimes very naughty, like a child who can't stop.
This time on the outside, everyone saw that I cut my hair short, and then shaved it a little on the left side, because the criminal police officer Ah Bang in the performance of "Soul Hunting", I hope that this role seems to have a sense of courage and strength.
"Soul Hunting" just look at the trailer will think that it is a thriller science fiction film, and then with a little suspense of the case handling process, but I think it is actually talking about love later, is a very rich layer of the movie, there is a brush several times the audience told me, this movie is a love kidnapping or family kidnapping story.
It happened in the near future, in 2032, the road is running electric vehicles, as well as the imagination of the future medical technology, the main axis of the story is because of a mansion murder, Ah Bang and prosecutor Ah Chao (Zhang Zhen) in the investigation, was involved in a human morality entanglement.
The opening scene is when Ah Bang accompanies Ah Chao to do a physical examination, and she finds out that she is pregnant, and at the same time, she also has to face the fact that her husband has cancer and her life is about to die
Real, so she is a mother, a wife, but also a criminal police officer handling cases, in the process of accompanying Ah Chao to fight cancer, her emotional changes are very subtle, many times I will suddenly have a sour nose, emotions are naturally occurring.
The film depicts a possible future "RNA technology" that can turn a part of a person's brain into a powder and implant it into another person's brain, so that the original consciousness can continue in another person. "What would you do if you could prolong the life of your lover because of this?" A lot of viewers would ask me this question, but I couldn't answer it.
A lot of things have not been encountered, you will not know your choice, just like Ang Lee came to me to shoot a scene and asked me if I was going to go naked? I don't know. A lot of things have to be at that point to have a way to make a decision.
Ah Bang's bravery and perseverance are actually quite similar to me, and if I meet a suitable object, I also feel that I can fully pay.
Zhang Junning when he was a student
Slow hot life: I started working full-time as an actor at the age of 29
The image of perseverance and bravery seems to be more or less found in the roles I have played in the past.
I just started into the show business is not very formal performance, shooting commercials and MVs, my own mentality feels that I am going to work, did not want to be an actor, until 2004 made a movie called "Sleepwalking hawaii" I decided to be an actor, and then met "White Tower" Guan Xin.
"White Tower" was filmed when it first debuted, that impression is very deep, and recent representative works such as "Ruyi Zhuan", "Army Division", "Detective Chinatown" web drama and so on.
Stills from Zhang Junning's early work "The Hero of the Leper"
In fact, in the past, I would like to play a lot of different roles, because I haven't thought clearly about what I want to perform, but now I feel that if I can play two completely different people in many similar settings, it seems more challenging, so I no longer pursue to let everyone see a different self, I hope that everyone will see the role I play, that is, the role should be.
I have always felt that I am not good enough, I have been learning, time is found by people, even if it is only 10 minutes, you can use it to learn English, online lessons, learn art things, improve yourself, when you go out to talk, don't be so humiliated, you can understand what everyone is talking about, and this can also make me do better in performance, not because I see too little, I don't know what choices.
"Ruyi Zhuan" shooting tidbits
The process of actors shaping roles is similar, for example, I played Hailan in "Ruyi Zhuan", because it is a costume, then you need to read more books related to the Forbidden City, go to the Forbidden City more, wear flower pot shoes, wear finger covers, do more things close to that era, and study and prepare from the most subtle things.
At the age of 29, I just got a master's degree, before that I was acting and studying, at that time I thought that being an actor, especially an actress, was very late to start at the age of 29, so I would be quite anxious.
Zhang Junning is passionate about children's public welfare
Later, I went to Inner Mongolia to see my first sponsored child, and found my original intention as an actor in public welfare.
I think clearly, what I want to do is the "actor" thing, there is no conflict with age, I have more life experience as I grow up to help me better understand each real person, and then transform it out, so I think everything is the best arrangement, when I come, just catch it, make it the most perfect, and every role should not let yourself leave regrets.
Zhang Junning's sister Zhang Ying is the creative director of advertising (left), and the sisters and their mother have a good relationship
My mother was my role model in life
Since I was a child, my sister and I have a very free educational environment, my parents are very exemplary, my father will release the type, give the general direction, the big principle, the mother is grasping values, but I am a Virgo, A type, so I often force myself to be very difficult, they also told me not to be so serious, read for too long.
Zhang Junning has been shy since childhood
When her sister was very young, she knew that she liked to draw, and her mother did not force her to go to high school in that era, so she went to junior college: Revival Art. She was also quite angry, admitted to the university interior design undergraduate, and later her father let her transfer to the exam, and as a result, she was admitted to Taiwan University after a summer vacation in college.
I also really don't understand why she was admitted after a summer vacation, and I couldn't get on the NTU after 3 years of study. After that, my sister went to England to read the art she liked, and she had a goal, and I didn't.
The most advice my mother used to give me was to read, because reading can be widely exposed to many things that I will not be exposed to in life, but she never thought that I would go down the path of acting. When I told her very resolutely that I wanted to be an actor, although she had objections, she did not restrict me and respected my choice.
The so-called "life is smooth" is only because people don't see what effort you have made. That "effort" may be when someone else will give up, you won't, and you insist on doing what you have to do. For example, the teacher gives 100 math problems, I can't finish it, I will stay up until midnight, I don't sleep until I finish writing, I don't sleep until I finish reading the book.
Zhang Junning attended her mother's new book launch
When my mother was in her 40s, she was a master's degree, and after she finished her studies, she began to work as a lecturer at a university, and then she has now become a professor. She's constantly self-actualizing, which I think is great, and she doesn't stop studying just because she has children.
Girls want to find what they like to do, and our whole life should be related to ourselves, not to find a good husband, or to have children. Mom often said that self-actualization is an important feeling, and she wants us all to be able to play to the fullest, not to do what "others" think you should do for the sake of social norms and pressures.
Mom let me see the strength and bravery of life, she is a very powerful person, no matter how much suffering she has experienced in life, she is always moving forward, always maintaining an optimistic and positive attitude.
38-year-old does not want to get married:
Fun things will always come, and I will always change
For me, years are a great gift. Everyone has an admission ticket called life, we will go from beginning to end, I don't have to envy 18 years old, because I used to be 18 years old, but I will also be old, will go through the best and worst times, each stage is only once, after which there will be no return, this is the beautiful place of life.
The older I get, the more I cherish every moment, including with everyone I meet. You see him this time, next time you may not see him again, maybe you will not meet in this life, can you get together when the fate comes, give the most complete, this is what I will pursue now.
There should be no way to stop in my life, there are many things to learn and do, fun things will always come, I may always change, then keep changing.
I later understood my own personality: I was slow.
I am very slow to mature, I am very slow to find what I want to do in life, I am very slow to fall in love with what I want to do, after I understand, I become more down-to-earth, I do not have to compare with others, my schedule is my own, everyone's success model can not be copied, no one will follow the same path as me.
I'm even slow to get married, and if I meet someone and get married now, I'm going to have to jump with him for 20 or 30 years. There are many levels of a partner, you can just live with him, you can be your best friend with him, you can talk about everything... See what kind of person you're looking for. I feel that as long as I can find the best fit for myself, I don't think time will have much impact.
And all these things presuppose is, you have to find out who you are? What do you really like to do? When you're in good shape, I think
The other half will appear at just the right time.
Do what you are happy with, love the people you love, go after what you want, everyone is different, it does not have a standard law of success, it is your own standard.
Some of the materials were provided by Nuctech Films and Zhang Junning Studios