Seeing the photos of Zhou Dongyu in high school, I can't help but praise Zhang Yimou's insight. In the photo, she is still a senior in high school, with fair skin, immature cheeks, and a pair of smiling apricot eyes like two clear springs, full of vitality and love for life.
With two cute pigtails on her head, she looks delicate and lovely with light makeup, just like the first blooming spring flowers. At that time, Zhou Dongyu was completely the embodiment of youth, exuding an innocent youthful atmosphere, as if the world was new and interesting to her.
Thinking about it, the reason why Director Zhang fell in love with her among more than 6,000 people at that time may be that Zhou Dongyu's youthful vigor from the heart and has not been deliberately carved meets the director's requirements for this role - an unstained, innocent and flawless girl.
Zhang Yimou once said that the role of Jingqiu can't have those old-fashioned performance models, what she needs is youth, vigor and natural expression. And Zhou Dongyu at that time was the perfect person to have these shining points.
Her freshness and refinement, the clarity that comes from her heart, is exactly what this role needs.
Therefore, when she naturally released the youthful brilliance of a girl, Director Zhang's discerning eyes SELF recognized her unique charm. The director's vision is so unique, it is no wonder that the role of Jingqiu in "The Love of the Hawthorn Tree" finally achieved Zhou Dongyu's first step in the film industry.
After the movie "The Love of the Hawthorn Tree" was released, Zhou Dongyu became famous in one fell swoop with his natural and vivid acting skills, and his popularity rose rapidly. As a newcomer, she has a high starting point, but she is also destined to become the target of public criticism.
At that time, Zhou Dongyu's appearance was not prominent, but he had a moving smiling face. Her skin is white, clean and translucent. A pair of almond eyes are sometimes clear, sometimes misty, with a little naivety and doubt.
The small bun on the top of the head, and a few strands of broken hair at the edge are wisped casually, giving people a sense of casual movement.
Her acting skills are still immature, but the youthfulness and frankness she shows are really fascinating. The audience seems to see a simple girl who has no quarrel with the world, and her heart is moved by a love story of her youth.
Zhou Dongyu in the film is like an uncarved natural jewel, exuding the brilliance of youth. After her debut, she became the focus of public attention for a while, but at the same time, she was destined to bear more scrutiny and comments.
Facing such attention for the first time, Zhou Dongyu's heart may have mixed feelings. The sudden arrival of fame, fortune and resources made her look forward to it, but the various comments that followed also made her feel uneasy and self-questioning.
This is the growing pains that every newcomer has to face, and Zhou Dongyu is no exception.
In the years since his debut, Zhou Dongyu has tried a variety of different styles of roles, but he has never been able to fully find a position that suits him.
She has starred in the palace fighting drama "Palace Lock Agarwood", but she can't attract attention in such a complex relationship between characters. Later, in the modern drama "Sparrow", her appearance and character setting also showed a distance, and they came one after another.
Next, she challenged the costume role, hoping to change the public's established impression of her through different images, but the response of "Eternal Juechen" was still mediocre.
In the face of doubts from all sides, Zhou Dongyu's heart is also shaking. She began to reflect on whether her performance really had so many shortcomings, and whether her unclear positioning was really the biggest problem.
She tried to find a breakthrough in different styles, but each time she failed.
How many nights have she been alone in front of the mirror in a daze.
Zhou Dongyu was confused for a while, but she didn't give up. At every low moment, she will tell herself that as long as she keeps trying, she will definitely find her own stage.
She believes time will tell.
Recently, Zhou Dongyu's temperament and image seem to have changed significantly, and she has begun to return to her original true colors and temperament, which has also won a lot of recognition.
In various public occasions, she no longer deliberately dresses up mature or sexy, but returns to a simple and slender image. Dressed in white or a simple little black dress, with a touch of makeup, she exudes a rich fragrance after years of precipitation.
When communicating with people, 31-year-old Zhou Dongyu is also more confident and comfortable. She listened warmly to each other with her unique voice, and her eyes were sometimes serious, sometimes a little cunning.
The smile at the corner of her mouth makes people feel her inner maturity, as well as her desire for life.
This change in temperament comes from a change in her heart. At different stages of his life, Zhou Dongyu gradually understood that external packaging does not determine the value of an actor.
What matters is self-confidence from the heart and a passion for the performing arts.
When she no longer dwells on other people's comments, but lives in the moment and tries her best to give full play to her characteristics, the charm exuded by Zhou Dongyu has also undergone a qualitative change. She seems brighter than ever, and she is looking forward to the future.
This change has earned her more praise. As one reviewer put it: "She found her own style, and that's all that matters." Zhou Dongyu finally felt the recognition of the public, which is undoubtedly the best reward for her efforts over the years.
Looking back on Zhou Dongyu's growth process from her debut to the present, we can't help but admire her hard work and perseverance.
Her story teaches us how important it is to be a great actress and find your own identity and style. This requires time to accumulate and mature, and it is more necessary to insist on oneself and not be afraid of failure and doubt.
Zhou Dongyu proved this with his own story. From a young girl who was still in her studies to becoming famous overnight because of a movie; From trying different roles many times but being controversial, to finally returning to the true nature and gaining recognition; Her upbringing was not smooth, but it made her more determined and confident.
Today's Zhou Dongyu exudes the fragrance of years of precipitation, and she has become an acting actress with a cold temperament in the eyes of the public.
I hope that in the future, she can continue to break through herself and explore more possibilities. On the long road of film and television, there will be more brilliant pearls presented from her. Zhou Dongyu's story is far from over, and we look forward to an even brighter future for her.