In January 2024, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, a high-profile cultural event kicked off. In the center of the stage, the classical and luxurious set reflects the figures of the two protagonists: one is Liu Ye, a smash hit drama master, and the other is Zhang Keying, a young actor who has only gradually emerged in recent years.
When the dim light slowly fell, Zhang Keying walked onto the stage with a dream and a hundred times more spirit, and began to interpret the fascinating storyline of the classic play "Les Miserables" to the audience.
She is sometimes full of affection, sometimes touching, delicately portraying the image of the heroine who can sing and cry, and telling all the emotional details in the play, as if the audience is completely pulled into that cruel but full of human power.
As the plot progressed, Zhang Keying sometimes burst into tears, sometimes in good spirits, and the ever-changing emotional embodiment made the audience all applauded. Towards the end of the performance, she knelt on one knee in the center of the stage, clasping the empty void around her with both hands, trying her best to suppress the sadness in her heart, and finally cried out loud, tears rolling down her shoulders. Such a tragic and moving performance immediately caused an uproar in the audience, and the thunderous applause echoed for a long time.
At that moment, the young actor who was questioned in the past and was labeled as a "background protégé" finally bloomed her dazzling artistic flower with her excellent acting skills and superb stage control.
In the audience, Zhang Keying's mother Zhang Kaili was even more tearful, and she was extremely proud in her heart.
Zhang Keying's artistic path is tireless
Throughout Zhang Keying's upbringing, her persistent pursuit of art is like a faint fragrance, which has spread since her childhood and accompanied her all the way.
When she was 6 years old, Zhang Keying was led into the CCTV Galaxy Youth Art Troupe by her mother Zhang Kaili and started the journey of vocal training. Despite her young age, she quickly showed her talent.
When the crisp and melodious voice is accompanied by the sound of the piano, it shines like a ray of sunshine in the morning, which is unforgettable. Soon, she stood out in the youth choir and became an enviable lead singer.
In a blink of an eye, Zhang Keying has grown up. At the age of 16, her life trajectory has experienced a drastic turn. Li Xin, the director of a musical "The Wizard of Oz", took a fancy to this lively, cute and talented girl, and resolutely grabbed her as the heroine Dorothy.
Although this was Zhang Keying's first attempt at acting, it did not disappoint the audience. She carried out the theme of "only good courage can defeat evil" in that dream world, and won unanimous praise for her innocent and childish but wise interpretation, and won the highest gold medal at the Edinburgh International Festival for this play.
This is undoubtedly a deep inspiration for Zhang Keying's infinite longing for the acting career. In the hearts of young girls, the seeds of dreams began to sprout, take root, and flourish rapidly.
When she was in high school, Zhang Keying devoted herself to art and immersed all her energy on and off the stage. But she didn't waste the study of cultural classes. In the examination room, she shocked everyone present with an excellent score of 577, and deservedly won the reputation of "Xueba", causing a shock in the entertainment industry.
What is unbelievable is that Zhang Keying, who is known as the "school bully girl", chose to drop out of school and retake the college entrance examination after studying in Hong Kong for one year, and achieved great results in the second year, and was admitted to the Central Academy of Drama as she wished, officially embarking on the artistic road she diligently pursued.
When it comes to early setbacks, doubts and tears break
However, after Zhang Keying stepped into the showbiz with excitement, the road to her dream was not smooth. In 2018, she starred in the TV series "Old Tavern" and cooperated with veteran actor Chen Baoguo.
The crew is extremely attentive to this newcomer who has high hopes, from character creation to scene movement, everything is presented without care. But who would have thought that when the series met the audience for the first time after the series was completed, Zhang Keying's performance was a big disappointment.
The warm and lovely "little padded jacket" role she played in the play feels like an inorganic humanoid puppet, stiff and pretentious, without aura. The lines are jerky and jerky, the demeanor is stiff and single, and the whole person seems to be tightly wrapped in the ice and snow of the cold winter, unable to convey the inner emotional waves.
Zhang Keying, who was once praised as a "potential star", exposed all the flaws and deficiencies in his first film and television work.
Doubts and criticisms spread on the Internet in an instant. "The newcomer's acting skills are blunt and pretentious, and she is not involved in the role at all", "The appearance is mediocre, the appearance is mediocre and unremarkable", "How can you choose an inexperienced newcomer like her?" The harsh criticism spread rapidly on major forums, post bars, and social platforms.
Just when everyone pointed the finger at this "newcomer Xiaohua", someone dug out Zhang Keying's eye-catching family background - she was actually the biological daughter of the once smash hit film and television star Zhang Kaili! After learning about this, netizens' doubts immediately led to another level: "It turns out that she is a 'resource coffee', and she got these opportunities purely by virtue of her family background."
The sensational effect was completely launched, and Zhang Keying, who had high hopes, quickly became a laughing stock in the entertainment industry, and was nicknamed "a newcomer who cheated money". There is almost nowhere to hide from the fiery denunciation, and some people even edited the bad performance of her when she starred in "Happiness to Ten Thousand Homes" and exposed it on the Internet, which made Zhang Keying's situation even worse.
In the face of such fierce criticism and questioning, Zhang Keying, who was once confident and flamboyant, burst into tears at that time, and once fell into confusion and confusion. She began to wonder if she really had what it took to become an actress, and if she was just favored by luck.
Mother Zhang Kaili is supportive and struggling
Just when Zhang Keying was faltering and almost giving up her dream, her mother Zhang Kaili's care and support warmed her inner world like a spring thunder. , a famous movie star who was a smash hit back then, has great expectations for his daughter's future.
On the one hand, Zhang Kaili went all out to clear many obstacles for her daughter on the road of acting. From fighting for all kinds of valuable resources to telling the story of her years of experience, she has done everything she can to pave the way for her daughter's future.
Zhang Keying has been bathed in the influence and guidance of her mother since she was a child, and has a skillful understanding and comprehension of performing arts.
On the other hand, Zhang Kaili couldn't sleep at night about the public opinion doubts suffered by her daughter, and her heart was full of struggles. As a successful film and television star, she also tasted the hardships of Vanity Fair at her peak.
Now watching her daughter repeat her mistakes and be questioned by the outside world for "cheating money" and "relying on background", she secretly feels very heartbroken. Her mother's love makes her hope that her daughter can win success with her true strength, rather than relying on her former halo.
With the solid backing of Zhang Kaili, Zhang Keying was able to regain her spirit on the road of art, gritting her teeth and insisting on not giving up. Her mother's care and warmth nourished her persistence in her dreams like a warm current, and also made her realize that only by relying on her own hands to work hard can she gain the recognition of others.
At the same time, Zhang Kaili has also been secretly observing her daughter's progress. Watching Zhang Keying wander and helpless from the beginning, gradually get out of the haze and regain her fighting spirit, she is not only proud of it, but also faintly regretful.
After all, as a mother, she hopes that her daughter can go all the way smoothly instead of suffering so much. But she knows that the road to art is not achieved overnight, and it takes a lot of trials and tests to create a real master.
The mother and daughter supported each other in this way, moving forward step by step on this bumpy road.
Zhang Keying's tenacity and hard work were finally praised
It is with her dedication and tenacity to her ideals that Zhang Keying has been able to make great progress on the road of acting, and finally won the admiration of everyone in 2024 with her excellent interpretation of the classic drama "Les Miserables".
Looking back, Zhang Keying's bad performance in the hit drama "Happiness to Ten Thousand Homes" in 2022 made her suffer from a storm of doubts and abuse at that time.
The overwhelming condemnation on the Internet surged like a torrential rain, and Zhang Keying once cried bitterly and was saddened, and once fell into a haze of no confidence.
But it was this setback that poured down like a heavy cold water on her head, completely awakening her desire for an acting career. Zhang Keying told herself that giving up now was the biggest mistake.
So, she began to work hard, working day and night to study her acting skills.
Day after day, year after year, Zhang Keying gradually found a trick to controlling her emotions and controlling her role. She began to experience the inner world of the characters in the play, and devoted herself to shaping every subtle movement and eyes, striving to make her interpretation more tense and infectious.
Until 2024, this young actor, who was questioned for his "blunt acting skills", finally shines his inner light on the high-profile stage of "Les Miserables".
The audience saw a new Zhang Keying: she portrayed the characters in detail, and her eyes and movements were all permeated with sincere emotional strength; Sometimes she burst into tears, sometimes she looked vibrant, and her changing mood swings won bursts of applause from the audience.
Especially in the last scene, when Zhang Keying wandered alone in the center of the stage as the heroine, and finally knelt on one knee with pain, holding the empty void tightly with both hands, the audience applauded her perfect performance, and could not calm down her excitement for a long time.
Obviously, after several years of unremitting efforts, Zhang Keying finally glowed with her inner light and gave the public a new understanding with her outstanding performance strength. With her outstanding acting talent, she proved to the world that her success does not come from the halo blessing of the "second generation of stars", but with her unswerving pursuit of her dreams and diligent and diligent research attitude.
This time, Zhang Keying used her real acting skills and outstanding stage performance to successfully resolve the doubts and criticisms of the past, and won unanimous praise from industry insiders and audiences.
She re-acquainted everyone with her strength as an "upstart", and finally gained her due status with her personal efforts.
Successfully ranked among the elites of the art world
In fact, everyone is qualified to pursue their own ideals, and only those who have dreams and have the courage to work hard and persevere, can finally succeed at the top.
Zhang Keying uses her own life experience to interpret this truth, she does not rely on the aura of the "second generation of stars" to achieve success, the key is her own unswerving pursuit of dreams, and the diligent efforts to pay for it.
After years of grinding and struggling, Zhang Keying finally shined on the stage of global attention, and won unanimous praise from the industry and the audience for her superb acting skills.
This is her success story, and she proves with practical actions that status is not the whole story of success, the key lies in personal courage, perseverance and hard work.
I believe that in the future, Zhang Keying will definitely become a rare leader among the new generation of stars in the Chinese entertainment industry.
With her outstanding acting talent and solid basic skills, she will continue to forge ahead on the road of her career and make her own unique contributions to the passing on of the torch of the Chinese nation.