Did you know that there’s a term called Wang Fu (旺夫) which means to bring fortune to your husband. While not to be taken literally, there are actresses who have earned the title due to their uncanny ability to boost their co-stars popularity.
Take last year’s Ashes of Love for instance where Yang Zi starred together with Deng Lun. It was a smashing success, garnering a huge number of views with Deng Lun being catapulted into mainstream fame. Another example is the recently concluded Go Go Squid! This time Yang Zi paired up with Li Xian to make audiences laugh, cry and fall in love. The romantic comedy is one of this year’s most watched dramas and Li Xian’s popularity rose to new heights.
On being identified as someone who can bring fortune to her ‘husband’, Yang Zi says that she isn’t particularly happy about it. The success of a drama is a group effort where everyone works hard. She feels that saying she launched an actor to fame is unfair as it’s like saying that the actor’s efforts don’t matter, and it’s one credit she’d rather not take.
Yang Mi has a similar track record that dates as far back as 2011. Feng Shaofeng used to be in a lot of dramas before but didn’t get his big break until he starred with Yang Mi in Palace. Swords of Legends put Li Yifeng’s name on the map and the rest was history. Probably the most popular example in recent years is Three Lives Three Worlds Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. It was a bona fide hit. The onscreen pairing of Bai Qian and Yehua sizzled and Mark Chao’s fame reached new heights along with Yang Mi. Legend of Fuyao was similar in bringing renewed attention to Ethan Ruan.
Zhao Liying is generally known for being a ratings magnet. Wallace Huo may have gotten more attention after Chinese Paladin 3, but it wasn’t until he was casted alongside Zhao Liying in Journey of Flower that he reached the top of his career. One can say the same for Lin Gengxin and Shawn Dou after Princess Agents. Jin Han was initially hated for playing the manipulative villain in the drama but his acting skills got him noticed when he played Zhao Liying’s leading man in Our Glamorous Time.
With hits like The Prince Who Turns Into Frog and Fated To Love You, Joe Chen is the very definition of an actress with Wang Fu qualities. Her dramas in the past were so popular that they’re getting remakes to this day and she’s had a string of successful tandems with leading men that include Ming Dao, Ethan Ruan and many more. Of course, Wang Fu in and of itself is just a term of endearment and not meant to disregard the actor’s merits in anyway, but these ladies definitely deserve recognition for their extraordinary charm.
Anonymous
YANG ZI
* Deng Lun: False, he was already famous. His acting was great too, not as if he wasn't acting and just got famous because of her.
* Li Xian: False, his acting was great too. He is quite new, but it wasn't as if his acting sucks either.
YANG MI
Fengshao feng: False, his acting was great in Palace. Besides, he was loved even when he played many small roles. He also got a few main leading roles. Without Palace, he is still likely going to succeed without Yang Mi.
Li Yifeng: False, his acting might not be great or super but the drama was a watchable one overall. People like it for the storyline so it is a famous drama. Not because Yang Mi is in the drama. So Li Yifeng did not ride on Yang Mi fame, they were rumored to date but there was never proof.
Ethan Ruan: Maybe, he is really famous on his own already. His comeback makes people want to watch him again. But many people also don't like him because of his scandalous rumors. You can kind of say he got famous in Fu Yao because it is a Yang Mi's drama.
Jin Han: Yes, it's just obvious. He isn't lucky though, people hate him to death unlike the other actors.
JOE CHEN
Ming Dao: No, Ming Dao's acting was super. Besides, both Joe and Ming Dao are new in Prince Turn Into A Frog so why would it be Joe who made Ming Dao lucky? Both were really great themselves!
Ethan Ruan: No, Ethan was really handsome and good at acting, his scandal was not known at that time yet too. So he was really well liked because of himself, not because of the actress.
ZHAO LIYING
Wallace Huo: HELL NO! The other way around. He brought in luck to Zhao Liying. You cannot count how many hits he had before JOF. The reason why JOF became a big hit is suspicious. Novoland in the Sky had similar cinematography but much better, and it wasn't even popular. So JOF isn't popular for it's cinematography. Then, what else can it be? Its storyline? It was so repetitive and childish. Is it because of Wallace? His character was boring, this is not his best project! So it's got to be the main girl who is so wimpy? After all, she does look pretty enough that's all people want to watch, a pretty girl with a handsome guy. The shipping between Zhao and Huo was the huge thing that made it work.
Kenny Lin and Shawn Dou: Yes and no. Shawn's acting was great and his smile was beautiful, but after Princess Agents he is no longer famous so it is arguable. Kenny Lin's acting was boring although he is the better guy than Yan Xun. Let's pretend all the acting in here are really good, but look at the storyline. It's the most terrible mess ever, but it is the most popular drama ever too. More popular than Three Lives Three Worlds. You can say it's because it's a Zhao Liying's drama. The stoic shippings between Zhao and Lin was what made it work again.
Anonymous
aw, it's fun to see how and when actors cross paths in the small c-ent circle! 🙂
AsIaN_HoLiC
oh, well – thank you for let us know your opinion!! you are not wrong about all the pairings, on the other hand some boys didn't know fame before – they got a good story line, a good role and even better – a good partner – no need to be upset – that's how they became popular – they did act before – buy nothing phenomenal, just common roles. Wallace Huo – shouldn't be mentioned here.
AsIaN_HoLiC
* but nothing phenomenal 🙂
Anonymous
Calm down bro. It's about an actor being launched into mainstream popularity and nabbing lead roles after starring alongside an actress in a hyped drama. It happens. It's about /that drama/ that launches an actor from supporting characters to first male lead.
It has NOTHING to do with their acting ability or even necessarily the quality of the drama, or if you think they would have been famous anyway.
Anonymous
I don't think any actor wants to be known for using a hyped actress to become phenomenal.
As an artist, none of these matters:
– Acting, skills
– Hard work
– How much you studied
– Quality(I wonder how directors enjoy hearing that). All there's got to be is…that hyped woman. Any effort spending on the story will end up in vain.Jeez Yumama is so horrible but at least he still knows how to spend time on his scriptings.
While this makes the men look bad, I don't think any actress wish to be that hyped woman either. There is nothing glorify about it at all.
But I still can’t help but point out so many wrong information misrepresented here.
Such as Deng Lun should not be under Yang Zi but Zhao Liying.
Li Yifeng should not be under Yang Mi but Zhao Liying.
And Wallace should not be under Zhao Liying but Joe Chen (100% Senorita).
This is a huge Zhao Liying fan blog, but this writer sounds like an insane fan who once again forgot how/where their idol got famous. It’s totally trying to drag people down with her for no reason, such as Ming Dao who got famous at the same time with Joe is getting listed here just because they needed a list with more people so it didn’t even have to make sense.
This article is so inaccurate and very degrading of people’s work quality. Disrespectful to authors and directors too.
Anonymous
Someone got upset. But well, so many great actors, but how many of them got crazily popular after a drama??? This article is about 'luck' and this 4 ladies are bringing luck to their partners. Of course, those actors worked really hard but not many are really lucky to get a million followers in weibo just bcuz of one drama. If we only count talent and face, i bet there are millions popular actor nowadays. But unfortunately, we've only got some names. Why? The x factor. Duh, dont take this article seriously…
Ps : no Tiffany Yang???
Anonymous
Why do people always want to drag Yang Mi and Joe Chen as actresses who hyped up others? They are very popular and made people want to watch their dramas, but that's also because their projects usually have substance and good storyline most of the time (or at least few years ago). It's not as if they are always dumb but people still keep hyping it for the actresses sake only.
I got to agree with Yang Zi on this, it isn't fair to just steal all the credits and stupidly think it's an honorable thing. She is smart and understands it doesn't mean you are "lucky" but it means you have many delusional fans who will be stupid to rate your stuff good even if the quality of your work sucks. She is a serious worker, I don't think she wants delusional fans but just be a serious actress.
Only stupid actresses think they are so great to be able to bring luck to their co actors without them even acting at all. Now that does remind me of Kenny Lin who admitted he work with ZLY for the hype and did not even have to act at all, their chemistry was 0 but people ship them crazy. That's the (maybe one-time) best example for hyped up actress and actor riding off women's wave but no need to drag a bunch of people along too because they're nothing like those 2.
kiwilove
White Deer Plains > Because of Meeting You > Ode to Joy 2 > Princess Agent > Sweet Dreams > then Boom Ashes of Love
Deng Luns' been making hit after hit dramas within a year so he's bound to keep on rising. There was no luck but hard efforts!!
Anonymous
Kudos to these ladies for being so successful!
shai
I think Park Min Young fits this category.
Its not that these actresses are the ones that made the lead actors famous, but because they have great foresight to choose the right projects and can have great chemistry with the opposite lead. In a way, you want to watch shows they are gonna be in because you know that its gonna be a good one.
neen
Yang Zi makes the most important point and realistic. She knows the credit isn't hers but everyone involved with a production. Props to her for not accepting this title. A good drama comes from good story-lines and creativity by the whole team.
Anonymous
The entertainment industry is very competitive. There are many talented and good-looking actors and actresses everywhere, but not everyone can get mainstream popularity. To get popular, pure talent is not enough.Luck definitely plays a part in this industry, but it doesn't mean that that's the only reason why a person gets popular. An actor needs both talent and a bit of luck to get recognized in this saturated industry.