
Peter Sheng Yilun recently came on the show I Am An Actor 3 我就是演员3 where he acted out a scene as Xu Feng from Ashes of Love opposite Zhang Nan as Jin Mi. Mentors like Zhang Ziyi, Yu Zheng, Hao Lei and Zhang Songwen were unanimous in calling out their performance for being wooden and lacking in emotion.
When asked why he chose the script, Peter Sheng Yilun says he wanted to pick a different one but there weren’t many choices at the end so he chose Ashes of Love because it was closer to his past works. He says that it’s a lot like his career. He is forced into many choices. He wants to act in movies and try different roles but he doesn’t have such choices.
My Popularity After Go Princess Go Was Short-Lived
Sheng Yilun got his big break from the small-budget online series Go Princess Go which turned into an unexpected hit and even earned a Korean remake known as Mr. Queen. Sheng Yilun said, “In my very first drama, I mysteriously got a big push, I became liu liang 流量 (a popular star) in one night and then suddenly one night, your popularity disappeared again.” He said that Go Princess Go became popular because of the director and the fresh concept and not because he acted very well. He also reveals that he has come across scripts that he liked, but his success rate for auditions is 0%. Since before Go Princess Go and even afterwards, he has never succeeded in landing roles through auditions. The dramas that he has starred in do not require an audition because all they needed was a ‘yes’ from the producer.

“I Really Never Cry”, Says Sheng Yilun
Sheng Yilun felt that only people who are bitterly discouraged go on the show I Am An Actor. Now that he feels that he’s done for, he can have the courage to face everything. His words were rebuked by Teacher Li Chengru who said that so many actors are trying to be on the show but cannot, yet Sheng Yilun didn’t exhibit any passion or excitement at having the chance to stand on stage. While trying to explain himself, Sheng Yilun started tearing up. Li Chengru said that it would’ve been good if Sheng Yilun poured that emotion into acting which then earned a strong reaction from Sheng Yilun who raised his voice, “I really never cry, I don’t cry when acting. I don’t like to stand out at shows, I never cry!” He was finally able to explain what he really meant after calming down and received words of encouragement from the judges.
Later on, Sheng Yilun took to social media with an apology. He wrote, “Sorry, my performance on the show has disappointed everyone. It’s true that I did not act well and don’t express myself well. Since I was young, I have never been good with words and I don’t know how to communicate well. I’m unsociable, I have low self-esteem and my emotional intelligence is not high. When I said that I never cry, I just wanted to express that whether in life or in variety shows, I am not a person who tries to gain sympathy through tears. I really didn’t want to cry at the time, but the mood and the background music on the scene has made me unable to control my emotions. I am afraid of being misunderstood, afraid that I haven’t expressed myself clearly. Hence, my low EQ still ended up being exposed to everyone. In the past, I didn’t have the courage to participate in the show #IAmAnActor# and didn’t have the courage to face all the evaluations. Thanks to Zhejiang Satellite TV #IAmAnActor# production team for giving me the chance to learn and grow. I am very contented and very satisfied with everything that I have now, I am not pitiable either, I feel like I’m still a silent passerby in the entertainment industry. Thank you for the previous performance. thank you to the teachers for giving me a liberating acting class and filling me with energy. I am also very grateful to Teacher @LiChengru for his guidance, which has strengthened my resolve towards acting. Whether or not I am talented, I will try it earnestly and persistently, even if I only succeed once in my 10,000 attempts, I hope everyone will continue to spur me and give me more strength.”
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Anonymous
Poor dude. I’d wondered why his career never took off after his beautiful performance in The General and I, but then I watched his other work and it was bland and forgettable. Perhaps like some others, he tends to freeze under pressure and suck during auditions, the way I suck during interviews, lol. Looks like he’s in need of coaching, mentoring and connections and I sincerely hope he gets what he needs. Many an actor has faced a rut for years playing mediocre roles, only to hit one perfect fit and have their careers change overnight, although it seems less possible in C-ents youth obsessed culture. It’s human to worry about the direction of one’s career after it’s faced a rut for a long period of time. Wishing him good luck in 2021.
HL
I actually do enjoy watching some of his works….I am aware he is not a great actor but I feel his acting did touch to me…Unfortunately, after Oh My Genaral, the recent God of Lost Fantasy did nothing for me.
Trinity
I’m sorry but Zhang Nan was pretty terrible. I actually thought Sheng Yilun did a better job than her. He wasn’t very good, but he was better than her in my opinion.
I’ve only seen Sheng Yilun in Oh My General and he wasn’t amazing but I thought he did a decent enough job. He seemed to fit the character well and it worked for the drama.
HL
I agree Zhang Nan was so bad. I kept trying to replace her with Yang Mi’s in mind mind. She was so wooden….I dont know why Yu Zheng liked her so much.
HL
Typo: I kept having to replace her with originial Jing Mi in my mind.
WD
Pls try not to drag YM into every unfavorable discussion. It’s one thing to say she’s got this +ves and this -ves but to try to completely discredit her is bordering on hate bcoz she’s above average though not the best.
maritza
por favor su actuación fue buenísima en el general y yo, no se porque no le dan buenos papeles que encaje con el veo todos los dramas de el y me encanta , en particular me encantaría que le den un papel muy bien como el go princesa go fue genial , espero que este año lo tomen en cuenta para protagonista con un mejor drama.
Susan Moore
l feel pain at you being so discouraged…l love to watch your films ..Oh my General was my first Asian movie and l will always be your best fan