If there was any suspense about who made the ranking, it’s none other than the controversial screenwriter-producer Yu Zheng. Recently, he responded to netizens about who he believes are the most popular actresses in Chinese entertainment today. According to him, the top traffic star (顶流) is none other than Dilireba. He also mentioned that the four “big” dan actresses popular now are Andy Yang Zi, Bai Lu, Rosy Zhao Lusi, and Esther Yu Shuxin, while the four “small” dan actresses who are rising quickly include Zhou Ye, Tian Xiwei, Zhang Jingyi, and Wang Churan. As all of these actresses were born in the 1990s, Yu Zheng said it’s still too early to make such judgments for actresses born after 2000.
His ranking has sparked heated discussions among netizens, with many disagreeing. Some have wondered how he could omit post-’85 actresses like Zhao Liying, Yang Mi, and Liu Yifei, who are still top stars in China. There are also post-70s actresses as well. But just going by the list, even their fans have engaged in debates.
A Controversial Comparison
It seems, in Yu Zheng’s eyes, Dilireba stands alone as the top traffic star. Many believe Yang Zi got the short end of the stick. After all, the two post-’90 stars are often compared. Both were born in 1992 and would be 32 this year. While Yu Zheng acknowledged Yang Zi’s reigning popularity, he placed her on the same level as younger post-’95 stars Bai Lu, Zhao Lusi, and Esther Yu. This upset many of Yang Zi’s fans, who feel that her numerous hit dramas should place her higher. While they recognize Dilireba’s influence as a fashion icon, they believe Yang Zi’s acting credentials should not be overlooked.
Meanwhile, there are those who say having top “traffic” doesn’t sound much better than being a dan. Dan is a term for the female lead in Chinese opera that’s more widely used in mainstream media. Who’s to say which is better?
This raises the question: did Yang Zi do something to upset Yu Zheng? Fans have speculated that her ranking may be due to behind-the-scenes drama, as there were rumors that she was the A-list actress Yu Zheng was speaking about who took on a drama with a weak script, but award-winning potential instead of going for his drama. Some netizens also felt that Yu Zheng made the rankings to favor Bai Lu, an artist under his own agency.
Others simply disagree with the idea of ranking these actresses at all, as well as Yu Zheng’s credibility in making such a list. However, controversial as it may be, it’s hard to deny that the actresses he mentioned are indeed among the popular stars in Chinese entertainment.
Photos: Weibo
Aang
This is so stupid and besides who in the world will believe a hated plagiarizer. yu zheng has been targeting yang so for a while now so it’s obvious. this man really needs help
Anon
How about they ranked by acting chops instead?
All the actresses named above would not make it into an A-lister.
TackyTackyZi
Yang Zi debuted about 20 years or even more yet she’s still doing the same idol dramas with the same white lotus role. Her regressing acting skill and look are also not helping her to transition into a Big Flower. Few years from now, ZLS or Zhao Jingmai or other youngrer flowers will have a better career path than her
Leah
if we rank by acting chops then yang zi will definitely be on top. I mean she is part of the 4 Dan for 90’s actresses for a reason.