As much as he has found success for his role in Pursuit of Jade, Zhang Linghe also finds himself mocked as the internet calls his character the “Foundation General.”
“Foundation General” Backlash Explained
The term, about a general with his face covered in foundation, came from viewers criticizing the overly polished appearance of a military man in the drama. Zhang Linghe’s character, Xie Zheng, appears with flawless, pale makeup, spotless and gleaming armor, and perfectly styled hair, even after returning from battle. Netizens joked that he looks like someone who “fights at 6 but wakes up at 4 to do makeup.” The character’s pheasant feathers in his headgear and the horse prop they sometimes used did not help.
Amidst the criticism, 50-year-old singer-actor Peter Ho, a heartthrob back in his day, found himself going viral for his version of a general back when he portrayed the historical figure Xiang Yu in the 2012 TV series King’s War. The actor who was in his mid-thirties then built muscle and gained weight for the role. His character’s gritty and battle-hardened appearance drew praise and gained him new fans. Critics say the issue is not the idea of a “handsome general,” but the disconnect between the character’s appearance and the reality of the battlefield such as a man still with his base makeup intact in a war setting. Some industry insiders like director Wang Qiang criticized this trend, saying, “This is not acting, this is idol making .” Other Chinese media platforms commented that beautifying soldiers weakens the essence of military spirit.
Yan Yikuan Says Actors Have Limited Control Over Styling
Meanwhile, Zhang Linghe’s Pursuit of Jade co-star Yan Yikuan defended the actor when asked about the controversy. He pointed out the limited control actors have when it comes to styling and encouraged Zhang Linghe to humbly turn criticism into motivation. In an interview, the 47-year-old actor said: “Young people, no matter what industry they are in, will face doubts, that’s just life.” When the interviewer noted he had gone through similar experiences, having been in the industry longer and also known for his good looks, Yan Yikuan added: “Being questioned means you are getting attention. What I really want to say to Zhang Linghe is, accept the criticism and work hard to compete with yourself. Whether this ‘foundation’ look comes from the production team or is part of a broader trend in this generation where everyone is going for a more “softer” style to meet market demands, platform requirements, and fan preferences, this criticism falling on you, means you, Zhang Linghe, can go even further.”
Yan Yikuan likened it to someone who must endure hardship and pressure first. In Pursuit of Jade, Yan Yikuan plays Wei Yan, the uncle of Zhang Linghe’s character Xie Zheng. He also noted that Zhang Linghe is still under 30 and to give him time. As long as he works hard, follows professional standards, and makes the most of his opportunities, he can eventually elevate himself into a truly outstanding actor.
Drama Fan
Very encouraging words from Yan Yikuan. I can believe that actors have very little control over styling etc. This backlash must have really affected YLH. It’s a shame the Director has not come out to defend him. He is still young and still trying to grow his career. It is a real shame that he’s had the negative press when he was so handsome in the drama and it was so popular. Stay strong YLH!
Drama Fan
I meant Zhang Ling He.
Dee
This whole rhi k is bloody ridiculous and embarrassing first
He is and actor… they were makeup! Second of Peter ho marched the aesthetic
Of
His time
… why are people acting like this? Was he the one doing his makeup? 99 percent of any general we have
Seen are the same…It’s not his fault he is beautiful and his popularity reached crazy level? Calling makeup general is a proof of how mad his popularity has become.
Also is it not the same people
That criticized love and destiny lead act or for looking old
when his acting was 10/10 and he fitted the role
To perfection! Great drama but it flopped why? Because they hated the pair!
So stop pretending that’s it’s the makeup all actors were makeup
!
du
I like that ZLH is defended by his colleagues and he does have potential beyond his obviously good looks
Still – ‘this is not acting but idol making’ – truer words were never spoken and this falls on the director’s shoulders.
bored
are they still talking about this? the director obviously has an artistic vision. his other dramas are similar. agreed that it’s unreaslistic, but honestly, I feel like he barely had any real battle scenes to begin with. he was pretty much relegated to a support role near the end. the 40 episode limit made the last 10 episodes feel so rushed. I would’ve loved for his character to get an epic war scene and show us what the marquis is really capable of. idol drama has been a thing for a long time now. and there’s been many dramas where they filter so much I can barely distinguish where actors noses begin and end.
Joni
I sympathised with ZLH. He is just getting through this idol phase. Nothing wrong with being an successful idol as long as he continues to hone his skills and work hard. He has the capability and potential to transition to more “serious” dramas as he ages. He has better acting skills than Peter Ho at the same age.
The fanbases want to see this type of beautiful, unrealistic, romance, dramas. And the producers are just capitalising on this. It is just profits that is driving the style of the drama.. Besides, aren’t most of the other dramas of the same genre with idol actors and actresses, styled the same way? Why pick on this one only?
Dee
He is an idol? Really? I know him as an actor
Yue
He is not an idol but there are categories of actors in Chinese media world. Idol actors and Serious actors. Idol actor usually act in dramas that attract more internet traffic and Serious actors work in more serious, tv and general public focused dramas. Currently Bai Lu, Dili Reba, Wang Yibo are some actors who are working on transforming from idol actors to serious. Like for Dilireba, her currently airing Love beyond the grave is an Idol drama, where as Sword Rose, Prosecution Elite are serious dramas. Whereas Zhao Jinmai, Leo Wu they act in both idol and serious dramas and have made name for themselves for being versatile in both areas. But Zhang Song Wen who is in Knockout is known as serious actor.
Anon
Yeah, that’s right. Many of those young, good looking actors & actresses who went into acting because of their extreme popularity but were not trained in acting (ie. they were singers, models, sports athletes etc) find it very hard to transition into serious roles, if they do not take the acting profession seriously and improved themselves. There will come a day when their popularity fades and they age. So they need to acquire a real skill if they want to stay in acting.
Zhao Zinmai & Wu Lei are both professionally trained and both have been acting since they were children and you can see their quality right off the bat. They are no longer typecasted into idol dramas only. Dilireba’s acting in her earlier dramas was really a pain to watch, and she was stuck at that level for a long time but she was hugely popular & commanded a huge acting fee. Only in the more recent dramas, I have seen improvements. Wang Yibo’s acting was really subpar too in the drama that shot him to acting stardom – The Untamed. But by the time he made War of Faith just a few years later, you can see the vast improvement in his acting. That is what I called “dedication”
Hq
But man Peter how comparison photo didn’t help a bit, plus it look more beautiful and artistic yet relatable to the event and scene,,, still it is the director fault
Sock
It’s not the director’s fault. He did the job he was hired for, and excelled at it. It is the the platforms, iQiyi and Tencent fault for watering the drama insanely and / or manipulating the data with ‘glitches’ to the point that Cnetizens (and probably others) were reporting them to the government.
Mei
How is it the director fault?
He is literally portrayed as described in the novel by the author.
He is described as having handsome features, as a piece of fine white jade Fan Changyu found in the snow.