Joe Cheng bluntly said that it will be hard to become pure and innocent anymore; vowed to become a fully versatile artist

With [The Rose] and [It Started With A Kiss] and other hot airing series, Zheng Yuan Chang is able to become the “ Taiwan ’s Idol Series Main Actor”. There are quite a lot of viewers who are no happy that he didn’t receive any nomination in Taiwan ’s Golden Bell Award. Nowadays when he has to face the reporters, he can be very smooth, talkative and relax. Back in the days, he was very shy and nervous when he has to face the reporters and it has really matched with one of Zheng Yuan Chang’s sentences: [I am now a professional actor.]

The very first series in his life:
Can only go according to my own feelings
[The Rose] is the series that made Zheng Yuan Chang famous and also his very first tv series. His complex personality and cute lovable “Han Kiu” has left a very deep impression to every viewers. As for Zheng Yuan Chang himself, even though the series was quite a long time ago but he still able to remember it well but he said: [If I reprise the role as Kui again, I could still used my acting skills to act out in a similar way but I won’t be able to go back to that innocent feelings anymore.]

Reporter: When filming [The Rose], that time you haven’t been in acting before and Han Kui’s character has such a complex personality, so how do you grasp this character?　
Joe: When I was filming this series, I was only 19 years old; I can only rely on my own feelings to act. The success of this series, 90% was because of the hard work from the director. For a new artist, I can only offer myself to the director, cast and scripts. There’s a scene where we have to take quite sometime to film and that time I have only filmed one scene only. I was very nervous then and don’t have much confidence, keep thinking why the director still hasn’t film my scenes yet, is it because he doesn’t want me anymore. I immediately called up Lu Ming Jun in Taipei . She told me no need to worry about it, and I am very hard working. Once I heard “Hardworking”, I immediately have tears rolling down (my face).

Reporter: During filming, all lot of people will find it hard to retrieve themselves from the character, is it the same with you?
Joe: Yes it is, especially the first series. I used about 3 to 4 months to retrieve myself from Kui. Then after finished filming the series, everyday when I woke up, I will feel that I am missing something. That time I have to film the series while attending other events, the emotions are totally different, so everyday I have to go back and forth between “Kui” and “Zheng Yuan Chang”. And back then I still haven’t been able to capture the correct way to handle it yet so there’s a bit mixed up.

The 12th series in his life
I feel like a professional actor
As time goes by, [The Rose] has becomes one of the point in Zheng Yuan Chang’s acting career. Within this short 5 years, Zheng Yuan Chang has acted in 11 series, among them will be [It Started With A Kiss] series and it has allow him to become one of the main leading male actor in the Mandarin District; even have a lot of fans from Japan and South Korea. [Love or Bread] will be his 12th series, during the filming of this series; it’s obvious that he no longer has the previous anxiety and nervousness. Now he looks more like what a professional actor will have, calm and steady.

Reporter: While filming [The Rose], you act according to your feelings. Nowadays in order for you to understand the complexity of the characteristic, you are more relying on skills?
Joe: Basically I will rely on skills a bit more. Nowadays when I received the scripts, I will read through the scripts very seriously. Then I go according to the scripts and thinks about how I will act them our later. Last time I used to have a notebook for it but now once I do some basic reading for about 3 to 4 times, my mind will already have some basics ways on how to play out the role.

Reporter: In [Love or Bread], your character Frank is not a very likable person, aren’t you afraid of ruining your image?
Joe: Even though Frank is a person who is full of weaknesses but he has a kind heart deep within himself so during the filming I have add in quite a lot of my understanding into this character. [Bad guy will bound to have something to be pity about], so I hope that through my way for acting, I will be able to bring out that pitifulness of the character.

Reporter: How do you bring out that pitifulness?
Joe: For example like showing loneliness, isolation through our eyes. Because Frank is actually a person who really hoping to have a complete family, he is a bit like me. I grow up in a single parent family, I am someone who really loves to cling on to my mother so I always been hoping to have some family love since I was small; especially when I was small, I would often covered myself under the quilt and cry all by myself. When I portrait the role as Frank, I will bring in some of my own past experience and emotions into it; so that the pitifulness of the character will be much more appealing to the viewers.

Reporter: Which scene is the most challenging?
Joe: I have been collaborating with Lin Yi Chen for several times and we are very used to each other already. There are several scenes where we have already decided and planned out on how to act them, but in the end the director has decided to change everything, he totally doesn’t want how we have acted out for that scene; that time it was very refreshing because it has evoke our thirst to take on the challenge. I still remember that scene where me and Lin Yi Chen were bickering after we were being kidnap. Originally we have planned out a very sweet bickering way but the director wants us to keep our emotions to the lowest point, crying and laughing at the same time, like as if there’s no tomorrow. Normally I seldom cry in front of a camera but that time I really cried. After finished filming that scene, I told the director, after this scene, I feel that I am like a professional actor, it was really enjoyable.

The Nth series in his life
To become a fully versatile artist
To the 26 years old Zheng Yuan Chang, there are still many possibilities out there waiting for him. Even though Zheng Yuan Chang kept saying let fate takes it own course and won’t purposely changed his image for the sake of it but he has a very clear target: To become Asia’s most influential and fully versatile artist. 　　

Reporter: Right until now, you are only filming tv series, ever thought about acting in movies?
Joe: Still under planning process. I really want to take part in movies but I am not eager to become a movie star. I won’t rush myself to take on movie roles just because I want to become a movie star. Have to wait for the suitable opportunity. I really love movies and I also love to watch movies too.

Reporter: Currently your acting roles are quite limited, ever think of changing your image?
Joe: I won’t change my own image just to film a movie or tv series. About what type of image I will change into, I can’t be sure yet. But I think I will work very hard heading towards the professional actor path.

Reporter: Nowadays a lot of artists are developing their career in China . Do you have any plans to develop your career in China ?
Joe: Previously I have already filmed two tv series in China . Other than tv series, I also want to try on movies, stage play and so on. Other than performances, I really like to go beyond my current boundary like takes on music, hosting something like that. I want to become a fully versatile artist so I am willing to test out where are my utter limits.