Chapter 9: An Actor Who Thinks While Acting Is a Good Actor

Although the previous scene had left him somewhat frustrated, overall, Yan Li was still quite happy.

Because in that scene, he did not strictly follow the script.

Witnessing Xie Junhao's portrayal of Yang Guang had deeply moved Yan Li.

In the original script of "Heroes of Sui and Tang," Yang Guang was just as one-dimensional as Yuwen Chengdu—a decadent, tyrannical ruler.

Evil for no reason, evil for evil's sake, merely serving to highlight the protagonists' nobility and function as plot devices.

But Xie Junhao, without altering the plot, uncovered deeper layers of Yang Guang's character, making him vivid and rich, even reducing his villainous aura and endowing him with unique charm.

Yan Li had wanted to emulate him at the time, but found it extremely difficult.

On one hand, his own character design and plot constraints limited him; on the other, Yang Guang was the main antagonist with substantial screen time, offering room for development.

But Yuwen Chengdu had little personal screen time and mostly existed as a supporting villain—no matter how skilled, you can't cook without rice.

More crucially, he was a Golden Horse Award-winning actor with the clout to argue with the director.

Yan Li was just a minor supporting actor, a newcomer, ranked at the bottom among the cast—changing even a single line could invite a furious scolding.

So for these past days, even though Yan Li had some ideas, he dared not speak up and simply filmed obediently.

Until today, when filming scenes centered on Yuwen Chengdu and Yuwen Huaji, after convincing Yang Shulin—who played Yuwen Huaji—and having a rough sense of the director's temperament, Yan Li finally dared to cautiously broach the subject with the director.

Yan Li did not alter the plot or character design!

This was crucial—just like Xie Junhao's portrayal, it built upon the original script, enhancing the character through performance.

Fundamentally, the Yang Guang he portrayed was still the decadent tyrant, only less one-dimensional, more logical, layered, and endowed with distinctive charm.

If he had turned Yang Guang into some sympathetic "good guy" with justifications, overturning the script, the director certainly wouldn't have tolerated it.

Even Xie Junhao had to proceed this carefully—how much less could Yan Li afford to stray?

Yuwen Chengdu remained the same despicable villain as in the script; only minor adjustments were made to certain lines and details—a subtle refinement.

The previous scene was exactly like this: Yan Li made almost no changes, merely polishing the lines slightly and increasing performance interaction with Yuwen Huaji.

The changes were small, but made the dialogue and pacing smoother, and Yuwen Chengdu's sudden cowardice more comical.

An actor who thinks while acting is a good actor!

This was what Yan Li's teacher at Beijing Film Academy taught him—it deeply influenced him, and he was famously known in his class as a student who loved to ponder his roles.

But while such behavior was encouraged by school teachers, in the real world, no one would indulge you.

Yan Li's most vivid memory was during his sophomore year, when he and his roommate Zhang Songwen auditioned together and barely landed a speaking extra role.

Their scene was just two tavern patrons chatting and gossiping, but after rehearsing, they felt the script's lines and the director's requirements were off—their costumes clearly marked them as young masters, yet their dialogue sounded like street vendors, utterly inconsistent with their status.

So they revised the lines and performed them as young aristocrats when filming began.

The assistant director flew into a rage, berated them severely, and had it not been for Zhang Songwen holding him back, Yan Li might have fought him then and there.

But from then on, Yan Li understood one truth: if you lack status and reputation, you have no voice on set.

For this project, "Heroes of Sui and Tang," Yan Li adopted a very low profile; his original plan was to stay silent, do exactly as told, take his pay, and leave.

Which actor hasn't shot bad scripts and bad roles? He was a newcomer—just being cast was a blessing; what right did he have to complain?

But then he ran into Xie Junhao.

Watching the one-dimensional villain Yang Guang come alive under his performance, Yan Li looked at his own Yuwen Chengdu and found him increasingly unbearable.

Moreover, Director Hu Mingkai's relaxed attitude toward actors made Yan Li eager to try.

From script to finished film, creation isn't just the job of screenwriters and directors—actors are also part of the creative process.

The script only provides dry lines and descriptions; the actual impact depends entirely on the actor's interpretation.

The same scene and character, performed by different actors, yield entirely different feelings—that's why distinctions exist between ordinary actors, good actors, and even film emperors.

And the director's role in this is equally crucial.

Every director has a different style: some demand actors stick rigidly to the script, not changing a single word; some provide a framework and direction, then collaboratively refine with the actors; others give complete freedom, letting actors improvise wildly before judging whether it works.

Director Hu Mingkai of "Heroes of Sui and Tang" leans toward the third type, relatively tolerant of actors' moderate improvisation.

Today's probe proved this: as long as the final product is solid and doesn't disrupt the overall direction, Hu Mingkai doesn't mind actors' minor ideas.

This gave Yan Li room to apply his ideas for Yuwen Chengdu.

Yan Li fully understood that Yuwen Chengdu's character couldn't be redeemed.

He couldn't alter the plot or character design, had minimal screen time, and carried the super-sized liability of being the "first in line" for the female lead's hatred—he had no power to cleanse this character.

So Yan Li's expectations weren't high.

Just add a few flashes of brilliance, make the character less monstrous, elevate his depth, and ensure he wasn't just a pure one-dimensional villain tool.

For this, Yan Li had been pondering for days and finally came up with a solid idea.

While studying at Beijing Film Academy, Yan Li sat in on a screenwriting class in the Literature Department, where he heard a crude but effective method to instantly enliven flat characters.

That is: give a good person a small, insignificant flaw to make them relatable; give a bad person a single virtue to reveal a glimmer of humanity.

People aren't purely black or white; unrelenting goodness or unrelenting evil feels fake—add a touch of gray, and they instantly become complex and real.

But Yuwen Chengdu was evil to the core.

Bullying the weak, fearing the strong, greedy for fame and profit, arrogant and violent, lustful and shameless, betraying his lord… finding any virtue in him was extremely difficult.

Could he really be portrayed as frugal with food and caring for his subordinates?

Even if that made some sense, Yan Li couldn't possibly develop this—he couldn't ask the director to shoot another scene of him lining up with his men, could he?

So after studying Yuwen Chengdu's script, Yan Li turned his attention to the father-son relationship between Yuwen Huaji and Yuwen Chengdu.

Filial piety is one of the most valued virtues in Chinese culture—perhaps the most valued, since "filial piety comes first among all virtues."

No matter how wicked a villain may be, if he is filial, many people will still hold him in higher regard—at least they'll feel he still has some humanity.

Additionally, the original script left a bit of room to explore the Yuwen father-son dynamic.

For instance, Yuwen Chengdu obeys his father, and Yuwen Huaji trusts and relies heavily on his son—this offered a clear opening for portrayal, without affecting the plot or displeasing the director.

Moreover, during this time, Yan Li had grown close to Yang Shulin, who played Yuwen Huaji, and could count on his support.

Filial piety isn't something one son can perform alone—it requires interaction and exchange with one's parents to spark true connection.

Thinking of this, Yan Li's spirit surged; he bought a plate of fried rice and returned to the hotel.

As he ate, he pondered the script: how to interact with Yuwen Huaji on-screen, how to highlight filial piety under limited conditions, and how to persuade Yang Shulin or the director and so on.

Until midnight, mindful of tomorrow's shoot, Yan Li finally fell asleep with his mind full of thoughts.

The next morning, as dawn broke, Yan Li woke to his alarm, rose, went to the restroom, then opened the system with half his attention—today there were only five pieces of intelligence.

【Daily Intelligence 1: Actor Yang Shulin greatly appreciated Yan Li's performance yesterday, believing this young man has a clear sense of purpose, dares to think and act, and is a promising actor.】

【Daily Intelligence 2: Director Hu Mingkai neither disliked nor particularly admired Yan Li's behavior yesterday; he cared more about whether filming proceeded smoothly (Note: Hu Mingkai values directorial authority—mind your attitude in communication).】

Seeing these two pieces of intelligence, Yan Li's heart settled.

Earlier, he had been uneasy, fearing these two might harbor hidden opinions despite their outward silence; now it seemed the overall situation was fine.

In the future, he should get closer to Teacher Yang; with Director Hu, he must flatter more, mind his tone and boundaries.

【Daily Intelligence 3: The boxed meals for "The Heroes of Sui and Tang" contained pork from the catering vendor's stock that had slightly spoiled, with a certain probability of causing diarrhea (Note: Take Smectite Powder to treat).】

Hmm, maybe I can eat out for lunch—also buy some medicine; I won't need it myself, but I can use it to win favors.

【Daily Intelligence 4: Today's 14:30 World Cup quarterfinal between Brazil and England: Brazil plans to use a 3-4-3 formation, with starting eleven scheduled as Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho……】

Yan Li: "..."

Where did this intelligence come from? Had he glanced at a sports headline on yesterday's newspaper without noticing? Or did someone on set discussing a match trigger the system?

As Yan Li was neither head coach nor a journalist, he saw no value in this intelligence and could not act on it, so he tossed it directly into the 【Trash Bin】.

I'd rather get intelligence on a big betting line favoring one team—I could at least buy a lottery ticket.

【Daily Intelligence 5: Qin Lan, who has no shoot today, declined her companions' invitation to shop, and plans to go to the small grove, hoping to chance upon Yan Li again; if she meets him, it means they are truly fated.】

Yan Li paused, then remembered who Qin Lan was, and fell into thought.

Is this girl imagining things again...?

(End of Chapter)