So this whole situation makes me appreciate how professional and positive Dilraba Dilmurat is, I don’t find her a really good actress but she’s got a reputation for being a beloved star in C-ent for a reason. Her currently filming C-drama Love on the Turquoise Land was supposed to star Chen Zhe Yuan and it was a done deal. Then his team went and demanded equal billing and the production of the drama balked. During this time Dilraba reportedly did not object or refuse, she stayed silent, as it doesn’t bother her if there was equal billing, but the production refused because Dilraba is much bigger star and being used to fund raise the budget with investors so doing equal billing would upset the investors and CF brands. Plus the production already signed a contract with her as top billed. I think Chen Zhe Yuan’s team asking is not wrong, if you don’t ask you can’t get more, but once the production emphatically said no and his team kept pushing, that was the misstep. After a month of being insistent it was equal billing or nothing, Dilraba finally stepped in to solve the impasse and changed out the male lead to Chen Xing Xu, which is being taken by Chen Zhe Yuan’s team very badly because this was a great role and drama for his rising status. This is totally a FAFO self-created problem for Chen Zhe Yuan’s team and I hope he surrounds himself with savvier people. But for us viewers, this may be case of unexpected better results with the drama.
I know she got a lot acting critism, but when the first time i’am saw her in Yang Mi drama, i know she got that lead material.
Wow it got me a bit tear to think her journey to became like this. Also i love how she handle thing, soo professional and mature.
I’m with you! I actually first saw her in the Diamond Lover drama with Tang Yan, and I felt like she stole the show for me! She’s not the best actress (nor the worst) and I don’t think she’ll ever reach award winning performances, but she’s definitely got an X factor.
I liked her then as she was so cute in the drama… but I like her in variety shows more and CFS…as a actress now. I will watch dramas that interest me.
She is a top liuliang for a reason. And being liuliang is not just based on acting skills. There is much more.
@HL I like her more outside of drama world too. I actually haven’t been able to finish a drama where she’s the lead besides You Are My Glory. It’s either the genre doesn’t really interest me (I have an aversion to xianxia nowadays) or I don’t really like her male leads. I like CXX though and I love a good mystery with some super natural elements, so I’ll definitely be checking this out.
@Soph, I will watch the drama too. Hope it will be entertaining.
I think she ultimately made everyone know she is the queen and she rules. I think CXX suits her better, and IMO a better actor too. Maybe this is his big break after Goodbye My Princess. I love that Dilraba has stayed humble since I watched her in the King’s Woman.
CXX is definitely a few level up of an upgrade compares to CZY both visually and talent. I can’t wrap my head around of the audacity of CZY’s team. He had one hit from an idol drama which won’t give him a free pass to put on an equal billing with Reba. And before everyone come at me about how bad Reba’s acting skill is, billing order doesn’t determined by acting skill but by commercial values. CZY’s commercial values is millions miles away from Reba.
I am glad for the change too. It is silly to allow billing order to distract from drama.
She does seem nice and grounded. I think she’s very aware that she’s fortunate as a minority of China to be a major actress in China. Though she is definitely not the best at acting, I feel like there IS something there in her acting that COULD be good, and I hope that, one day, she can tap into it and excel. Honestly though, the stories from China are soooooo shallow because of censorship, I always pause when I want to be critical of actors and actresses these days and struggle to fault them because it’s actually slim pickins out there, AND, they don’t get to choose their projects often. Yes, there are some truly terrible actors and actresses, but I think there are more freaking horrible stories coming out of China than there are performers. Lol. Annnnyways, with the casting change, I’ll probably check out the first two episodes when it comes out now. Lol. CZY seemed like a baby next to her in more ways than one. Ha.
It does not look like this will be the last we hear of czy’s team doing this. They don’t seem very wise in keeping him in a positive light to the public with this billing stuff. Too Diva. But I guess billing issues will be the next thing to truly hinder projects coming to us sooner than later in general and those rediculous fan wars. Though China does churn out a lot of shows despite this just not the ones we may be hoping for right away though.
I am unsure he will get to work with many popular actress for a while…maybe Bai Lu since she has to works with everyone.
I kind of doubt he’d be hit that hard tbh since it seems he’s one of the actors of a big platform (iQiyi?) that is being pushed along with a few other actors.
I like Dilraba as a celeb. She has many qualities that I like. I may not watch her dramas(only 3 so far, 2 of which as supporting cast) But I love to watch her CFs and variety shows. She is a young woman which a good soul. And it is good to watch such a natural beauty.
Both CXX and CZY are same age. But CXX look more mature. So we can’t see the age difference between him and Reba. If it’s CZY it will look like a noona-dongsaeng romance lol. And CXX is definitely the better actor.
They look like siblings from the posted photo showing their side profiles.
CXX is one of my top 3 favourite actors, so definitely watching this for him.
I really like DD in My Glory, if she does well as that drama, I’m a happy camper.
After CXX’s tailored suits in Our Translator and My Boss, seeing the reuters for this drama is so jarring, their clothes are so ugly. I hope it gets better because Dilireba and CXX are too good looking to waste on such sad fare.
I saw CZY fans claiming the fuss about casting with him was fake and he was used to make this drama hot. I get it’s all melon and some things aren’t true, but at least when it comes to his team’s previous billing issue with JJY’s as well as this one, both outcomes align too well with the gossip for there to not have been some truth.
🤣 did they?? Chen Zhe Yuan really did him in…
Typo: Chen Zhe Yuan’s team really did him in.
Sounds like just rumors as well. I know CZY fans stan by him but him getting this much negative publicity before this drama is aired, ah doesn’t seem that smart thing on his side. Just when his career is rising, his teams pulls some shenanigans like this, not sure any top actress will want more drama the next time they do it again.
Based on previous news, it is not first time CZY wanted top/equal billing. He did same thing on his other drama. If you keep insisting on top/equal billing, then productions and investors will remember you as a troubled unpleasant person to work with. You create delay and toxic environment. He is replaceable.
How does it look positive for her when instead of she fighting for equal billing for her male lead she changed the male lead? Her silence basically is just wait and see. But I suppose the male lead is non essential.
If they got no where and lost investors. Why not? She just simply pulled through the situation the best she could. His side seemed too head strong despite the situation.
why should she fight for equal billing for chen zheyuan? lol. she’s a bigger name and has more commercial value. i think the whole billing thing is stupid too but its not her responsibility to fight on his behalf. if equal billing is all about fairness for his team/him, then when he’s an established name or when he’s paired up with a more junior actress, i’d like to see his team/him give equal billing to them too.
Are you crazy? Why should she fight for equal billing for her ml? She is way more above his level.
That is a really puzzling comment. She can fight for what is best for the project as she is pay to star in the project. Why should she do the job of another artiste from another company who is trying to create trouble? So funny…this drama is have not even started filming and trouble is already spilling over… Who wants to work with trouble makers. I am not saying Chen Zheyuan is personally involved as I doubt he is. But those that manage him are doing a bad job. It is their job to manage his projects…not Dilraba.
It shows her professionalism and making an executive decision is part of big business, and guess what, she stood on business with it! His team couldn’t handle business and instead, have continued to damage his image further. She doesn’t get paid to represent him, his team does, and they didn’t do that for him. His team ruined his chances of working with his idol.
I am guessing she stayed silent because she stayed neutral and did not mind whatever the production or investor decided for equal/top billing. She did not want to create any conflict and toxic environment with anyone. Why she will fight equal billing for CZY, it is CZY who said he wanted to work with Dilraba. I did not see any post/news with Dilraba saying who she wants to work with. I only saw/heard dilraba wanted to try different genre and improve her acting. Once the investors quit/leave, no more productions .. all planning, etc is down drain.
She absolutely did kick him out and anyone who thinks she stayed quiet needs a reality check. She just did it in the best way possible which was pulling the money strings and not doing it directly. Good for her.
His team even asking in the first place absolutely was a problem. She is way too above him. But a little fame got into his head, I shudder to think how he would behave if he had another decent hit. But this is going to be a problem now because this is a repeated behavior and many actresses and actors won’t even consider acting with him. And he is very, very replaceable.
CZY’s team did us a favor. We got a ML well suited for Reba now.
CXX is a really good actor so no loss here
i think us viewers got the better deal here! no shade to CZY who has had some great roles but CXX just looks better visually with DD, especially if her role here is a strong female lead, CXX has the looks and the simmering alpha male vibes (for the uninitiated, his turn in Dong Gong is classic years on out)
Reba can’t act anyway regardless of who will be her costar. LOL.
She did look beautiful in some fashion shows. She should just stay in modeling business and that would be a blessing to Cdrama.
Nobody is forcing you to watch her drama
and she is a blesding to China not only to chinese entertainment industry. To be praised by 30+Ambassador and consul general for her dance at Divas Hit The Road and praised again for her performance at Spring Festival and the only actress that was featured at Beijing Review and that Magazine was displayed and read by 2,000 delegates from 60 countries at a Symposium last week.
Reba’s earlier all works good. Recently, because of age or something she is not getting suitable role for her. She is serious type actress and action actress and she is getting acting cute role. She is 30+ this type of role doesn’t suit her.
She gave so good performance in The Kings Women, The Flames Daughter and The Long Ballad, The Blue Whisper, Pretty Li Huizhen and Anarhan, Dimond Lover, Blacklight Of Life etc.