C-actress Tang Yan’s Expected Big Female Lead Drama Lady Liberty Flops with View Feedback Focused on Her Terrible Wig and Stiff Acting
So last month in May what should have been a high profile premiere for a big budget C-drama ended up flopping and slinking into the annals of forgettable dramas. Modern romanceLady Liberty adapted from the novelSingle Woman by famed novelist Yi Shu was supposed to be Tang Yan’s first big drama since getting a career boost resurgence from her second female lead role in Blossoms Shanghai. With Mark Chao as the male lead, a strong production and well known stars in supporting roles, she had a lot riding on the drama doing well. Alas she’s probably squandered now all the goodwill and boost from Blossoms Shanghai with this drama flopping in declining viewership during its run and terrible reviews. The worst thing is that all the online commentary and any buzz was all negative centered around criticism of Tang Yan for (1) her terrible short hair wig which made all her scenes distracting, and (2) the reason for the bad wig was reportedly her refusal to cut her hair and insist on using a wig. There are also the usual criticism of her stiff acting on top of it. So basically her unprofessionalism and limitations as an actor (to embody a character even physically as needed) led to what everyone and their mother’s could have predicted when the first stills came out during filming with her in that bad wig. Sad for her not to build on hard earned leveling up last year but this one is kinda all her own doing.
I liked it. A lot. The emotional realism is what kept me watching. Lady Liberty focuses on emotionally scarred adults, divorce fears/commitment anxiety, career pressure in big cities and
complicated modern love. #onlyinchina would people put more emphasis on looks than in the story.
Can’t be worse than that one Zhao li ying drama where her wigs length changed every other scene per episode lol ? But I’m sure she is not the only actor/actress to do so. But I do believe she is hanging on her past reputation by a thread and should probably consider dialing back on feeling she is still on top right now and improve herself. That never lasts and seems supporting roles may be more suited for her in the future.