Lonely boy who changed his life
By Liu Wei (China Daily)
2009-02-20 13:47
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"Some people think that believing in religion can rid them of bad things," he says. "But I have learned to accept the fact that they are part of me. Anyway, why is an inferiority complex necessarily bad? In some situations it can actually be good."
"If resentment of my past made me stronger, so be it, but it doesn't, so why not accept what life has given me and enjoy it?"
As it turns out, the adult Chen has plenty of reasons to be thankful.
When he was 20 and a singer with the prestigious Oriental Song and Dance Ensemble, he landed a coveted spot at the Beijing Film Academy purely by chance. In true showbiz tradition, he had gone along to support a friend, who persuaded him to have a go himself and even paid his application fee. It was a life-changing moment. He was duly accepted and just halfway through the four-year course was plucked by director Wu Ziniu to play Nie Er, composer of China's national anthem, Guoge.
His star has been on the rise ever since, culminating in 2007 with his Best Actor gong at one of Chinese cinema's top events, the Hua Biao Awards.
Chen moved his mother to Beijing five years ago and helped his younger brother open a pub in Sanlitun, the city's trendiest bar area. Having endured the hard times together, he and his family cherish each other more than anything else.
"When we have dinner together, no one can start their meal until my mother has picked up her chopsticks," he says. "When I was young I often thought of buying her nice things but now that I can, I feel more strongly than ever that what she really needs is my love and being at her side."
Chen found the perfect solution: He bought two apartments in neighboring buildings - his mother and stepfather live in one and he in the other. He accepts only two or three projects a year and in his spare time, leads a simple life, enriched by yoga, travel and the treasured moments with his family.
He once joked that being religious in such a vain profession as show business might just be the highest level a Buddhist can reach.
If so, he seems to be doing just fine.