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Chinese star Bai Lu shares her thoughts about starring in her recently concluded drama Northward at the C-drama's discussion forum.
Northward follows the life trajectories of a group of young people living along the Grand Canal. The drama is adapted from Xu Ze Chen's novel of the same Chinese name and tells the story of a group of teenagers living along the canal who go from friendship, then separation, and reunion. The story depicts how they give back to their hometown and society.
In the drama, Bai Lu portrays Xia Feng Hua — a character who, during her student days, is short-haired, wears braces, and is a dark-skinned tomboy — an image that contrasts sharply with Bai Lu's usual on-screen persona.
Recalling her first impression of Xia Feng Hua, Bai Lu described her as "sunflower". In her eyes, she has a pure heart. Although she faced many challenges growing up, she always bravely stayed true to herself. "I think she's incredibly free-spirited, the kind of girl who can take things on and let them go," Bai Lu said. "I'm not quite like that. I tend to overthink and worry about a lot of things."
In the drama, Xia Feng Hua protects everyone around her wholeheartedly. And although she isn't particularly outstanding in her studies, she constantly tries to repay her parents in her own way, doing everything she can to give them a better life. "Throughout the entire filming process, Huazi (Xia Feng Hua) gave me a lot of strength. She taught me how to better make peace with myself," the actress said.
Talking about her character's personality, she said, "In my eyes, that fiery, energetic spirit isn’t the whole of her personality. Life and time have gradually forged her into someone much calmer."
A line in the drama left a deep impression on Bai Lu: "The tide of the times inevitably leaves its mark on everyone. Our respective times left a mark on both me and Xia Feng Hua. It was through her that I came to understand the importance of always upholding a spirit of determination, progress, and responsibility as part of the younger generation, and to keep shining."
The actress also candidly shared that before turning 30, she stressed a lot about others' opinions and often struggled on the inside. Now, she places greater importance on her own sense of self-worth and listens more closely to the voice within. "Life actually has a high margin for error. As long as you’re alive, there are endless possibilities."
Since her debut in 2016, Bai Lu has delivered impressive performances in many popular dramas, earning recognition for her solid acting skills. However, unlike most of her previous works, Northward is a drama rich in the textures of everyday life, which brought Bai Lu immense pressure.
"This has been the most stressful drama I've worked on since entering the industry. I was really afraid of not doing well, afraid of letting everyone down," Bai Lu admitted. In her view, the pressure mainly came from two aspects. One was the drastic transformation in her appearance. In the drama, the student version of Xia Feng Hua sports short hair, braces, and a tanned complexion, looking every bit like a tomboy.
"Sometimes when I looked at myself in the mirror, I'd feel a jolt in my heart. It was hard to get used to," she said.
The other source of pressure came from capturing the depth of the era. As is well known, realist dramas are steeped in the texture of everyday life, requiring performances that are more natural and emotionally nuanced in order to truly resonate with the audience.
"For me, this project was an important step out of my comfort zone. Through constantly breaking and rebuilding [my image], I got the chance to rediscover myself. If this drama can let everyone see a different side of Bai Lu, then I'll be more than satisfied," she said.
To better embody the character of Xia Feng Hua, Bai Lu did extensive preparation before joining the production. As a native of Changzhou, the Grand Canal has long been deeply rooted in her heritage.
"The sound of whistles of the ships passing by, the street vendors along the canal — these are things that were with me as I grew up. When I was young, I might not have felt it deeply, but as I got older, I realized that the canal really is my home," Bai Lu remarked with a sense of nostalgia.
The aspect that left the deepest impression on Bai Lu throughout the entire filming of the drama was the meticulousness with which the veteran actors approached their work, as well as their humility and thoughtfulness toward those around them. “On set, everyone really felt like a family. They were like the head of the family. Hu Jun would often organize meals for everyone, sharing unique insights about work and life, which was very beneficial for us younger actors."
Source: Beijing Youth Daily, Liberation Daily
