28-year-old Chinese actor He Congrui has become known as the 'Short Drama Idol' thanks to his roles in several short dramas. Just last year, he starred in two hit dramas—'Please Enter My Embrace' and 'Recurring Words'—both of which surpassed 3 billion views. Recently, during a livestream discussing the release time of his new drama, he bluntly said, 'The female leads carry most of the show. If anyone's to blame, blame them first,' and described himself as an 'insignificant accessory male lead.' His remarks were interpreted as distancing himself from the show's poor performance, sparking criticism. On the 20th, he posted an apology for this.
During a recent livestream, He Congrui chatted with viewers about his drama being released at midnight, suggesting fans would have to stay up late to watch. He said, 'That's not because of my livestream, what's that got to do with me? I'm not taking the blame for that.' He then referenced another short drama he appeared in that also premiered at midnight: 'Last time, "Four Sisters" also premiered at midnight—does that have anything to do with me? Nope. The production company decides when it airs; that's out of my control. So why blame me for its release? Even if you try, you can't pin it on me. These are all female-focused dramas.'
He Congrui said, 'Women can hold up half the sky—actually, women do more than that, the female lead can hold up most of the sky. So if you want to blame someone, blame them first, if you're blaming actors.' He added, 'What does it have to do with me? I'm just an insignificant accessory male lead. Why blame me? Go blame the female leads—it has nothing to do with me.'
Recently, short dramas have faced fierce viewership competition in the Chinese TV industry. In order to gain more attention and higher numbers on the platforms, many short dramas rush to premiere just after midnight. Some netizens interpreted He Congrui’s remarks as implying the responsibility for the drama falls on the female lead, and he was further criticized for 'passing the buck to the female lead' and his 'top short drama idol persona collapsing.'
On the 20th, He Congrui posted an apology on Weibo, admitting his comments were an 'inappropriate joke' and apologizing to the actresses and crew members he worked with. He admitted that his description of himself as an 'accessory male lead' during the livestream was improper and stated that the success or failure of every drama should be borne collectively by the entire cast and crew. In his statement, he revealed that he had already communicated privately with those involved and promised to be more cautious with his words and actions in the future.
Source: ETtoday Xingguangyun