The Lin Gengxin on the Internet would stop his bike to reply to netizens in order to argue with them, but the real Lin Gengxin seems to be a bit "indifferent".
The interview was conducted in a classroom after Lin Gengxin finished a day of recording the variety show "Cat in the Box 2". He quickly adjusted his state and entered the interview situation faster than the staff in the room.
Image source: Lin Gengxin Studio
"Cat in the Box" is an immersive plot experience variety show, featuring "game" and "comedy" as the main elements. Lin Gengxin prefers this kind of game-like variety show, where he wins and loses by strategy. Although he has a desire to win during the game, he is not obsessed with the result, and he will not be upset if he loses, "mainly to enjoy the process". Gengxin has never thought about "challenging" anything. Stages like singing or dancing make him nervous, so he decisively refuses and only chooses what makes him happy.
The same is true for acting. He admitted that there are very few times when he can't get away from the role, "It's just that I feel a little reluctant to give up the character I played for a few months, because you may never have the opportunity to interpret him or become him again in your life. The few months of companionship are actually quite wonderful. Every day is a repetition of his life, just like taking a trip. You and your friends play together for a few months, and it's hard to end and go back home."
Lin Gengxin’s “indifference” sometimes brings unexpected answers.
For example, when faced with the question of what else they can do if they are not actors, most people are still sentimental and romantic, either pursuing a hobby or being imaginative, but he became serious, "I want to do a public relations job..."
For example, when Lin Gengxin was asked to give advice to people who are fighting internally, he became serious again, "When you are truly mature and have let go of many things, you will not be fighting internally."
Lin Gengxin
【dialogue】
Talking about variety shows: When playing games, I unconsciously want to win
The Paper : I heard that "Cat in the Box 2" has been upgraded and three episodes have been recorded. What are the different feelings?
Lin Gengxin : The general theme has not changed. This time we not only have studio scenes, but also a large outdoor element. In terms of game mechanics, we saw many plot-based NPCs (non-player characters) in the first season.
The Paper : Would you like a situation with many NPCs?
Lin Gengxin : It’s more lively when there are more people.
The Paper : Do you often laugh when working with Xu Zhisheng and Wang Xun?
Lin Gengxin : I laughed a little, but I don’t think I have a competitive spirit. I do have a competitive spirit in games. Every time I want to play a game, I think it’s almost done, but later in the process, I unconsciously... I think people are like this, you unconsciously want to win, and you don’t know what you can do if you win. In fact, this is very interesting. Winning does not mean you can get the final grand prize. Our program has added the Golden Cat this time, which is a kind of honor, so winning is still about wanting to prove something. I think it is to participate in a whole day of games, just to get something.
The Paper : As a person from Northeast China, have you ever thought about playing a particularly funny role?
Lin Gengxin : No one asked me, really no one asked me. I thought about this problem, and some seniors also pointed out a way for me, asking me why I don’t do comedy, but there is really no chance. In fact, I am willing to do comedy, I think it is a very interesting performance state. If someone asks me to do it, I am willing.
Poster of Cat in the Box 2
The Paper : What is the thing you most want to complain about the program crew during this recording?
Lin Gengxin : To be honest, there are very few things I want to complain about. There is only one thing, which is not really a complaint. We were talking about it just now. Because there are too many tasks to complete, I forgot a lot of identities and relationships. It may also be my own fault. I hope it will be more coherent, because the scene is so big. I recorded it yesterday. It’s such a big city, but I only went to half of it. I didn’t go to the other half at all.
The Paper : If you could choose one person from your teammates to go to a desert island to survive, who would you choose? Who would you most like to throw into the sea?
Lin Gengxin : If I were to survive on a deserted island, I would choose Mark Chao, as he is more reliable. If I had to throw one out, I would throw Chen He out.
The Paper : Was there any part that made you feel particularly nervous or excited?
Lin Gengxin : I was very nervous yesterday because I had to rush to the time to leave. I worked hard for this all day. Every time the bell rang at the top of the hour, I was very nervous. I wasn't afraid of anything. There was another point that made me nervous. Some NPCs performed too much, which made me nervous. How could I act in the play? How could I face it...
Actually, there are some points that I feel touched. Because we have continued the link of the first season, each episode will end with a short drama or a small stage play. Many stage plays touched me a lot. The theme of this episode recorded today is the four years of college. Although our four years are "nonsense" and it was finished in an afternoon, and we graduated and started looking for jobs in the evening, the theme of the stage play is about the situation of several good classmates leaving the campus at graduation. They have love between men and women, and feelings between friends. In the end, a boy came to dictate "them" 10 years later. He kept a 10-year promise, while others were defeated by reality. Many people did not achieve their ideal life.
I graduated a long time ago, it will be 14 years soon. Fortunately, 10 years after graduation, I returned to campus with many classmates, and everyone basically realized their dreams. That time, there were more than 20 people in our class, and 16 or 17 of them returned.
The Paper : Is this your biggest feeling and gain from participating in this program?
Lin Gengxin : This is one of the reasons. We also had a lot of feelings in the first season. For example, the episode I recorded that day was "Balance", and yesterday was "Time". Yesterday's short play was a relatively novel stage play like a puppet show. After a busy day, I sat there and thought about our efforts today. How meaningful is this? I can't say anything particularly literary, but I can associate it with some of my own problems and shortcomings.
Actually, every episode is quite fun. We also put a lot of thought into the scenes in the studio, with many escape rooms and many themes. It feels like participating in a very serious and large escape room. It is so immersive.
Talking about acting: Stay sensitive, but don’t be lonely
The Paper : Compared to recording variety shows and acting, which one is more tiring?
Lin Gengxin : Recording variety shows is more tiring than acting, but I think it is fun.
The Paper : Will your sense of variety shows affect your acting work?
Lin Gengxin : For me, no. Actually, I have thought about this question. So I don’t go to too many variety shows. This is a balance. Whatever you do is a balance.
The Paper : Variety shows are now a choice for many actors. Do you have any thoughts when choosing variety shows?
Lin Gengxin : First of all, I would participate in something that makes me happy, not something that consumes my energy. Singing and performing on stage are fatal to me, because I am not good at them, I am not very interested in them, and I get nervous, so it is a torture for me, and I don’t want to do such a job. Reality shows are more fun, especially when I can experience the whole game process myself. I like variety shows that have a sense of gaming.
The Paper : You once mentioned that actors need to break the audience's inherent cognition. How do you balance this game between being remembered and being refreshed?
Lin Gengxin : It’s good to be remembered and recognized by the audience for a role you play. It’s best if you can refresh the audience’s previous perception of you on this basis. But overall, I think you should take it lightly and don’t think too much about it.
The Paper : You said that acting is a process of emptying yourself and then filling yourself up. Are there any roles that you find difficult to extricate yourself from?
Lin Gengxin : I think there is no role that cannot be separated from, but I will feel a little reluctant to part with the character I have played for a few months. Because you may never have the opportunity to interpret him or become him again in your life. The few months he was with me were actually quite wonderful. Every day was a repetition of his life, just like taking a trip. You and your friends play together for a few months, and it is difficult to end and go back home.
Lin Gengxin and his wax figure based on his character in "A Journey with Phoenixes". Image source: Lin Gengxin Studio
The Paper : What is the relationship between you and your characters? Some are friends, while others are distant.
Lin Gengxin : Some roles are definitely far from the actors themselves, with completely different lifestyles and personalities, but I think that for most roles, the composition is shaped by the actors, so the role is the actor himself. It is also mentioned in the performance system that it is shaped by imagination and past imagination.
The Paper : If you were asked to swap real life for one day with a character you’ve played, who would you want to be?
Lin Gengxin : Can you change it to something that goes up to the sky and down to the earth? Because I can’t do it myself.
The Paper : Actors need to be sincere and need to gradually shed their true selves. In the hustle and bustle of the entertainment industry, how do you protect your sensitivity and vulnerability as an actor?
Lin Gengxin : It's not that serious for me. On the set, unless there are some special scenes, I will keep quiet. Most of the time, I will still talk and laugh with my colleagues in the crew. I don't think I need to be alone. But actors do need to be highly sensitive and observe many things. But protecting this sensitivity varies from person to person, not just actors. Some people are born to be rational, while I am a more emotional person. I think it depends on the person, not the profession. Although actors may need to cry in scenes and have an instant burst of emotions, sensibility is indeed an important help, but it still varies from person to person.
The Paper : On the Internet you have the image of not being self-involved. Is it true that you don’t have any self-involvement at all in your real life?
Lin Gengxin : It is impossible to avoid internal friction. It depends on how you view it. I feel exhausted. Internal friction can easily waste time. Time and pace can overwhelm me. I hope to try not to get angry.
The Paper : Please give some advice to those friends who like to engage in internal conflicts.
Lin Gengxin : When you are truly mature and have let go of many things, you will not be so self-defeating. But from a personality perspective, some people will be so self-defeating until they get old.
The Paper : If you weren’t an actor, what kind of job would you most likely do?
Lin Gengxin : I used to think that I could rely on social interaction or do some work that requires social interaction. I thought about doing PR work. Later, I thought that every industry is not simple. If I don’t do this now, what will I do? I’m really not sure. I must learn or master a skill again.
The Paper : I thought you would say playing games.
Lin Gengxin : How is this possible? I have never thought about it. How can a man who is almost 40 years old support himself by playing games?
The Paper : If you had the opportunity to plan a variety show of your own, what would the theme be?
Lin Gengxin : If I were given a chance, I would like to make it like a TV series, which is a coherent series and may only talk about one event in ten episodes.
The Paper : Which friends in your circle would you invite?
Lin Gengxin : That depends on the historical background and the events. It’s about fixed people, and the whole story is like a drama, but it’s actually a reality show. I’m not acting anymore, I just have a mission.
