From his debut on the big screen as the naive Shanghai boy Bai Ge in "The Myth of Love", to portraying the complex and gloomy young man Wu Wang in "Silent Kill", and now playing the male lead Shen Minghui in the CCTV-8 drama "Four Joys", Huang Minghao, as a newcomer actor, has surprised audiences with his growth and transformation.
Stills from the play "Four Joys"
【dialogue】
Talking about Shen Minghui: The Demon Orb is just the outer shell; its underlying nature is warmth.
The Paper : Describe Shen Minghui in three words. What is the most attractive aspect of this character to you?
Huang Minghao : First, there's the contrast. He's mischievous one minute and very reliable the next; he's a boy with contrasting personalities. Although he sometimes gets into trouble, he'll stand up for Shen Minghui without hesitation when needed. The second word is reliable. He always puts his sister first and can't bear to see her suffer. Later, he gradually becomes a reliable little man. The third word is greedy. While others are doing math problems, he's calculating gross profit margins. He spent five years in high school just to bring the Shen family's braised pork ribs to the school.
Previously, Shen Minghui didn't think he needed to shoulder too much responsibility, that he needed to take on the burden of the family, or be responsible for many things; he just needed to grow up happily. After his sister experienced some misfortune and other things happened in the family, Shen Minghui knew he couldn't be idle and only care about his own happiness. He began to think, "I need to gradually take on the responsibilities of the family and protect my family in a more mature way." This really resonated with me.
The Paper: What were your own little tricks for portraying Shen Minghui, a character who is both sarcastic and mischievous? Were there any improvisational moments on set?
Huang Minghao: Many times it's just a sudden inspiration. Like that scene with Sister Jiang Xin, it just came about on set. She would teach me how to act. When we first went over the lines, the "Auntie" that came out was something I improvised. I called Sister Jiang Xin "Auntie" on the spot, and she thought it was great, so we continued that way of acting. I really learned a lot from working with these senior actors.
The Paper : Some people describe Xiao Huihui as having "the face of a spirit pearl and the core of a demon pill." What do you think?
Huang Minghao : Indeed, this setting is quite surprising. The Demon Orb is just a shell for him; his underlying personality is actually very warm. As the story unfolds, you gradually discover the true nature of this character—his mischievousness is only temporary; when his family needs him, he quickly becomes their support and strength. For example, in the scene where the mother-in-law comes to discuss the wedding and makes things difficult for my sister, I really couldn't stand it at that moment; I just had to protect my sister. I reacted instinctively and got angry. It might also be because Yue Hong's acting was so good that it triggered my protective instincts.
The Paper : Can you talk about your collaboration with your sister Tong Yao and brother-in-law Fu Xinbo?
Huang Minghao : When I was acting with Tong Yao and my parents, I felt like we were a family, and I unconsciously put myself in their shoes. Every scene I had with Baozi was very interesting because we were already very familiar with each other. When we heard that Baozi was going to play my brother-in-law, we were both very happy. Baozi was "bullied" quite a bit by us on set; if it were someone else, I probably would have held back a bit.
Stills from the play "Four Joys"
"I'm not that kind of troublemaker."
The Paper : How do you view the impact of one's family of origin on a person? The two younger brothers from different families in the drama are somewhat like a control group.
Huang Minghao : I think the differences between my two younger brothers are largely related to their family backgrounds. The Shen family is a loving family; my parents and older sister are my source of strength. They don't particularly demand that I do well or get high test scores; instead, they care more about whether I'm happy. Although it seems like they favor my sister more, I feel that their love for me is a different kind of love. It's not about giving me the best things, but about supporting me and not restricting me.
The Paper : How similar are Shen Minghui and Huang Minghao? What was the biggest challenge of the role?
Huang Minghao : To be honest, I think the later Shen Minghui is more like me. After he matures, he starts to think about responsibility and commitment, and considers his family. The biggest similarity is that we are both meticulous and sensitive, and I am also someone who thinks a lot. Shen Minghui has a strong ability to notice details in other people, and he protects those around him and can't stand seeing them unhappy, which is quite similar to me.
I found the most challenging part to be the more mischievous early on, because I'm not usually that much of a troublemaker. My earlier mischief stemmed mainly from my deep love for my older sister. My brother-in-law suddenly appeared and tried to "take her away," and my in-laws treated her badly. So, I could understand Shen Minghui's teasing attitude towards my brother-in-law; he was transferring those emotions onto him. Later, he gradually accepted his brother-in-law and discovered that he was indeed a good person.
The Paper : This is your first TV series, and you're the lead actor. What kind of preparation did you do beforehand?
Huang Minghao : First, I sorted out the character and wrote some things about him. After joining the crew, I communicated more with the director and senior actors. I really want to thank the director, my on-screen parents, and all the older brothers and sisters in the drama. They really helped me a lot. I learned a lot of valuable experience from acting with them. Many times, it really felt like we were a family, which made acting much easier.
The Paper: Have you come across any particularly memorable bullet comments or messages?
Huang Minghao : Actually, there are quite a few. For example, the segment with Sister Jiang Xin was described by some as "Big Minghui versus Consort Hua." Others call me "Miss Hui" because of Little Huihui, who lives in the attic. Everyone has a lot of funny stories to tell.
The Paper : Can you talk about the OST you sang for "Four Joys"? This song is more lyrical, quite different from your previous high-energy style.
Huang Minghao : I'm honored to sing an insert song for my first TV series, called "The Wind That Never Stops." I think some of the lyrics are very fitting for the character Shen Minghui, such as "After the pain, the ignorance fades away." It might feel more like talking about the older sister, hoping she can be as free as the wind that never stops, but it's also about Shen Minghui's transformation.
Stills from the play "Four Joys"
The Paper : Many people got to know you through talent shows, and now you've also acted in quite a few films and television series. Talk about the transition from singer to actor?
Huang Minghao : Being a singer and an actor are both things I love. Many people may know me from my singing career or through variety shows, so I hope that when I'm acting, I can play more contrasting roles to surprise everyone, or even make people not recognize me as their character.
The Paper : What other types of roles or themes would you like to challenge?
Huang Minghao : I want to challenge myself with roles that are intense and impactful. I won't limit myself, because I can't just play whatever I want. I hope that every role I encounter will allow the audience to see a different side of me.
