NYLON China Cover Story: Zhang Jingyi

Black technology (黑科技), short videos, social media — — The young people led by Gen Z, were born in the era when everything is connected, and their bodies show diverse labels. As a member of this era, Zhang Jingyi also has special traces of growth in the context of science and technology. She likes to use images to record life, retain emotions, and feel the world.

1. Curious Social Observer

“Curious” is a word that Zhang Jingyi often mentions in conversations, which has almost become a mapping of many of her life choices or attitudes to life. Picking up the mobile phone to take pictures casually is Zhang Jingyi’s most frequent curiosity record. These aimless picture records, which she calls “blind shots”, instead put together the delicate emotions under her quiet appearance.​

Zhang Jingyi: The most recent picture I took was when I was on the way back to Beijing by plane, and the sunset covered the cabin of the plane, which made me feel “very warm.”​

On Zhang Jingyi’s social media, you often see nine grid photos full of novel perspectives. Compared to selfies, she prefers to record the fun details of her life.

Zhang Jingyi: I can’t help but take pictures of what I find interesting. From many of my photos, (I) like to put the very large details. Maybe the picture you see is just a small corner of the scene I saw. I don’t need professional equipment, I just pick up my mobile phone at any time.

Until now, Zhang Jingyi has always had the habit of looking through photo albums.

Zhang Jingyi: Whether or not it’s from previous mobile phone, I will look at it again after a while and think about what I was doing at the time. I think it’s good to record all this.

The sensitivity to envision picture is Zhang Jingyi’s unique way of perceiving the world. Even when she helps herself entering the play (character), she will use pictures to enrich her imagination. Recording is a very important habit for Zhang Jingyi. In addition to pictures, she usually reads books or posts with feelings, and her memos are full of fragments of her inspiration. Audio is an essential object in her life.

Zhang Jingyi: Music is actually quite important. I’m not the kind of person who wears headphones every day. Sometimes, for example, I suddenly want to listen to songs today, so I will keep listening to songs, and then I will suddenly sigh that music is so great. In different projects, (I will) listen to different songs.

2. Find the Self-Consistent Distance

Talking about the “social anxiety” plot that young people have, Zhang Jingyi has a lot of resonance. In the relationship, Zhang Jingyi prides herself on being more like an ”observer”. First quietly feel the magnetic field between each other, and then slowly decide whether to open up your true self. She admitted that she was most afraid of calling, and if she could choose, she would prefer to reply by text.

Zhang Jingyi: Whether it’s across the screen or not, I’m quite socially phobic. If I really add someone I’m not familiar with on WeChat, I would not be very good at opening the “Dialogue” box.

As an actress, how to grasp the distance from fans is a delicate balance. Afraid that exposing one-self too much will affect the role’s interpretation. For Zhang Jingyi, these so-called concerns were put aside by her openness. Born in the Internet age, using social media to communicate is not a homework that needs to be learned, but an innate habit.

Zhang Jingyi: I don’t think it will destroy the mystery of the actors. We (Zhang Jingyi & fans) haven’t actually met each other, but we can be a lot like that friends around us — share what we did today. Recently distressed things, every time I chat, I don’t have a “sense of distance.”

The development of social media has allowed the netizen’s voice to be quickly amplified under the actors. However, Zhang Jingyi showed a peaceful attitude beyond her age towards the surging online speech.

Zhang Jingyi: It’s normal to give an evaluation. Everyone has their own judgments and impressions. I actually don’t look at it very much now. Except for the drama, I will go and see the evaluation of the characters, but no matter how good or bad, I can accept it.

When Zhang Jingyi heard the description of ”soft and cute“, she only faintly expressed that she was actually ”not good”. When she was asked about the ”rebellious” moment, her answer did even reveal a playful tone of “trick or treat”

Zhang Jingyi: If you let me say what I’m not good at, I don’t want to say, this may also be regarded as a kind of rebellion.​

However, even though she enjoys the convenience of the digital age, Zhang Jingyi still insists that gadget can’t replace writing, which is her special creative tool.

Zhang Jingyi: I often spontaneously want to create something, and I have to write it again with a pen to get through my mind. If I just type it out with a mobile phone, I don’t feel confident or (it’s not) heartfelt enough.

The experience of writing by hand is the same as performance. The presentation of real perception is required. As a new performer, Zhang Jingyi shared that her habit of “entering the play (character)” often starts from the details, which is similar to her preference to take photos that zoom in on the details.

Zhang Jingyi: When I read the script, I will catch very small points, such as what this person likes, why she likes it, and the subconscious catchphrases, I will ponder these things. If there is an original work (book), I will look at everyone’s review of the character and find a fit between myself and the character.

The sensitivity to envision pictures is also derived from the preferences of life, which has helped her interpret drama. The imagery of those pictures enriched her imagination of the characters.

Zhang Jingyi: Just like when I was playing Zhu Yun, I saw a girl riding a horse and felt (that it was) very similar to the image of this character. I would save it and make up for it.

3. My Freedom Annotation

Became an actress at the age of nineteen, her love for acting seems to come from Zhang Jingyi’s natural self. Talking about the happiness she felt when performing for the first time, she bluntly said that she could feel the joy from the beginning of the first play.

Zhang Jingyi: I just think I like it very much. You can’t tell. You feel that you are willing to do this, and you are very happy.

Although she looks like a well-protected “little princess”, Zhang Jingyi is actually very rational when she reveals herself.

Zhang Jingyi: When I really want to do something, the rational side always jumps out.

With the increase of performance experience, from the initial ignorance to the gradual familiarity with the workflow, Zhang Jingyi also has a more self-consistent rhythm for acting.

Zhang Jingyi: I now know very well what to do when I go to the filming crew, what to bring, how to prepare the script, and prepare the role.

Now, she will have the stubbornness to compete with herself when she “strives for excellence” in performance, and she has also learned to allow regrets to exist and adjust her own performance mentality.

Zhang Jingyi: Sometimes there are some shots (that) I will keep practicing until I feel ok, but I am also learning to convince myself that after doing my best, some scenes can’t be repeated after the performance, and everything can’t be perfect.

Many staff members who have come into contact with Zhang Jingyi will be attracted by her pure eyes. “Clean” and “pure” are the words many people describe this green shallot girl. This may be due to the fact that she has been well protected since she was a child, and the gentle and simple temperament on her body has long been nourished between raising her hands and throwing her feet. Even if you enter the showbiz industry, you will encounter some twists and turns by chance, but most of them are still smooth. As she herself said, to this day, she is still a girl who is willing to believe in fairy tales.

Zhang Jingyi: I think I have a beautiful imagination of everything. However, slowly it will be broken, and I will feel very realistic and sad, but I still feel that there are many good people, and I can’t deny everything just because of one thing. I am willing to believe in the existence of good people.

As a new generation of actors, Zhang Jingyi doesn’t want to talk about the so-called ideals of interpretation. Those false words seem a bit too ambitious. She also hopes that with the original intention of performing, she can grasp every way forward that can be taken steadily. This may be the most sincere ambition for performance she can show.

Zhang Jingyi: You play different roles and you will need different states. It’s actually very difficult to find it in the early stage. You will always think about how to get closer to the role. Polishing the role is actually in every detail. Maybe this role needs to dance. I’m going to practice the dance well and do every detail well.

Zhang Jingyi: I’m actually the same as everyone, When chatting with friends, I also ask what to eat, have you stayed up late, and gossip while watching a drama.

Chatting with Zhang Jingyi, for a moment you will feel (that she is) really like the girl next door. Sharing the latest popular American drama “Wednesday” together, or the daily life of crying for the popular Japanese drama “First Love”. When talking about the wishes for 2023, Zhang Jingyi was immediately excited to express her desire to travel.

Zhang Jingyi: I am a very curious person who likes new things very much. I hope to walk around and see different things.

Becoming a travel vlogger is the second identity Zhang Jingyi would like to try if she didn’t become an actor. Talking about the content she would share, her ”rebellious” factor began to be faintly revealed again.

Zhang Jingyi: If it is a work task, I don’t want to shoot. Sometimes I am very stubborn. If it is sent as I wish, I will record a lot of interesting things, such as what delicious food I saw, or fun crafts.

“Freedom” is Zhang Jingyi’s evaluation of herself. She does not set so-called goals for herself, but blooms freely with her heart.

Zhang Jingyi: I have a big direction, but I don’t have a small goal, because I don’t want to be bound.

This is the unique courage of young people belonging to this generation. They grew up under relatively rich material conditions and witnessed the highly developed world of science, technology and information, which gave them broadened horizons and freer life choices. In the past, our definition of freedom may have been to walk out of a big mountain, out of formal work, and out of a country, but under the z era, freedom may be a broader annotation standing on the shoulders of giants.

What do you want to say to your future self?

Zhang Jingyi: Freedom is as simple and pure as it used to be. At the beginning of the New Year, Zhang Jingyi’s start has just begun. In the era of free interconnection, I look forward to her using her own characteristics to express and convey the development, just be happy.

Zhang Jingyi’s answer is still as free as Zhang Jingyi’s annotation.

Interview & article: Carrot Wu
for NYLON Feb 2023 Issue