On a recent visit to Taiwan, mainland Chinese actor Hu Ge made headlines when he said that mainland people and those from the island “were no different from each other”. He also described himself as a “cheap but good actor” who is keen to collaborate with Taiwan film directors, adding: “If you have a good script, come to me.” The “no difference” comments resonated on the mainland where many people want to see strengthened relations between the two places and increasing cooperation in the entertainment industry.
During his June 12 visit, Hu interacted with young Taiwan filmmakers to promote his latest movie, and to participate in the “Dialogue with the Youth” event. It was his first visit to the island in six years and he expressed a warm sense of familiarity and nostalgia. Earlier this year, Hu’s popularity surged thanks to the role he played in the TV series directed by Wong Kar-wai which was warmly received by audiences on the mainland and Taiwan.
In the highly successful drama series, Hu portrayed a character called “A Bao”, who leveraged China’s reform and opening-up period of the 1980s to become one of Shanghai’s most influential figures through his intelligence and bravery. At the event, Hu humorously discussed his accented Mandarin, which some think makes him sound like he comes from Taiwan. “We used Shanghainese dialect to film .
However, many friends, after hearing my Mandarin, commented that it sounded like it had a Taiwanese accent. .