Xiao Zhan has won “Charm Actor of the Year” at the 2020 Baidu Entertainment Awards — a far cry from when he won The Golden Broom Award for “Most Disappointing Actor.”
The ex-boyband member has worked hard to establish himself as a reputable actor, after rising to fame in boys’ love drama The Untamed. The effort seems to have paid off, just when Xiao Zhan needed it most.
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2020 was a rough year for Xiao Zhan. It started with huge scandal for the confused star, when outraged fans acting on his behalf caused fanfiction site AO3 to be blocked in China.
Since then, it was a steady slope of struggle. Xiao Zhan fans endured widespread hatred, and the public was quick to react to what it had identified as an overzealous fan group. Reports of graffiti-bombing, inappropriate conduct in schools, and even a “dead fan” scandal became problematic for the star.
But the year ended on a positive note. Xiao Zhan performed an emotional ballad on variety TV show Actors Take Your Places, and despite a viral onstage mishap, won the hearts of audiences. Now with the Baidu award firmly in hand, the star is starting the year strong, and it might be time to ask ourselves, is Xiao Zhan un-cancelled?
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The star has helmed successful TV dramas such as Joy of Life and The Wolf, as well as films such as Jade Dynasty, but still faces troubles with his image as a serious actor. He won “Most Disappointing Actor” at last year’s Golden Broom Awards, a celebration of cinematic underachievement started by film critic Cheng Qingsong, who’s currently trending on Weibo after unveiling his 19-year-old boyfriend.
Other stars honored at the event included Zhao Lusi , who was awarded “Breakthrough Actress of the Year” for her work in The Romance of Tiger and Rose, Oh! My Emperor, and Love of Thousand Years on Amazon Prime.
