TVB Actress Jeannie Chan Slammed For Performance In New Drama, Netizen Says Her Wide-Eyed Look In Scenes “Gave Them Nightmares”

Canadian-born Hong Kong actress Jeannie Chan’s star is certainly on the rise, having been cast as the lead in the TVB anniversary drama that has the distinction of being written, produced and directed by a film director.

Patrick Kong, known for his female-centric romance movies, was reportedly tasked with making a feverish melodrama in the same vein as Korean hit Penthouse.

What he delivered in apparently record production time is The Beauty of War, which has aired for about a week and garnered a wide following, including fans in China.

What audiences are not raving about, unfortunately, is leading lady Jeannie Chan’s (陈滢) performance. Her character is a naïf who learns the hard way that nice girls finish last and crosses over to the ‘dark side’ for vengeance.

As the sweet young thing, the 32-year-old actress has been panned by Chinese netizens for her “mediocre acting”.

The erstwhile model, who got her showbiz start after joining a modelling agency while on a student exchange trip in Hong Kong in 2010, has been knocked for not having the acting heft to carry a demanding lead role.

Netizens also gripe that her expressions are one note.

One expression in particular has been singled out for being especially grating. The 'Wide-Eyed Stare' has been used to telegraph everything from fear, shock, grief to rage and excitement. Did we mention it’s only been a week since the show debuted?  

One netizen even took the time to make a collage from a collection of screencaps of Jeannie’s wide-eyed face and posted it to online social media platform Xiao Hong Shu (小红书). “[Her] glares give me nightmares when I’m sleeping, how horrifying!” was the not-so-subtle comment.

Other netizens also chimed in on the post, writing comments like “TVB has really run out of talent” and “her acting is a little scary”. One of them said simply that the role was “not suitable” for Jeannie.

Photos: Chinapress, Oriental Daily