So what if Zhou Xun, 43, is playing a 15-year-old in ‘Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace’?

critiques about her performance as a 15-year-old in Chinese palace drama series Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace, after the drama started airing this week.

Many viewers felt that she was not “youthful enough” to play the younger version of her character as she had a “mature” and “raspy” voice that belies the character’s age.

Say what you will, Zhou Xun does not think that age plays a big factor in her ability to nab roles, neither does she think that it will hamper her performance compared to younger actresses.

“Why should I be worried? I may not be able to do the roles they can do, but they can’t do what I can bring to the table,” the Chinese actress said in the interview.

The 43-year-old added she believes every age has its “value” and what is truly scary, she said, is when an actor gets affected by these opinions and doubts him or herself. “You start to berate yourself for getting old or getting fat,” she said.

Responding to comments about her youthful appearance despite being in her 40s, Zhou Xun shared that she’s not chasing after the fountain of youth and instead credited it to the good genes she inherited.

“Not everyone has that (good genes] but having a young mentality is not difficult,” she added.

Like most people, Zhou Xun said she is afraid of “growing old” but hopes her life experiences will help polish her acting craft, just like how fine wine gets better with age. “Perhaps I may not create solely relying on my instincts like I did when I was young, and bring new insights as time goes by.”

Photos: PBE Media

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