Joseph Cheng: 'I am attracted to alpha females'

In October, the Internet television drama, "That Love Comes," started broadcasting over Tudou.com. Besides being China’s first television series specially made for online viewers, the show also marked the re-emergence of Joseph Cheng (郑元畅), one of Taiwan’s famous pretty boy actors, from his recent media hiatus.

To celebrate the successful online experiment -- the number of view counts for the series have far exceeded expectations -- the team behind “That Love Comes” held a large public launch in the Shanghai World Financial Center last week.

Just a day after the first episode was aired, the series had already received over 10 million views. More than 40 million users have viewed the series’ first six episodes so far, but lead actress Li Fei’er says that she hopes “view count for the following six episodes to exceed 100 million.”

Seizing on the festive mood, we caught up with show star Joseph Cheng at the recent launch party and got him to share his thoughts on the series as well as his deepest, darkest secrets.

CNNGo: Why did you choose to get involved with "That Love Comes"?

The Internet is the way of the future and this Internet television drama is the very first of its kind in China, which made me more willing to experiment. Tudou.com was very sincere when they approached me and I found the show’s storyline very moving. The entire production team was outstanding and it was solely these reasons that made me very willing.

The Internet is a medium for all. It’s a good way to broadcast your message to the masses instantly and it has such a broad reach. For example, you can now find subtitles for the series in various languages -- all of which were created by our online fans all over the world.

CNNGo: The posters for "That Love Comes" are now even posted in New York City's Time Square. Is this an indication of your desire to enter the global entertainment circle?

I had never expected this to happen. When I saw on the news that a large billboard for this show had been displayed in New York, I was shocked yet happy. It was a pleasant surprise.

I have only recently been branching out to other parts of Asia. Whether it’s South Korea, Japan, China or parts of Southeast Asia, I still need more time to properly enter these markets. In order to venture overseas, one has to be very well prepared. I am still in the midst of this process and am working hard on enriching myself.

CNNGo: What was your most memorable moment while filming "That Love Comes"?

There was a summer beach scene in which the male lead actor yells towards the ocean, “I want freedom, I want to live my own life.” That scene made me very emotional. I have gone through many similar struggles in my life. I was very absorbed when acting out this segment. I tapped on many memories of my personal experiences.

My key characteristic is madness. I am a typical Gemini and can swing from feeling great happiness to great sorrow or great anger.— Joseph Cheng (郑元畅)t

CNNGo: What’s the difference between acting in an Internet television drama and in a regular television drama?

As an actor, I didn't feel that there was much difference, but everyone including the director has told me that there is a limit on scale on television but there are no limits [on scale] on the Internet. I personally think there is little difference between the two.

CNNGo: How do you differentiate yourself from the other Taiwanese pretty boy actors?

Everyone is different. My key characteristic is madness. I am a typical Gemini and can swing from feeling great happiness to great sorrow or great anger. I am also a rather optimistic person, which is why I like to act in comedies. 

The other difference about me is that I do not wish to go down a certain designated path. I hope to develop myself in all directions. I not only act in television series, but I’ve also released music albums and will act in movies in the future. 

CNNGo: What kind of role will you be most happy to take up next?

I am currently shooting a television series that has a very unusual subject matter. It is not about romance and is different from all the roles I have ever encountered. The television series is called "Channel X" and will be broadcast in Taiwan at the end of this year. I am eagerly waiting to watch it as I have put a lot of physical and mental effort into this show.

CNNGo: Many view your on-screen relationshp with actress Ariel Lin as one of the perfect TV couples. How has playing this role shaped your expectations towards a real-life partner?

When it comes to selecting an ideal life partner, I think I am extremely greedy and can list many criteria. But the truth is, the person you will eventually meet or deeply care for will very often differ from the expectations that you had previously.

However, a certain type of women really attracts me, that is those who are confident and successful in their careers, or what they call the "alpha females." She is ideally tough at work but yet gentle when it is just the two of us spending time together.

CNNGo: You were given the ‘Asian Superstar’ award at last month’s G20 Asian Music Festival in Seoul. In just seven years you have already become Asia’s biggest star, is this the career path that you had expected to go down?

Actually, I don’t feel that I am a superstar at all. I am an artist who loves my job. I am very lucky to be able to do a job I love. I hope to become a star that people will remember deep in their hearts for a long time to come, but I don’t necessarily have to be the biggest star.

Article translated by Debbie Yong