The interview took place on a hot, sticky summer night. Zhou Ye (周也) had just wrapped up an offline promo event for Legend of The Female General (锦月如歌), and her energy carried that faint excitement you can't quite hide even when you try.
"The first time I heard about Legend of The Female General was online. I didn't expect they would actually reach out to me later and hand me the script," Zhou Ye said. After reading just the first few episodes, she was struck by the core of He Yan's character.
It wasn't the spectacle of big battle scenes or some clever plot device that moved her. What caught her was He Yan's resilience—the toughness that sits deep inside this character. Zhou Ye wanted to bring that to life on screen, whole and unbroken.
In our conversation, we started with this new drama. From the first time she flipped open the script to the last time she set aside the heavy armor; from sweating in the training field to the joy, anger, and sorrow she carried both on and off set; and also how she views her work and the road ahead. Zhou Ye's answers came across just like the impression she often leaves on audiences—Calm on the surface, burning underneath.
Debut as a Cross-Dressing Female General
He Yan is a type of character we rarely see in recent Chinese dramas.
At the beginning of the story, she's known as General Feihong—going to war in her brother's place, commanding on the battlefield. But at her peak, she's betrayed by her own family. Stripped of everything, she has to return to the army in plain clothes and start again in the shadows, fighting for her second chance at life. Most people would lose the will to continue after something like that. He Yan doesn't. Beneath her tied-up hair and the disguise of a man, there's always grit and self-reliance.
"Even when He Yan was robbed of everything she had fought for since childhood, she never once thought of giving up. She kept pushing forward step by step, reclaiming what she lost. No matter what happened, she always kept this incredibly upbeat and optimistic mindset," Zhou Ye explained.
For any actor, playing a role like this is no small challenge. But Zhou Ye's first thought was simpler: she had never tried playing a female general before. "Why not give it a shot? Maybe it'll work." That's how two equally optimistic spirits met inside this character.
Once she joined the production, Zhou Ye realized the hard part wasn't in single bursts of emotion. It was in the long, grinding test of endurance.
Zhou Ye laughed when she recalled the scale of action scenes she had to take on this time:
"I've done fight scenes before, but never this many. Sometimes one sequence would take three or four days to shoot, even five. And it wasn't just swords—I had to use double sabers, spears, bows, even a whip. My dominant hand is the right, but with double sabers or twin swords I had to use my left as well. Sometimes my body just couldn't react fast enough. And then there were underwater fight scenes, which were another challenge altogether."
For the underwater sequences, Zhou Ye had to lie flat beneath the surface in line with her character's state of mind. Water kept rushing into her nose, and the discomfort was something almost impossible to fight off physically. Yet when she talked about it in the interview, what stayed with her wasn't the pain. What mattered most was that the final shot looked good. "As long as the effect on screen works, everything is worth it."
Now, looking back, she doesn't even describe it as suffering. Instead, she calls it happiness. The experience toughened her up. "If I get more action scenes in the future, I won't feel intimidated anymore." Working with the director and stunt coordinators, she picked up techniques, absorbed knowledge, and banked experience she can carry forward.
Legend of The Female General was filmed in winter. Even in the freezing cold, not a single outdoor action sequence was cut. After wrapping a fight, Zhou Ye often didn't even bother to put on a jacket—her body was still burning hot. What she wanted was actually an iced milk tea. "Every day on set felt like a battle. My blood was boiling," she said with a smile.
Action wasn't the only demanding part. Cross-dressing as He Yan was equally crucial to the role. Before filming officially started, Zhou Ye sat down with director Jeffrey Chiang to go through the script in detail. They worked on everything—speech pace, posture, even the arc of her arm movements or the force behind a turn.
"I really had never acted in a cross-dressing role before. I would talk to the director and to Wu Lei, and ask, 'So what do you guys normally do? If I do something wrong, tell me—I'll adjust.' They'd point out the small things, like how a gesture should be done, or how a man might carry himself differently."
Her favorite look in the drama turned out to be the simple soldier's uniform. "It was thick, so during winter shoots I could layer as much as I wanted underneath. I stayed warm and it still looked natural on camera." She even wrapped a small belt around her waist to look more solid, more built. As she told this part, Zhou Ye gestured around her waist with her hand, almost reenacting it.
For Zhou Ye, playing He Yan wasn't just her first time as a general. It was a journey. From the initial "why not give it a shot" attitude, to the exhilaration of saying "that fight felt amazing," from the nerves of putting on men's clothing the first time, to the full commitment once the armor was strapped on—she grew in sync with her character every day.
That's why she calls the filming process of Legend of The Female General "happiness." Not just because she got a good role or a solid script, but because in every slash of the sword and every ride across the battlefield, she felt the value of acting itself.
Understanding the Role Trait: Sharp But Not Cutting
If filming was a long endurance battle, then portraying He Yan was like entering a deep, personal "training" for the soul. Zhou Ye knew that what made He Yan special wasn't just her cross-dressing or her skill on the battlefield. The real challenge lay in balancing the outer bravado with inner warmth.
When asked about He Yan's personality, Zhou Ye was very clear: this isn't a character you can sum up in one word.
"She's resilient, brave, unyielding. But at the same time, she carries personal burdens. On the surface, she might look cheerful, always smiling—but she has so much on her shoulders. How could she always be happy? What she really does, and does well, is to rise above her negative emotions and climb back up, step by step." He Yan is someone who fights for herself, who grows stubbornly in the cracks, and possesses a strong inner core.
Audiences watching Legend of The Female General described He Yan as "sharp but not cutting, warm but not weak"—and Zhou Ye completely agreed. To her, He Yan is extremely loyal and righteous, which explains why so many brothers are willing to follow her. She also longs for love, though in the past, she received very little of it.
Zhou Ye highlighted three scenes that left the deepest impression on her: He Yan exposing He Rufei in the court, marrying Xiao Jue, and the finale where she runs toward a life of freedom. "When He Yan marries the Commander, I really felt moved for her. It felt like she finally found someone who came only for her, someone who could walk side by side with her and live the life she always wanted."
In the early episodes, He Yan's relationship with Xiao Jue is restrained and patient, but never distant. This slow-burning affection carried a sense of realism, which resonated with many fans who enjoy pure, heartfelt romance.
Zhou Ye also revealed that within this relationship, He Yan is the more straightforward one. She is the first to speak up: "I like the moon, but the moon doesn't know." Zhou Ye particularly loved the moon motif in the drama. Beyond that line, He Yan embroidered the moon onto her sachet early on, and only later did Xiao Jue realize the significance of it.
Moreover, Zhou Ye observed that He Yan's choices were consistent in all areas of her life: she never backed down on the battlefield, remained honest in love, and chose to rise even when she was at her lowest. The decisions of a strong character reveal their worldview, and an actor must first understand and internalize that worldview to transmit it convincingly to the audience.
This level of immersion gave Zhou Ye deeper insights into acting. She learned how to find emotional anchors in complex relationships, how to use small details to prove a character's authenticity, and how to ensure that her own state serves the role rather than the other way around.
Through Legend of The Female General, audiences could see He Yan's growth on screen, but they were also witnessing Zhou Ye growing as an actress—learning, adapting, and embodying a character with both resilience and warmth.
Talking About Zhou Ye Herself
In the latter part of the interview, the conversation naturally shifted back to Zhou Ye herself.
1. Career Progression
Over the past few years, Zhou Ye's roles have ranged widely—from playing youthful characters, to Heart Guardian, and then to her role in Legend of The Female General. With each new character, she has explored different genres, constantly learning, accumulating experience, and practicing her craft. Compared to when she first started, Zhou Ye has shown significant growth.
The most noticeable change lies in her confidence on set. When she first entered the industry, facing cameras, lights, and equipment, she wasn't sure how to communicate her performance ideas to the director. Now, she can proactively make suggestions, calmly discussing with directors and cinematographers, asking, "Would this work better this way?"
"This confidence really comes from gradual accumulation. Courage and the ability to express yourself aren't things everyone has at the very beginning," Zhou Ye reflected.
2. Future Projects
When asked about her future acting plans, Zhou Ye emphasized that a character's appeal is the first factor she considers, followed closely by the quality of the script—both are essential. Currently, she is most interested in trying science fiction.
However, she does not want to be pigeonholed into a single genre, nor does she set strict personal preferences. She will take on any role that appeals to her. Epic-style warrior characters attract her, but she is also drawn to modern dramas, youth series, suspense, art films, and ensemble casts.
Regarding ensemble casts, Zhou Ye's tone carried a sense of anticipation. She sees the charm in the interaction between actors—when a group brings a script to life, it can spark something beyond what's written. "The script might be one way, but our performance could make it richer and different," she said. She enjoys this unpredictability, just like when she first took on Legend of The Female General: "What if it works?"
Through careful choices and bold experimentation, audiences have gradually realized that Zhou Ye is on a steadier path, capable of carrying leading roles in major dramas. When praised for this, she smiled and thanked them, her gaze revealing genuine seriousness.
"I've learned so much and gained understanding through the accumulation of each project. I truly hope I can live up to the responsibility that comes with a big role," she said.
3. Life Off-Screen: Cooking Brings Me Happiness
Outside of filming, Zhou Ye is curious and adventurous. She's tried extreme sports like paragliding and diving, though she now keeps her distance from bungee jumping: "I guess the older I get, the more scared I am." She also enjoys experimenting with small things, like hair dye—"silver, blue, purple, I want to try them all." Fans often talk about her "wild kitchen," and she says that once this busy period is over, she plans to continue developing new recipes—though she admits, "Roast pigeon might be a bit tough; I can't quite manage it yet."
After finishing physically and emotionally demanding shoots, Zhou Ye always gives herself a "gap period" to recharge. Sometimes she travels to a new city to wander and explore; other times she stays in Beijing and cooks for herself.
"I think the food I make is really delicious." When she says this, her face radiates not only pride but also happiness. For her, preparing a good meal is a truly joyful experience. These relaxed glimpses into her daily life reveal a softer, playful, and charming side of Zhou Ye, and it's this sense of everyday life that fuels her ongoing creativity as an actress.
Reflecting on herself at this moment, Zhou Ye gave a sincere and weighty evaluation: "Keep working hard!" She admits that after finishing a scene, she often feels a tinge of regret—regret that she didn't perform better—and she keeps striving to improve.
Zhou Ye shares the same persistence as her character He Yan: whether on the battlefield or in daily life, no matter how difficult the challenge, she tries her best and resolves to do her utmost.
Perhaps this is what defines Zhou Ye's current state: not rushing to reach the destination, but constantly moving forward.
