Taiwanese Drama Casting Crisis: Producer Reveals Overseas Favorites and Talent Shortage

Veteran Taiwanese drama producer Tang Sheng-jung has shed light on the harsh realities of casting in the industry, particularly concerning overseas markets and a looming crisis of actor shortages.

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Now, when we make overseas dramas, the names they always offer are those few: Greg Hsu, Joseph Chang, Wu Kang-ren, and those who have acted in international blockbusters like Joseph Chang and Austin Huang.

Tang, known for producing hit dramas like "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" and "Wave Makers," noted that international investors primarily focus on box office potential and market appeal. This leads them to consistently favor a select group of popular actors, including Greg Hsu, Joseph Chang, and Wu Kang-ren, when casting for international projects. He also pointed out that actors like Lin Xinru and Archie Kao remain popular in Southeast Asia due to their past successes.

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This is very realistic; overseas markets sometimes look at accumulated works and recognition.

However, Tang expressed concern over the lack of emerging young female leads in Taiwan. He emphasized that relying on established actresses like Janine Chang and Alice Ko to play younger roles is unsustainable. While acknowledging the emergence of promising new talents such as James Hsu and Lin Ting-yi, Tang believes they are not yet ready to carry major productions.

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Vietnamese local male stars are now highly 'Koreanized,' with appearances that are too delicate. In contrast, Taiwanese male actors retain a unique masculinity and diverse range of works. Being 'manly' and having convincing characters is a huge advantage internationally.

The producer also highlighted the industry's reliance on familiar faces due to market pressures, even when newer actors possess significant potential. He cited examples like Sunny Wang and Austin Huang, whose careers have been impacted by market perceptions of their past performances. Tang stressed the importance of nurturing acting talent, citing actresses like Puff Kuo and Chung Hsin-ling as examples of performers with immense potential who can anchor any role.

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We can't always have Alice Ko and Janine Chang playing young female roles; we need to consider age and plot.