China's heartthrob channels his engineering mind and true past to forge his own path to fame, Xing Wen reports.

Most people know British comedy legend Rowan Atkinson as the bumbling Mr Bean, but few realize he holds a master's degree in electrical engineering from Oxford University. His journey from circuit boards to global comedy fame is rare but not unheard of.

In China, a Generation Z actor has taken a similarly unexpected path from science to stardom: Zhang Linghe, once a Nanjing Normal University electrical engineering student who devoured sci-fi novels, obsessed over astrophysics and tinkered with electronics. But his 6-foot-3 (190.5 centimeters) frame and photogenic face landed him his first online drama role in 2019.

What began as curiosity soon became a calling — today, Zhang is one of China's rising stars, known not just for his appearance but for his introspective and evolving performances.

"My first acting experience? I was completely clueless. Everything on set felt so fresh," he recalls.

It was precisely this sense of freshness that later drew him to acting.

"I never wanted a conventional 9-to-5 job," he explains.

"Getting to live as a new character every few months, collaborating with different actors and directors, never gets old."

Now, he has become a well-known actor with over 14 million followers on social media platform Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to X, and 1.72 million followers on Instagram.

Zhang's latest drama Our Generation is currently streaming on Youku — a project he considers the "turning point" of his career.

Set in a small town in the 1990s, the series follows a group of teenagers navigating friendship, family expectations, and self-discovery. Zhang plays Jiang Qiaoxi, an introverted boy forced to bear the weight of his family's hopes after the early death of his mathematically talented older brother. Pushed into intense Olympiad math training, Jiang grows up brilliant but emotionally stunted.

During his teenage years in the fictional town of Qunshan, Jiang meets Lin Qile, played by actress Zhao Jinmai, the female protagonist raised by supportive, affectionate parents. The Lin family's warmth becomes rare solace in Jiang's troubled childhood, while Lin also helps Jiang bond with her tight-knit group of friends.

The drama traces how these childhood bonds shape the group's coming-of-age journeys.

Unlike the near-perfect heroes he's portrayed in historical dramas, Jiang is flawed and vulnerable. Zhang describes the character as his "most grounded and relatable "role to date.

"He lives with constant emotional tension. His upbringing makes it difficult for him to express how he really feels."

To prepare for the part, Zhang looked inward. Raised in a strict household himself, he drew on personal memories.

Zhang describes his parents as "reserved" — his mother was the strong-willed decision-maker in the family, while his father was kind but "somewhat indecisive".

Their parenting style was strict.

"They never said 'Son, you're amazing' when I did well in exams. Instead, it was always 'You can do better'," Zhang recalls.

The emotional restraint of his upbringing stayed with him.

"For years, I found it hard to say 'I love you' to my parents or even compliment my friends," Zhang reflects.

"That made it tough to open up on screen too. Early in my career, I was always anxious — worried about how my acting would be received. Negative feedback really shook my confidence."

The drama Our Generation is directed by Zhang Kaizhou, known for his previous works Romance in the Alley and The Bond, which scored 8.4 and 7.7, respectively, on the review site Douban.

Zhang Linghe reveals that Zhang Kaizhou's directing style emphasizes realism, often using hidden cameras to capture natural performances. "That helped me to stop thinking about the camera and just live in the character's world," Zhang Linghe says.

His costar Zhao Jinmai praised the director's attention to detail: "He creates a space where emotions come out naturally. We didn't feel like we were performing — we were just being ourselves."

Through the experience, Zhang Linghe came to an important realization: "There's no single 'correct' way to act. Once you become the character, your real emotional reactions take over. That's when it stops feeling like acting."

While he mostly plays the lead in romantic dramas, Zhang Linghe openly admits his desire to explore more diverse characters. Still, he remains cautious about playing roles beyond his current age or life experience.

Interestingly, his background in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) still influences his craft.

"When I studied STEM subjects, I would review and attempt to solve each problem from multiple angles," he explains.

"Now, as an actor, I apply that same trial-and-error process — constantly experimenting until the audience sees my progress."

Contact the writer at xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn