A star shaped by science

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.