Wikipedia

Born for the Spotlight

Born for the Spotlight (Chinese: 影后) is a 2024 Taiwanese drama series directed and co-written by Yen Yi-wen. Starring Hsieh Ying-xuan, Cheryl Yang, and Hsueh Shih-ling, the series revolves around the stardom of actresses in Taiwan’s entertainment industry. The series consists of 12 episodes and had its world premiere of the first three episodes at the 29th Busan International Film Festival, followed by a release on Netflix on 7 November 2024.

Born for the Spotlight
Promotional poster
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese影后
Transcriptions
GenreDrama
Written byYen Yi-wen
Kitten Huang
Directed byYen Yi-wen
Starring
Country of originTaiwan
Original languageMandarin
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes12
Production
ProducerDing Chang-yu
Running time42–59 minutes
Production companyThird Man Entertainment
Original release
NetworkNetflix
Release7 November 2024 (2024-11-07)

Premise

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The series centers on the story of a starlet and the sisterhood between Chou Fan and Hsueh Ya-chih, who were once close friends but parted ways after Hsieh faded out of showbiz to become an artist manager while Chou remained onscreen.[1][2]

Cast

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Main

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  • Hsieh Ying-xuan as Hsueh Ya-chih, an actress-turned-artist manager[1]
  • Cheryl Yang as Chou Fan, an acclaimed but washed-up actress[1]
  • Hsueh Shih-ling as Lee Tzu-chi, a director and Ya-chih's husband[3]
  • Annie Chen as Hsin-ni, a beauty who began her career with an erotic film[3]
  • Cherry Hsieh as Ko Li-fen, a veteran soap opera actress[3]
  • Yang Kuei-mei as Yu Yen-fang, an acclaimed veteran actress whose family live in the United States[3]
  • Chung Hsin-ling as Ms. Chubby, Ai-ma's first manager[3]
  • Vicky Tseng as Pan Yin-yin, a diva and lead actress of a zombie movie[3]
  • Chloe Lin as Shih Ai-ma, a young starlet[3]
  • RD Huang as Gecko, Yin-yin and Ko Li-fen's agent[3]
  • Zhan Huai-yun as Liu-mang (Tseng Ya-hsin), a bellboy at the hotel where Chou Fan stays[3]

Recurring

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  • Chan Tzu-hsuan as Ms. Pumpkin, the daughter of a notable showbiz family who was forced to debut in acting[3]
  • Angel Lee as TB, Ko Li-fen's daughter, Pumpkin's ex-girlfriend and writer of her directorial debut feature[3]
  • Wes Lo as Chang Po-lei, Hsin-ni's secret boyfriend and heir to family business[4]
  • Rosen Tsai as Chen Wei-jen, Ai-ma's supportive boyfriend[4]
  • George Chen as Sega, a dance teacher and Gecko's love interest[5]
  • Chen Chia-kuei as a die-hard fan of Chou Fan[6]

Special appearances

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Guest

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  • Lou Yi-an as Liu, a perverted film director[6]
  • Duan Chun-hao as Chang Kuo-lung, Yin-yin's ex-husband[9]
  • Michael Huang as Wang, a media tycoon and Pumpkin's father[10]
  • Jake Hsu as Director Wang, a renowned director and Pumpkin's elder brother[11]
  • Fu Lei as Jen Ke-chien, a former co-star and lover of Yen-fang[9]
  • Chu Chung-heng as Tang Fu-sheng, Li-fen's husband and TB's father[10]
  • Honduras as Ma Yi-ren, a veteran agent succeeding Gecko[12]
  • Phil Hou as Sun, a demanding comedy director[13]

Production

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Development

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Director and writer Yen Yi-wen conceived the screenplay based on her own acting career after winning awards and interviewed several fellow award-winning actresses during the early stages of screenwriting.[14] The screenplay was presented at the 2022 Taipei Golden Horse Film Project Promotion, where it received the Catchplay Development Award.[15][16] The series is set to be produced by Third Man Entertainment, with Kitten Huang attached as co-writer.[16] Hsieh Ying-xuan and Cheryl Yang were cast in the lead roles prior to the 57th Golden Bell Awards later that year.[17] The series was officially announced for production in early April 2023, with Yang Kuei-mei and Cherry Hsieh joining the cast.[17] In February 2024, Netflix announced that it had acquired the series, along with a projected release date of 2024.[18][19] Hsueh Shih-ling, Annie Chen, Chung Hsin-ling, Vicky Tseng, Chloe Lin, RD Huang, and Zhan Huai-yun were announced as the remaining ensemble cast in March.[14] An official trailer was released on 29 August.[20][21]

Filming

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Principal photography began in late April 2023,[17] with location shooting taking place at a nightclub in Zhongshan District, Taipei, on 27 April, where Yen Yi-wen, Cheryl Yang, and Liu Kuan-ting were spotted on set.[8][22] Filming also took place at Illume Taipei on 26 May, featuring Vicky Tseng and RD Huang,[8][22] and concluded in mid-July.[23]

Release

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Born for the Spotlight consists of 12 episodes, and the first three episodes were screened at the 29th Busan International Film Festival in October 2024, marking its world premiere,[24][25] followed by a release on Netflix on 7 November.[26]

Reception

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Joel Keller of Decider gave a positive review of Born for the Spotlight, highlighting its "amiable charm" from the chemistry among the lead cast and noting that, despite its soapy nature and disjointed storytelling, the series effectively captures the friendships and dynamics of women "navigating a cutthroat industry" with "fun" interactions and performances among the actresses.[27] Kwok Ching-yin of Esquire found the series to be "compelling", praising the strong female ensemble and the captivating performances of Cheryl Yang and Hsieh Ying-xuan, which effectively showcase the complexities of the Taiwanese entertainment industry, despite some "over-the-top performances" and a tendency for forced dialogue.[28]

Berton Hsu, writing for The News Lens, compared the series to director Yen Yi-wen's previous work The Making of an Ordinary Woman (2019–2021), noting the more complex worldbuilding and challenging portrayals of the Taiwanese film industry, while commending its high production value and star-studded cast.[29] Wang Tin-yu, writing for CommonWealth Magazine, offered a rather critical review, lamenting the series for portraying female characters primarily defined by their relationships with men and suggesting that it fails to challenge existing gender norms, instead reinforcing stereotypes while expressing a desire for more nuanced narratives that explore women's autonomy and inner growth.[30]

References

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  1. ^ a b c 周毓洵 (29 August 2024). "Netflix《影后》謝盈萱、楊謹華同台飆戲". Youth Daily News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  2. ^ 杜沛學 (29 August 2024). "謝盈萱揭露女明星「辛酸6不能」：跌倒也要漂亮！《影后》震撼落淚". SET News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Marsh, James (3 October 2024). "Netflix drama Born for the Spotlight: Hsieh Ying-xuan, Cheryl Yang in women-led series". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b "盤點 Netflix 台劇《影后》新生代演員，「林廷憶」精湛詮釋無害心機女、「詹懷雲」成最新男友模板！". GQ Taiwan (in Chinese). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  5. ^ 陳珈螢 (14 November 2024). "《影后》超魔性台詞「交出你的泡ㄜ」 Sega老師陳彥嘉曝幕後秘辛". China Times (in Chinese). Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  6. ^ a b Lee, Charlie (14 November 2024). "Netflix《影后》18大劇情彩蛋解析！流氓自我介紹詞、史艾瑪結局都在致敬這些經典電影". Harper's Bazaar (in Chinese). Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d "爆瘦到認不出！「超大咖金鐘影帝客串《影后》」整部看完沒人發現...觀眾嚇傻：在哪集". United Daily News (in Chinese). 10 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "為戲哈菸1／楊謹華緊身短裙火辣現身夜店 嚴藝文親指導微醺菸槍". Want Weekly (in Chinese). 24 May 2023. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b 周羿庭 (11 November 2024). "Netflix《影后》拍攝地點總整理！周凡住的飯店是這間、薛亞之婚禮場地曝光". Up Media (in Chinese). Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  10. ^ a b "連跌倒也要漂亮？《影后》5 大必看原因，謝盈萱、楊謹華超強卡司、揭露女明星心酸內幕！". GQ Taiwan (in Chinese). 6 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  11. ^ Chen, Juju (17 November 2024). "Netflix《影后》改編真人真事？劇情角色暗藏玄機！10件事揭開演藝圈幕後宮鬥秘辛". Elle Taiwan (in Chinese). Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Netflix台劇《影后》7位配角介紹！詹子萱肩負星二代壓力、「交出你的Power」台詞超洗腦！". Niunews (in Chinese). 12 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  13. ^ 蕭采薇 (13 November 2024). "《初戀你我他媽媽》拍不拍？劉冠廷親自解答 侯彥西也發聲：交給孫導". ETtoday (in Chinese). Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  14. ^ a b "楊謹華、謝盈萱強強聯手！Netflix台劇《影后》6大亮點，薛仕凌、陳庭妮、楊貴媚、鍾欣凌…卡司超狂！". United Daily News (in Chinese). 3 March 2024. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  15. ^ 孫伊萱 (3 September 2022). "金馬創投會議公布20件劇集企劃 賈靜雯製作新片入選". China Times (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  16. ^ a b 黃保慧 (17 November 2022). "杜汶澤金馬創投「騙」錢 鎖定「3Q哥」成貪污委員". United Daily News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  17. ^ a b c 葉婉如 (4 April 2023). "【獨家】【影后尬演技】金鐘互鬥延長賽 謝盈萱、楊謹華新劇翻臉". Mirror Media (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  18. ^ Frater, Patrick (1 February 2024). "Netflix Bulks Up Southeast Asia Originals, Chinese-Language Production Slate". Variety. Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  19. ^ Merican, Sara (2 February 2024). "Netflix Unveils Southeast Asia & Chinese-Language Production Slate". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  20. ^ Chou, Inna (29 August 2024). "《影后》謝盈萱、楊謹華強強聯手揭露女明星真實內幕：「不能變醜、不能變老、老了不能整形、整形不能承認」". Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  21. ^ 黃仲義 (29 August 2024). "《影后》90秒前導預告來了！ 謝盈萱曝女明星「不能做的日常」". Mirror Media (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  22. ^ a b "楊謹華深夜哈菸被拍！為戲火辣現身夜店 緊身短裙洩長腿嫵媚性感". SET News (in Chinese). 24 May 2023. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  23. ^ "《影后》謝盈萱對決楊謹華雙姝相殺！盤點2024下半年7部超人氣台劇，許光漢《正港分局》、王柏傑《今夜一起為愛鼓掌》等重量級卡司". Ciao Taiwan (in Chinese). 8 May 2024. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  24. ^ "《影后》入選釜山影展 楊謹華x謝盈萱x陳庭妮三姝同台競美". United Daily News (in Chinese). 28 August 2024. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  25. ^ Frater, Patrick (26 August 2024). "Kim Soohyun and Cho Boah Head Cast of 'Knock-Off,' Disney Korean Crime Series – Global Bulletin". Variety. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  26. ^ Merican, Sara (3 September 2024). "Netflix Readies Chinese-Language Content Plans, Unveils Teaser For 'Born For The Spotlight'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  27. ^ Keller, Joel (8 November 2024). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Born For The Spotlight' On Netflix, A Taiwanese Dramedy About Actresses In Different Career Phases". Decider. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  28. ^ Kwok, Ching-yin (22 November 2024). "Netflix《影后》影評：女角搶鏡！呈現台灣影視圈眾生相". Esquire (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  29. ^ Hsu, Berton (10 November 2024). "【劇評】Netflix《影后》：在華麗卡司的背後，其實還是有些關於「角色」的小小遺憾". The News Lens (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  30. ^ Wang, Tin-yu (21 November 2024). "《影后》說出女演員群像，但每個人的結局，最終還是回到男性身上". CommonWealth Magazine (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 December 2024.
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