Get to know Dylan Wang beyond 'Meteor Garden'
Bench invites the actor for his first Philippine visit
The hit series followed the journey of five young individuals as they discovered the meaning of love, the value of friendship, and the importance of hard work. Based on the Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango, Meteor Garden had a timeless story. It even had several adaptations in other Asian countries: South Korea’s Boys Over Flowers, Japan’s Hana Yori Dango, and China’s 2018 adaptation that retained the original title Meteor Garden.
It was big news when the new adaptation was announced. ABS-CBN network was fast in acquiring the rights for airing in the Philippines, while on a global scale, streaming giant Netflix also added it to its catalogs.
But what most excited the fans was the list of actors who would be giving life again to the series’ beloved characters, especially, Dao Ming Si or Ah Si. Originally played by the talented hunk actor Jerry Yan, the role in the Chinese adaptation went to 20-year-old actor Dylan Wang, and he didn’t disappoint.
Beyond Meteor Garden
Six feet tall with natural good looks, Wang is a multifaceted artist; it is no wonder local clothing brand Bench tapped the actor to be one of its newest #GlobalBenchSetters. The brand recently brought the Meteor Garden star to the country for a one-day fan meet in Manila.
In an intimate conference, before meeting his fans at the Araneta Coliseum, Wang spent some time with members of the press where he shared some details about himself and his career.
Aside from being an actor and a model, Wang also has a knack for singing; he’s the voice behind Meteor Garden’s official soundtrack, "Don’t even have to think about it." On Tik Tok, there are videos of Wang flaunting his rapping skills and expressing his interest for RnB music.
Rap also seems to reflect the way he dresses himself. “I personally don’t think about my style because I just wear whatever I want and what is comfortable. But I also like to wear clothes that are more in line with rappers,” Wang said, as translated by his interpreter.
But when asked what he enjoyed doing the most, Wang chose acting over singing and modelling. For him, it’s something he’s passionate about. “I like acting more because I get to portray different roles. And because it’s my job, I’m really passionate about it. I want to improve my art and craft in this field.”
When he bagged the role of Dao Ming Si, he said he looked to its original actor Yan as inspiration, but he made sure that people would see his portrayal differently.
“When I was acting as Dao Ming Si, it was almost the same [with Yan] but I added my own style and flavor to it. I did my best to interpret the role on my own. I tried not to copy Jerry too much,” he said. Just like the character of Ah Si, the Bench ambassador admitted that he was also “immature” and “a bit playful” in real life.
Wang also told Manila Bulletin Lifestyle that he enjoyed being an actor because of the exciting experiences it offered. “The best part about this job is that every day is a new day. There’s no same thing happening. And I’m also happy that I get to meet different people every time.”
What most people do not know is that prior to joining the entertainment industry, Wang was a flight steward. He’s a graduate of Sichuan Southwest College of Civil Aviation, so if he weren’t an actor, Wang said, he would have pursued a career in the skies.
HUGE PHILIPPINE FAN BASE
His recent fan meet marked his first visit to the Philippines, and he admitted that he was overwhelmed with the warm love and support he received from his Filipino fans. Wang said that he didn’t imagine he would find people that were eager to meet him outside his homeland.
“I wasn’t expecting a large fan base here in the Philippines. Because when I check online, I still need to use VPN in order to search my fan base. So I wasn’t aware. But when I checked Weibo, I was surprised that I have such a big following here in the Philippines,” he said.
Grateful for the support, Wang wants to work harder in honing his acting skills more to give justice to every role he will portray.
“I am overwhelmed because I have a lot of supporters here but I am really thankful that even far from China I have supporters. I want you guys to know that I will do my best to portray my future roles to make you happy,” he said.
And that is how a meteor lights up the sky.
Just like the character of Ah Si, the Bench ambassador admitted that he was also “immature” and “a bit playful” in real life.