Chinese mainland actor Lu Yi attends a promotional event in Beijing on April 28, 2008. [File Photo: netandtv.com]

Chinese mainland actor Lu Yi will act as Zhuge Liang in the new TV series, "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms," directed by Gao Xixi, the Legal Mirror reported on Tuesday.

Zhuge Liang was an excellent politician, thinker and strategist in the Three Kingdoms period.

"Lu Yi feels very excited to be taken by Gao Xixi as the best choice for Zhuge Liang," an assistant surnamed Ge told the newspaper. The actor has experience acting in the ancient costume teleplays and is now ready for the role, she said.

Other insider information indicates that mainland actors like Wang Yanan and Zhou Jie were also interested in the part of Zhuge Liang, but director Gao gave the nod to Lu Yi at the initial stage of selection.

The classic Chinese novel "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was written by Luo Guanzhong in fifteenth century. It is the most influential historical novel in China and has become a popular sources for folk operas, TV series, movies, comic series and games.