Veteran Chinese star Chen Daoming has been voted "the most suitable" actor by netizens to play the role of Confucius in director Hu Mei's film of the same title, Sina.com reports.

Chinese actor Chen Daoming

In a online poll conducted by Sina, a major Chinese web portal, netizens tend to have the same choice when asked which actor they think should play the role of Confucius, China's ancient sage.

Chen Daoming has successfully played the King of Qin in Zhang Yimou's epic blockbuster Hero, and the role of King Gou Jian in The Great Revival, a Chinese historical television series.

Chen Daoming easily outranks his rivals, who include leading actors such as Pu Cunxin and Andy Lau, with a prevailing 40 percent in the poll.

Hong Kong star Andy Lau, who ranks 3rd in the poll, only won 7 percent of the vote.

Hu Mei, a famous TV drama director, announced on August 4 that she would shoot a new epic historical drama on the big screen, centered on the life of Confucius. But she did not reveal who will play the main role in her film, only saying he will be a "leading actor."

The filming of Confucius will begin in November and the film is estimated to have a budget of 150 million yuan (US$21.9 million).

(CRI August 11, 2008)