Deng graduated in 2003, He landed the role as the junior emperor Shun Zhi. Shun Zhi was the first emperor of the Qing dynasty. He was crowned at five and took over management of the country at thirteen.
Facing a tumultuous era, the young emperor learned the lessons of earlier dynasties that had been cast down. He administered the state with Confucian ideology. Deng plays the young emperor persuasively as a young man possessed of the wisdom to bring order to the chaos.
Screen dramas on emperor Shun Zhi are rare. "The Junior Emperor" was the first attempt to portray his life thoroughly in a drama. So Deng had plenty of latitude to interpret the role. In his debut drama, Deng exhibited talent as a character actor. Good looks add to his power on screen, and seem to underscore his performances. Word has it that Deng is so acute he can learn in 30 minutes of dialogue in ten minutes. The young actor says the drama was more than just the first success of his career. He says the role helped him mature both as an actor and as a young man.
In 2005, Deng Chao landed another role playing an Emperor. He took the part of Kang Xi, a wise king of the Qing dynasty. Unlike his previous role as the literati, emperor Shun Zhi, the character of Kang Xi required that Deng take on the character of a valorous warrior. With two emperor roles in succession, Deng established himself as a character actor.
Fresh from the two costume dramas, Deng signed on to lead the cast of the TV series "Happiness is Like a Flower." As the good-looking soldier full of youthful charm Deng earned more fans. Deng also found love, with leading actress Sun Li. They call each other lovers as well as soul mates. The two collaborated in another TV series "Tian Mi Mi".
Last year's war epic "Assembly" sees Deng's maturing. He plays a PLA officer who helps a veteran warrior regain honor as the only survivor of a martyred unit. Deng gave a vivid portrayal of an officer who is impetuous, decisive and loyal to friends. Deng played a supporting role in Assembly. Critics focused their attention elsewhere. But Deng's loyal fans see him progressing deeper into his chosen role as a screen actor.
(CCTV September 2, 2008)
