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| “I Can Film Costume Dramas Until 50” — NCT Winwin’s Confident Reply at Shanghai Fan Meeting Goes Viral. (Credits: Sohu) |
There are idols who try historical dramas once for experience points, and then there is Winwin, who apparently looked at flowing robes, phoenix-eye makeup and ancient palace sets and decided, “Yeah, this is my lifelong career now.” During his Shanghai fan meeting on 23 May 2026, the NCT member, whose real name is Dong Sicheng, directly addressed the viral nickname fans have given him online: “the chosen ancient actor”.
Instead of brushing it off with the usual polite celebrity answer, he openly admitted he wants to continue exploring costume and historical drama roles for years to come — even jokingly saying he could keep acting in them until the age of 50.
That one sentence immediately exploded across Chinese social media platforms, partly because fans already treat Winwin as someone who accidentally walked out of a classical painting and into the entertainment industry.
The nickname did not appear overnight either. His performance as Ye Xian in the drama A Splendid Match pushed his popularity in the historical drama scene to another level, with viewers praising not only his visuals but also the calm, elegant aura he naturally carries onscreen.
In an entertainment landscape overflowing with perfectly polished modern idol visuals, many viewers argue that Dong Sicheng stands out because he does not look manufactured for trends.
Fans repeatedly point to his sharp facial structure, signature danfeng-style eyes and restrained expressions that create what Chinese netizens call a strong “Dream of the Red Chamber atmosphere”.
In simpler terms, people think he genuinely looks like someone who belongs in classical literature instead of just wearing expensive costumes for promotional posters.
What made his Shanghai comments resonate even more strongly was the fact he did not sound overly dramatic about it. According to attendees at the event, Winwin calmly said he appreciates the recognition from fans and wants to take on more layered historical characters in the future rather than limiting himself to repetitive romantic idol roles.
That honesty ended up earning even more praise online because audiences are increasingly tired of actors jumping from trend to trend every six months like they are changing mobile phone wallpapers.
Many viewers also highlighted that his appeal in costume dramas goes beyond appearance alone. In A Splendid Match, his portrayal of Ye Xian was widely praised for balancing quiet restraint with emotional depth.
Several online discussions noted that while some actors rely heavily on styling teams and dramatic camera filters to survive period dramas, Winwin benefits from something audiences describe as “natural classical presence”.
It is the type of compliment that sounds fake until you actually watch the clips and realise the internet may unfortunately have a point.
Fan reactions following the meeting quickly split into several camps. Loyal supporters celebrated his statement immediately, saying the historical drama industry has finally found an actor willing to properly commit to the genre long-term instead of treating it like temporary fanservice.
Others jokingly claimed directors should “lock him into hanfu permanently” because modern styling allegedly wastes his strongest features.
One viral comment even read that seeing Dong Sicheng in traditional costume feels “historically accurate despite nobody actually knowing history accurately”.
Meanwhile, more neutral viewers admitted they understood the hype after seeing his recent performances, although some argued that his next challenge will be proving himself in more demanding scripts beyond visually-driven romantic dramas.
A few commenters pointed out that staying in one genre too comfortably can become risky for actors over time. Still, even critics generally agreed that his screen presence in costume projects is difficult to ignore.
The discussion also reignited wider conversations about how rare it has become to find younger actors with distinct classical-style visuals in Chinese entertainment.
For years, viewers have complained that many historical dramas feature actors who look too modern regardless of costume styling. That is partly why Winwin’s image continues gaining traction online. Whether intentional or not, he fits neatly into the aesthetic audiences associate with elegant literary characters and restrained historical heroes.
At the same time, fans are now increasingly curious about what kind of projects he may choose next. Some hope he moves towards darker political dramas or large-scale wuxia productions, while others simply want another emotionally devastating scholar role where he spends half the series staring sadly into the rain while orchestral music plays in the background.
Chinese drama audiences do love suffering beautifully, after all. For now, Dong Sicheng seems surprisingly grounded despite the growing attention. Rather than chasing every passing trend, he appears determined to sharpen his strengths within a genre that clearly suits him.
So the real question now is this: does Winwin genuinely have the strongest historical drama aura among today’s younger Chinese actors, or is the internet getting slightly too carried away again?