A lead actor’s disappearing act led to drama on set, production delays, and the decision to recast him overnight.
19-year-old Hu Ling Chen is a Chinese actor best known for his breakout role in the short drama Hua You Chong Kai Zhi Ri. Up until recently, he was cast as the lead in the upcoming short drama Love Brain. In late September, just two days into filming, Hu left the set without a word at around 3 a.m., stranding his assistant at a hotel, and causing expensive filming delays. According to crew insiders, Hu left after an argument with his girlfriend, Qi Ke Xin, who was on set.
On October 1, Hu posted an apology video wherein he confessed to not having good “emotional management” and that his girlfriend had nothing to do with his behavior. He claimed that he walked out because of unaddressed concerns he had about Love Brain‘s kiss scenes.
Love Brain‘s production team, however, claims that Hu had made an unreasonable demand: that the female lead actress, Li Zi Ying, be replaced with his girlfriend. Hu reportedly left set after the production team refused to swap out Li for Qi.
Hu has now been replaced by actor Li Xing Han, who re-shot a jaw-dropping 80 episodes of Love Brain in five days. As for Hu, Love Brain‘s production company, Xi’an Qiuyuan, is planning to sue him for breach of contract, seeking damages of 428,000 yuan (about $60,100 USD).
