China actor Hu Ge, 42, criticised for ‘overly dramatic’ comment that life is ‘counting down’

SCMP | Feb. 24, 2025, 5 a.m. | Original

Chinese actor Hu Ge has been criticised for his comments about his fear of death. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo

Blossoms Shanghai actor Hu Ge has revealed his carpe diem, or seize the day, attitude but also admitted he thinks his life is already “counting down”.

The 42-year-old Shanghai actor’s comments have sparked a heated discussion online.

Hu became an A-list actor in China after his first hit TV drama Chinese Paladin in 2015.

He then starred in multiple hit dramas since then, including The Disguiser , Nirvana in Fire , and Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai’s smash-hit 2023 TV series Blossoms Shanghai .

Hu has 72 million followers on social media, and was nicknamed “the ceiling of middle-aged actors”.

Hu Ge’s popularity rose dramatically thanks to his starring role in the hit TV drama series Blossoms Shanghai. Photo: Jet Tone Films
Hu Ge’s popularity rose dramatically thanks to his starring role in the hit TV drama series Blossoms Shanghai. Photo: Jet Tone Films

In an interview with the fashion magazine Elle, published in February, Hu confessed his attitude towards death for the first time.

China’s Xi Jinping has phone call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin China’s blockbuster hit Ne Zha 2 gets push from domestic businesses and Beijing