Liu Haocun is becoming one of the hottest names in Chinese entertainment once again after her latest drama The Lead Role unexpectedly turned into a massive ratings hit despite facing strong backlash before its premiere.
According to QQ, the historical drama starring Liu Haocun alongside Zhang Jiayi and Qin Hailu climbed to No.1 in television ratings across China. The series reportedly surpassed a 4% viewership rating on CCTV1, making it the highest-rated drama broadcast in 2026 so far and the second-highest in Chinese television history based on CVB ratings.
The drama’s success also dramatically shifted public opinion surrounding Liu Haocun, who had long been one of the most controversial young actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry.
Before the series aired, both Liu Haocun and the production faced boycott calls from viewers due to multiple past scandals connected to the actress and the creative team.
One of the biggest controversies surrounding Liu Haocun involved her parents, who previously operated a dance training center. In 2014, they became involved in a lawsuit after a student reportedly suffered partial paralysis following an accident during training. The incident sparked public outrage after many accused the family of failing to provide proper compensation.
As Liu Haocun continued gaining major acting opportunities and industry support, many online critics argued that the actress should not escape the consequences of her family’s controversy.
The actress also faced criticism for claiming her success came purely from talent rather than industry backing, with some viewers accusing her of showing little gratitude toward legendary filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who originally discovered and promoted her career as one of his famous “Mou Girls.”
In addition, Zhang Yimou himself became involved in controversy over a performance project criticized for allegedly sexualizing traditional cultural imagery, further contributing to negative attention surrounding the drama before release.
However, public perception began changing rapidly once The Lead Role started airing.
Viewers praised the drama’s cinematography, storytelling, emotional depth, and especially Liu Haocun’s performance. Her popularity index on Weixin reportedly approached 200 million discussion points, while topics related to the actress gained tens of millions of views on Weibo.
In the drama, Liu Haocun portrays Yi Qin’e, a talented young performer who rises from humble beginnings to become a famous Qin Opera artist amid historical turmoil. The role requires both emotional acting and advanced dance abilities, making it one of the most physically demanding performances among recent Chinese historical dramas.
Many viewers noted that few young actresses could realistically handle the role’s intense choreography and performance requirements. Liu Haocun’s real-life background as the top-ranked student in the Folk Dance department at Beijing Dance Academy reportedly played a major role in helping her deliver the character convincingly.
Her emotional scenes and expressive acting also received strong praise, with many audiences saying she successfully overcame years of public prejudice through talent alone.
As discussions surrounding the series continue growing online, many Chinese viewers now believe The Lead Role may become the turning point that fully transforms Liu Haocun’s image from controversial “Zhang Yimou protégée” into a genuinely respected actress.
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