In recent years, the expression of Sun Wukong in the TV series “Journey to the West,” with his eyes glancing sideways and a facial expression that seems to say “so annoying,” unexpectedly went viral in mainland China. Recently, the actor who played Sun Wukong, Liu Xiao Ling Tong, responded by saying that it was a real moment captured by the director during the filming.
On April 17th, renowned actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong, in an interview, explained the origin of the widely popular expression meme. He revealed that it was not staged but rather a genuine moment captured by the director during the filming of the sequel to “Journey to the West.”
He mentioned that during filming, if any actor forgot their lines or made a mistake in their positioning, he would look at them with a feeling of annoyance, a sentiment that was candidly captured by the camera in that instant.
Liu Xiao Ling Tong expressed his surprise at how this expression had gained massive popularity many years later.
Liu Xiao Ling Tong, originally named Zhang Jinlai, was born into a family known for their monkey performances. His great-grandfather, Zhang Tingchun, was dubbed “Living Monkey Zhang” for his frequent monkey acts. His grandfather, Zhang Yisheng, carried on the family tradition and managed a major theater in Shanghai, earning the title of “Competing Monkey.” His father, Liu Lingtong Zhang Zongyi, and uncle, Qi Lingtong Zhang Zongxin, were also multi-talented performers, but they faced persecution during the Cultural Revolution launched by the Chinese Communist Party.
Liu Xiao Ling Tong gained widespread fame in mainland China for his portrayal of the “Monkey King” in the old version of the TV series “Journey to the West.”