Chinese actor Wang Chuanjun 王传君 took home the Best Actor Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) for his moving performance in Mother Tongue 《春树》. In his heartfelt acceptance speech, Wang shared a rare and deeply personal reflection on humility, fear, and gratitude.
“I’m someone who often feels undeserving,” he said, “I like to stay in the background, hidden in a corner of the team. I don’t talk much, and being in the spotlight makes me feel anxious and pressured. Many people think that means I’m proud or distant, but it’s not like that. As I grow older, I’ve become more timid. The more people I meet, the less I feel like talking.”
Wang admitted that winning such a major award came as a complete surprise. “I know I still have a long way to go, so I never expected to receive such a big honor,” he said. “I believe it’s the brilliant performances of Ms. Bai Baihe and Ms. Liu Dan that shone so brightly and illuminated me in the corner. It’s not easy to be someone who brings light to others, thank you for shining your light on me.”
He closed his speech with a touching tribute to his family. “My wife, Qi Xi, is an even better actor than I am,” he said with a smile. “I also want to thank my father in Shanghai and my mother in heaven. I remember my daughter once said to me, ‘Dad, you’re so cool. You’re my favorite person.’ In that moment, I realized I had become someone else’s light. I’ll carry this award forward and keep working hard.”
Wang’s sincere words struck a chord with audiences, revealing not only his talent but also his humility and warmth, a reminder that even those who shine on stage often draw their light from the people around them.
Chinese netizens had mixed feelings about this:
“He even thanked Bai Baihe… as someone who benefited from it, he still talks like that. Just thanking Vivian Qu would’ve been enough.”
“He’s really being fake. Doesn’t he know how he actually got the award?”
“Not thanking Vivian Qu would’ve been inappropriate, right?”
“He’s already won Best Actor. Congrats, I guess, but in that female-led film he appeared for less than 40 minutes, had fewer scenes than the supporting actress, and only got it because of his connections. I don’t like it.”
“He totally deserves it! Since Dying to Survive, he’s proven himself a great actor. Then No More Bets made him popular again with his acting alone. Whether it’s movies or TV, his performance has never slipped. From the early reviews of Mother Tongue, his acting still holds up. He deserves the win, looking forward to more awards!”
“The dark hand of power reached into the international film festival.”
“I actually think his speech was really good.”
“To be honest, his speech was humble and heartfelt.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with what he said. Thanking Vivian Qu shows solidarity, thanking Bai shows respect for her talent. They just can’t both win Best Actor and Actress, that’s all. I think his speech was very appropriate.”
“His acting has always been great. The length of his screen time in this movie doesn’t matter, he’s the male lead after all. And he won Best Actor by being compared with other male actors, right? Bai should be compared with other actresses. I think Wang Chuanjun has always been a really good actor, and Bai Baihe is great too.”
“That was really touching. He’s a humble person, and his acting is genuinely good. People who haven’t even watched the film shouldn’t just follow what others say. I hope everyone online can be a bit kinder with their words.”
