A 28-year-old Chinese man by the name of Wang Cheng Long has allegedly been impersonating Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse and performing in bars across the country, reported Chinese media.
In a microblog post, Cheng Long mentioned that he has admired Nicholas for 13 years. Since then, he has imitated his idol’s style by piercing his ears and learning to play the guitar. He later also participated in movies, including The Bullet Vanishes, as the actor’s stand-in.
However, it was discovered that Cheng Long was only an extra in the films and that he had made use of the opportunity to take photos with his idol on set. According to Nicholas’ manager, the actor has never hired a stand-in. “If the person is misleading others by impersonating Nicholas, we reserve the rights to pursue legal action,” he added.
This is not the first case of “celebrity impersonators” in China. Earlier reports stated that a group of impersonators have been performing at various pubs in the name of Hong Kong stars Raymond Lam, Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung. The trio even printed posters to promote their shows.
In response to the reports, a representative from Andy’s record label said that “there is no one in China who does not know who Andy Lau is”, so the company believes that the fans would not fall into the impersonators’ trap.
Meanwhile, Jacky’s manager commented that “there is a need to find out more about this incident," saying, “There are many people who imitate Jacky, but if his picture is used in posters, it would be considered cheating.”