Global Best Actor: Starting with Picking Up Attributes in America

The first season finale of "2 Broke Girls" premiered.

That evening, Chen Xun and Christine nestled in their villa in Beverly Hills, ordered Chinese takeout, and sat in front of the television like ordinary viewers.

Chen Xun hasn't had a chance to watch the film yet, but the feeling of watching it on TV is quite different from the feeling of filming it.

Because "2 Broke Girls" is a weekly show!

Film and broadcast simultaneously!

However, in order not to affect the filming process, the actors did not go to watch the filming. It was always the director and screenwriter who provided feedback on plot points and made revisions to the script!

"It's quite entertaining to watch you perform on screen!"

Christine sat cross-legged on the sofa, picked up a piece of General Tso's chicken, and commented on Han Lee, who was being rendered speechless by Max's rebuttal on the screen.

Chen Xun ignored her teasing.

His focus was more on the pacing of the series and the final editing.

To be fair...

This film is well-made, packed with laughs, and the chemistry between the main actors is truly captivating on screen.

Chen Xun compared the plot in his mind with the one he had seen in his previous life, and the quality was clearly a level higher!

Just then, Rob called!

The call had barely connected when I heard his loud, excited voice cracking:

"2000 million! Chen! Do you know what that means?"

Chen Xun wasn't fully awake yet: "What? 2000 million?"

"Viewership! 2000 million viewers!"

"This drama broke the record for the highest-grossing fall premiere since 2001!"

Do you know what the viewership ratings are for viewers aged 18-49?

"A full 7.0!"

"What's even more incredible is how consistently the plot remained strong, with the first season averaging 1150 million viewers per episode and maintaining a 4.0 rating!"

"2 Broke Girls is a hit! A complete hit!"

Chen Xun was now completely awake!

2000 million!

The viewership rating was 4.0!

This number is truly astonishing!

"Media commentary exploded!"

Rob continued his excited report:

"The New York Times said we are the most accurate portrayal of the underprivileged during the Great Depression!"

"The Hollywood Reporter praised the script's humor, calling it both sharp and heartwarming..."

"Right now, everyone online is calling our 'loser's masterpiece!' 'Bro's masterpiece! Do you understand?"

"Bro drama" is a term that has recently become popular on social media!

Specifically refers to dramas that are popular among young men and have a grassroots feel and a rebellious spirit.

Chen Xun hung up the phone and opened his phone to browse.

really!

Social media and entertainment sections were practically flooded with posts about "2 Broke Girls"!

"The ultimate underdog comeback of the year in '2 Broke Girls'!"

Did you watch "2 Broke Girls" last night? If you didn't, you're totally out of the loop!

"Max's sharp tongue is my spiritual sustenance!"

Who wouldn't want a best friend like Caroline, down on her luck? (Although I'm more like Oleg)

……

The discussion surrounding his portrayal of Boss Han Li has reached unprecedented levels!

Entertainment Weekly wrote a short review specifically about it:

"The character Han Lee cleverly subverts the stereotype that Chinese-American characters in American TV series are either kung fu masters or nerds!"

"He's stingy and neurotic, yet possesses a unique comedic charm rooted in Eastern philosophy!"

"Chen Xun's performance perfectly captured this delicate balance, making the character both laughable and inexplicably endearing!"

What Chen Xun didn't expect was that the coin he casually played with actually went viral!

Suddenly, a large number of videos imitating his coin-spinning appeared on TikTok and Instagram.

Young people try all sorts of things:

Coins, bottle caps, game tokens, even cookies!

Accompanied by the hashtag #HanLeeCoinTrick.

Challenge yourself to see who can spin the longest and in the most fancy way!

"Help! I tried all night, and the coin flew out and hit my mom's vase!"

"This thing looks simple, why is it so difficult?"

"How exactly did Chen Xun do that? Did he have bearings in his fingers?"

"I suspect that Mr. Li, the owner of the restaurant, was a gambling expert in Las Vegas before he worked there (just kidding)."

Several well-known YouTubers even released "Han Lee Coin Trick Crash Course".

The number of clicks is skyrocketing!

Christine scrolled through her phone, laughing so hard she slapped the sofa.

"OMG! Chen Xun! Now everyone on the internet is copying your coin-spinning technique!"

Chen Xun looked at the imitation videos, some successful and some not, and couldn't help but laugh and cry.

He originally designed this little gesture simply to make the character more recognizable, but he didn't expect it to spark such a wave of imitations.

Rob called again, this time with an even more excited tone:

"See? The video websites are full of videos of you playing with coins!"

"Brands have been calling me non-stop! A sports brand wants you to promote their product, saying your coin trick proves your hand-eye coordination is world-class!"

"A magic props company also wants you to be their spokesperson!"

"And there are media interviews! The Ellen DeGeneres Show team has sent an invitation! They want you to go on their show and teach Ellen how to flip a coin!"

"This is 'The Ellen Show'! A nationally popular talk show!"

As Chen Xun listened to Robert reciting various invitations like a menu, his feelings were somewhat complicated.

It's certainly gratifying; the work is recognized, and the character resonates with the audience—this is something every actor longs for.

However, the immense attention and commercial pursuit brought about by this sudden fame also require him to take some time to process.

"We've received many new scripts, many of which are comedies, but the roles are quite substantial."

"I have a few notebooks that I think are pretty good. We can pick them out together when you come over."

Rob was still busy reporting good news to himself.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Chen Xun hung up the phone!

Christine came over and hugged him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder:

"Hey, big star, how's it going?"

Christine was amused by him and gently bit his ear:

"Chen Xun, I'm truly happy for you, and for the character Han Li! He's truly different!"

They are definitely different!

Chen Xun looked at the discussions on his phone about Han Li breaking stereotypes and the videos of young people trying to imitate the coin trick.

He knew in his heart that he had made the right decision to insist on modifying the character and adding those Eastern elements and personal designs!

The popularity of "2 Broke Girls" is like a rocket, showing no signs of slowing down.

As the series airs week by week, its viewership ratings have consistently ranked among the top in its time slot, and online discussions remain high.

Boss Li's coin trick has become a national challenge on short videos!

Even NBA stars have tried filming videos in the locker room, although most of them ended up with coins flying everywhere.

Chen Xun could clearly feel his fame rising rapidly.

In the past, when I went to coffee shops, people might occasionally recognize him as that Chinese-American actor or Christine's boyfriend.

Now when he walks into his usual shop, he's not only asked for autographs and photos, but the staff will also proactively put a coin-shaped latte art on his latte!

Although in Chen Xun's eyes it looked more like a crooked circle.

"Bro, you're really famous now!"

Chris messaged him teasingly:

"My little niece is trying to imitate you spinning coins, and she even asked me if I know that super cool restaurant owner. I feel like my Thor status is being threatened!"

Against this backdrop, Chen Xun received a payment settlement notice from Warner Bros.

Season 1, 24 episodes, $100,000 per episode!

Looking at the glaring "$2,400,000.00" in the email, Chen Xun took a deep breath.

This was the first time in his life he had ever seen such a huge number!

This is real income that will be deposited into his account!

The excitement lasted less than three minutes before Rob's call came in.

"See the numbers? Feeling good, huh?"

"Don't rush, the dream is about to end! Get ready to be embraced by the IRS, the United States of America's most loving embrace."

This money is pre-tax income!

With California state tax plus federal tax, Rob roughly calculated that it would take away almost half!

Rob explained it in his most straightforward way:

"Simply put, of your $240 million, the government will take about $100 million upfront, consider it a VIP ticket to living in sunny California and the great United States!"

Chen Xun: "..."

He felt his heart skip a beat!