TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese actress Kung Ling-yuan (孔令元), a 76th-generation descendant of Confucius, has taken the lead role in the new comedy film "Daydreaming Deliveryman" (白日夢外送王) produced by the Public Television Service (PTS).
The film, which is scheduled to air on Lunar New Year's Eve (Feb. 11) on PTS, tells the story of a young deliveryman Soong Da-yen (宋達彥), who is struggling to pay off his family's debts. He does this while defending himself against the schemes of an old high school acquaintance, who also chairs a startup company.
Led by Bruce Hung (禾浩辰), the cast also includes Kung as a popular YouTuber, Pu Hsueh-liang (卜學亮) as Soong's father, and Wu Chien-ho (巫建和) as the manipulative businessman. The director of the movie is Hung Tzu-husan (洪子烜), who was nominated for Best New Director for "The Scoundrels" at the 2019 Golden Horse Awards.
During a press conference on Friday (Jan. 29), Kung confessed that people tend to know her as a descendant of the great Chinese philosopher and that teachers always asked her to recite the "Analects of Confucius" at school. She joked that she feels her prayers are answered more fully when she visits Confucian temples in Taiwan.
However, Kung said she does not feel burdened by her ancestry and that she is, in fact, proud.
Meanwhile, Kung said it was a challenge to portray a quiet, aloof woman, as she is very talkative in real life. She added that she is very excited to share her latest work with the public and that she hopes it can bring people joy during the Lunar New Year holiday, reported CNA.
According to the "Guinness World Records," the Confucius genealogical line is the longest family tree in the world, with a history of over 2,500 years and covering more than 80 generations. The philosopher has about 2 million known, registered descendants across the world, with main branches in China, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Kung Ling-yuan plays an aloof internet personality in "Daydreaming Deliveryman." (PTS photo)
Bruce Hung and Kung Ling-yuan. (PTS photo)
Bruce Hung (right) plays the protagonist in "Daydreaming Deliveryman." (PTS photo)