Wang Baoqiang on screen [China Daily]

Wang Baoqiang, a construction worker-turned actor plays a sniper in the 26-episode TV series My Brother is Named Shunliu (Wode Xiongdi Jiao Shunliu), which premieres on CCTV-1 today.

Set in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45), the series tells a story of Shunliu, a countryside boy gifted at shooting.

Six years in show business have equipped Wang perfectly for reporters' tough questions.

Asked about his "first love" on the small screen, he told one: "Watch the show and you will know." When another enquired about his first love in real life, he replied: "After playing this role, everything will go smoothly."

Wang was a construction worker when he went to Beijing in 1998, dreaming of becoming a star. After getting jobs as an extra and supporting roles, he became a household name overnight in 2006 when he played a young military recruit in the hit TV drama Soldiers' Sortie.

(China Daily June 18, 2009)