A young Canadian man walking onto the stage at Kingglory Plaza to compete for the female role of Lin Daiyu in the TV series A Dream of Red Mansions became the most attention-grabbing event in Shenzhen on Christmas Day. 　

Of more than 10,000 people competing for the acting roles in the city, more than 200 came from Hong Kong, 70 from Macao and 20 from foreign countries. 　

Jules Nilsen, from Calgary, west Canada, who is in his 20s, became the focus of interest among a group of girls dressing up for the occasion. 　

"I could be the only male foreigner who entered for the role of Lin," he told the Shenzhen Daily on Thursday. 　　

"I did not expect to pass the first round of the competition, since everyone can see how different I am from Daiyu," said Nilsen, who is more than 180 centimeters tall. 　　

He said he did it chiefly for fun. "Since I cannot pass the scrutiny, even for male roles like Jia Baoyu or Jia Lian, why can't I do something different to entertain others?" 　　

Nilsen said people laughed when he portrayed Lin onstage, but it was laughter of encouragement and amusement. "I laughed along with them. Perhaps they were cheering me on because I've got the balls to do this absurd thing," he said. 　　

"I am a foreigner who speaks good Chinese, which has literally made me famous among people around here." But Nilsen also acknowledged that the event had brought him more fame, with people recognizing him since local media first published his photo Tuesday. 　　

Nilsen speaks fluent Putonghua, English and French. He has just read the original Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) novel A Dream of Red Mansions in a couple of weeks and watched the TV series shot more than 20 years ago. 　　

"I understand the basic story of that great work. There is the love tragedy between two young people and the tragedy of a declining family. The book is also about politics, hierarchy and many conflicts behind the scenes. It gives me a glimpse and insight into Chinese culture," he said. 　　

Nilsen joked he would not let Lin die in depression if he were Jia Baoyu, Lin’s lover. A fan of performance, Nilsen has studied at a performance school opened by Hong Kong movie star Eric Tsang for six months. 　　

The search for actors and actresses in Shenzhen will finish Friday. Names of the winners will be announced January 2. 　

With an investment of 990 million yuan (US$123 million), a nationwide search for actors and actresses, organized by Beijing TV, is taking place for the 111-episode TV remake of A Dream of Red Mansions.

(Shenzhen Daily December 29, 2006)