Reality TV show puts spotlight back on martial arts star Zhao Wenzhuo, Chen Nan reports.

After years away from the limelight, martial arts star Zhao Wenzhuo is back. The actor-director is known for his roles in classic martial arts movies and TV dramas, including Once Upon a Time in China, which was directed by Hark Tsui, Green Snake also by Tsui and God of War directed by Gordon Chan.

But instead of appearing in another martial arts production, Zhao, 49, surprised many fans by participating in a reality TV show, Call Me By Fire, which premiered on Aug 12 on Mango TV, a livestreaming platform.

Featuring over 30 male celebrities, such as singers, actors and dancers, the talent show not only brings out formal performances but also the diversity of the celebrities' daily lives. The show captured a large fan base soon after it was first streamed.

Zhao, breaking his on-screen image as a heroic martial arts master with a solemn face, has won hearts of the show's audience, thanks to his sense of humor, warm personality and chemistry with other participants. His "righteous aura" is so strong that some rappers on the same show, who are known for their "rebelliousness", have shown him a lot of respect.

"No one dares to make trouble in front of Zhao Wenzhuo and it only takes an eye contact for him to scare off 'bad people'," an audience member comments on social media platform Sina Weibo.

"He brings much fun to the show. Most importantly, he practices hard and is devoted, like memorizing some lyrics and dance moves that fit his image as a kung fu master," comments another audience member online.

Zhao says being part of a reality show that highlights singing and dancing was the last thing he could think of. When the team of Call Me By Fire first approached him, he turned them down.

"I rarely go to karaoke, let alone singing and dancing onstage. It seemed to be an impossible mission," says Zhao, when asked about his first reaction on being invited to the show.

But he changed his mind after speaking to veteran singer Na Ying, who participated in the second season of Mango TV's successful reality show, Sisters Who Make Waves, which gathered 30 female celebrities, all above 30, to show their talent and daily lives on camera.

Another motivation was his family, says Zhao, who withdrew from the limelight and spent most of his time with his family after he married actress Zhang Danlu in 2006. Zhao is also a father of three children, with the eldest daughter aged 14, the second son aged 10 and the youngest daughter aged 5.

"My family members also encouraged me to join the show. They enjoy music and dance. For example, my wife was trained to become a Peking Opera actress when she was young. I am one in my family with little knowledge about music and dance," says Zhao.

"However, I decided to join to show my children how their father is capable of being brave, taking on challenges, and how important it is to set your goal and fight for it."

Zhao put his past glory aside and started to learn singing and dancing. He says he didn't know how to wear an in-ear monitor-a tool for performing artists-and he spent hours learning to dance, sing and even rap.

"It was a wild, fun and rewarding experience being on the show. I am very excited about developing my new skills now," Zhao says.

"I stopped all my other jobs and concentrated on the show. The feedback of the audience was unexpected. For the younger generations of audience, they may not know me very well. The show is a good way for them to get to know me."

For years, Zhao kept a healthy lifestyle, getting up early, going to the gym, and never staying up late. His lifestyle also captured the attention of the audience and influenced other participants of the reality show. As a man who practiced martial arts since childhood, Zhao also brought that to the show. In one episode, he performed martial arts with a sword after he sang a song. He also showed and elaborated the "fist-and-palm salute", one of the most commonly used gestures by Chinese martial artists, which appear in many movies and TV shows.

"The salute is physical and yet is packed with meaning. This is not only a part of the martial arts culture but also an essential part of traditional Chinese culture, which is about respect, friendship and peace," Zhao said on the show.

Zhao, who was born in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, began his martial arts training at the age of 5 and graduated from Beijing Sport University with a major in martial arts in 1994. During his college years, Zhao won a number of national martial arts competitions.

Zhao's life path changed in 1993 when Hong Kong film producer Corey Yuen visited Beijing Sport University to find a martial artist to play the role of an antagonist in his 1993 movie that portrays a heroic young man named Fong Sai-yuk played by kung fu star Jet Li. Zhao took the opportunity to play the role of an "evil governor", which launched his acting career.

Zhao has achieved a level of success that many other artists would envy. Yet, he decided to take care of his children and his family because "it's a valuable experience of witnessing the growth of my own children and I don't want to miss that",Zhao says.

Now that his children are growing up, Zhao can spend more time on his work. After the reality show, he says he will continue to film a new martial arts movie.