Zhang Liang and his son Zhang Yuexuan Photo: IC

"A cook who does not want to be a model is not a good actor," this is what rising star Zhang Liang wrote on his Sina Weibo account as a credo, and is a simple explanation of his multiple identities.

Despite now having over 15 million followers on Weibo, Zhang was hardly known outside fashion circles five months ago. Showcasing his wonderful talent in the kitchen, handsome profile and parenting skills on the 2013 reality show Where are We Going, Dad?, Zhang stood out as an all-rounder.

Regarded as nanshen, a term used to describe a man who is so outstanding that he is beyond the reach of ordinary people, Zhang said that in fact the praise is mere flattery.

Having worked as a model for the past decade, Zhang is ready to broaden his career and is taking on acting roles in the new year. Last weekend, the 31-year-old father spoke to the Global Times about his life and plans for the future.

A cook turned model

The Beijing-born Zhang had a tumultuous time during his adolescent years.

As a young child his father ran a coal mine and Zhang's family were wealthy. "I had 3,000 yuan ($456) a month pocket money back then [in 1997]," Zhang said in a TV program called Big Shot. It was higher than most employees' monthly salaries in the late 1990s.

But the family savings were lost in an accident, and 15-year-old Zhang had to quit school to support his family.

At the age of 16 his first job was as a cook, with a paltry 550 yuan a month salary. Several years later, Zhang got a job as a salesman.

For some time Zhang could only afford to live in a basement two floors underground. "When I did not have any job interviews, I spent as much time as I could in Internet café because the smell in my rented room was so bad," Zhang said in Big Shot.

Zhang's first encounter with modeling was when a friend asked him for help. This turned out to be a turning point in Zhang's life, and he later became one of the top male models in China and the first Chinese model at Milan fashion week.

Looking back, Zhang said that he used to see cooking only as a job, but now he finds it enjoyable with similarities to fashion. "When you cook a dish you need to have a good range of colors, this raises the appetite," Zhang explained. 

The traditional idea that kitchen work is only for women has also been challenged by Zhang. Now, as a representative of OULin, a high end domestic kitchen utensils brand, Zhang wants to promote the idea that families cooking together can be an enjoyable and happy time.

Zhang Liang promotes OULin kitchen equipment. Photo: Courtesy of OULin.

Family and career 

With more than a little envy, many netizens have joked that Zhang's wife must have "saved the whole universe in her previous life," to be blessed with such a good man, but Zhang said he is a lucky guy to have such a lovely wife.

To him, family and career are equally important, and his wedding ring is something Zhang cannot go without wherever he is.

Despite a busy working schedule over recent months, Zhang still cooks for his family at least once a month. On these occasions, Zhang said he enjoys the whole family being involved.

"I am a person who separates work and family clearly," Zhang answered. "When I am at home, I put my whole heart into enjoying the limited time I have with my family."

"Some people have asked me 'why are you so different in person and in magazines?' I think it has to be this way. Life is life, career is career," he added.

Zhang said he feels a little too shy for the title of nanshen.

"I was only doing something a father and husband should do," Zhang told the Global Times. "Maybe some things have been over praised."

Zhang expressed this in music when he released his first single last month entitled "I Am Not a nanshen."

"I checked every word in the song to make sure it's true to who I am," Zhang said.

Future plans

The year 2014 will be a new adventure for Zhang, who has decided to turn his hand to acting.

Having worked in many different fields over the years, Zhang said he has enjoyed every step of the journey.

"You can surprise yourself and gain knowledge in each different phrase. I believe the future will be just as interesting," he explained.  

Zhang also has plans to open his own restaurant.

"I have trusted my agent to design some specific dishes. I want the style to follow the special recipes I use in my own kitchen," Zhang told the Global Times, adding that it will be mainly Chinese food with some classic Chinese dishes cooked in a Western style.

Questioned whether too much media exposure and commercial work will have a negative effect on his 6-year-old boy, Zhang answered that he will strictly limit that from this September, when his son enters elementary school.