Zhang Yishan releases his first photo album. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

"My job is to entertain people, to help them unwind after busy workdays," he says.

"I like to select scripts that have mass appeal. I won't limit myself to certain types of roles."

Zhang has played a wide range of characters, including a basketball player, a soldier, a gangster and a person living with schizophrenia.

He knows he lacks life experience as a young actor, but he has a method to compensate.

"I often ride around on a bike, or go shopping in the supermarket or enjoy barbecues, where I can observe how people dress and walk, and their facial expressions," says Zhang.

He particularly enjoys observing commuters returning from work.

"For all I know, people may be wearing masks to conceal their real feelings in the office, but they freely show their emotions after work."

He applies the lessons he learns from observing people to his work.

"Being in the spotlight all the time and not experiencing real life will quickly ruin an actor's career," Zhang says.