Behind the Scenes of The Knockout: Wigs, Hairlines, and Aging on Screen

If we talk about the breakout drama at the beginning of 2023, The Knockout truly deserves the title.

As a TV series centered on anti-crime and corruption, its high-stakes, gripping plot had viewers hooked, with nearly every storyline sparking trending discussions online.

With the drama’s popularity, viewers began watching with a microscope, so to speak.

1080p resolution no longer sufficed—4K viewing revealed every detail.

Under this scrutiny, netizens noticed a number of goofs, including something as subtle as Gao Qiqiang’s (played by Zhang Songwen) wig.

The adhesive traces of the wig base along his hairline became impossible to miss in 4K.

Moreover, the hair at the front of the hairline appeared overly dense, making it look somewhat unnatural even without 4K.

High-quality wigs pay special attention to the hairline, ensuring that the hair appears to grow naturally from the scalp. For example, this wig looks as if the hair is sprouting directly from the scalp, with no visible traces of a wig.

On a related note, the creators of The Knockout chose three distinct time points: 2000, 2006, and 2021.

With such a wide span of years, they needed to differentiate the character’s age through hairstyle and makeup.

Thus, Gao Qiqiang wears a wig in his thirties, making him appear much younger.

This particular wig piece is used to signify the age difference, but what about the sideburns?

It seems they were drawn on and later faded or were partially erased…

Image source: @StillThinkingOfName

While those instances have a reasonable explanation, what about this one?

Some netizens joked that an extra in the scene looked like Gao Qiqiang, wearing a wig at night to cause trouble for Li Youtian.

Haha, it actually did look a little like him.

But let’s stick to the facts: while wigs can achieve such effects—like men dressing as women—the extra was clearly using their own hair.

Even Zhang Songwen himself would be fooled by that resemblance.

It seems netizens have now become professional “The Knockout analysts,” scrutinizing even the extras.

That said, having hair really does make someone look younger.

Look at this still from the show—who would guess that Zhang Songwen is already 46 years old?

After filming, perhaps he should consider getting a custom wig piece for himself.

By 2021, Gao Qiqiang finally removes his wig, revealing thinning hair and a receding hairline.

Instantly, his age becomes more apparent.

It’s hard to believe that this is the same character we saw earlier.

Many productions use makeup to age characters, but the visible difference in hair volume here is striking.

When young, Gao Qiqiang has thick, dense hair (with a wig), and when older, his hair thins (using Zhang Songwen’s real hair), including some grays.

The perceived age increases accordingly.

This change feels very realistic, showing that the production team truly paid attention.

After all, hair volume naturally decreases with age.

Thus, when purchasing wigs, one should consider not only comfort and realism but also hair density, ensuring it matches the wearer’s age.

Young people usually opt for high-density wigs, while older individuals look more natural with lower-density options.

Some uninformed netizens even thought Zhang Songwen had deliberately altered his hairline for the role—how innocent!

In the world of actors, wigs are indispensable. Many celebrities wear wig pieces in secret to give the appearance of fuller hair.

Wigs can conceal almost anything.

By comparison, Zhang Yi’s portrayal of An Xin had less elaborate hair styling. Besides adding aging makeup and changing hair color from black to white, the hairstyle barely changed. Perhaps the hair was thinned slightly, but nothing major.

Of course, this doesn’t detract from the actor’s performance. A single gesture or glance can convey a character’s age and experiences.

Beyond hair and makeup, every actor delivered a brilliant performance, and each character felt vivid and alive.

The plot’s twists and turns kept viewers fully engaged, with a story so exciting that fans couldn’t get enough.

With the finale approaching, the tension is only increasing.

Are you ready for it?