(Wen Sheng-Hao)
Black leather jacket, orange knit sweater, striped shirt, and dark green corduroy trousers by Fendi;
BVLGARI B.zero1 ring, BVLGARI OCTO Finissimo rose-gold satin-polished watch with sunburst brown lacquer dial by Bvlgari.
(Sandrine Pinna / Zhang Rong-rong)
Off-white knit cardigan, black polka-dot blouse, black polka-dot shorts, and high-heeled sandals by Fendi;
BVLGARI B.zero1 necklace and rings, BVLGARI Serpenti necklace, earrings, and rings by Bvlgari.
After five years of preparation—through development, suspension, and finally restarting—After the Makeover has at last come to life, all thanks to Wen Sheng-Hao’s unwavering determination. Not only does he lead the series as the male protagonist, he also steps for the first time into the roles of producer and investor, taking full creative control of Taiwan’s first medical drama centered on cosmetic surgery and aesthetic medicine.
As for leading actress Sandrine Pinna, she is not only a key performer on screen but also a trusted collaborator behind the scenes, providing support throughout the production process.
The birth of After the Makeover is itself a five-year-long “operation.” Wen Sheng-Hao, both producer and leading actor, invited his longtime friend Sandrine Pinna to walk this journey with him. The drama delves into the light and shadows of the aesthetic-medicine industry, peeling back layers of societal issues such as beauty anxiety, self-identity, and the complex dynamics between doctor and patient.
In real life, the two walked through equally demanding creative challenges side by side—an experience filled with its own stories of healing, repair, and understanding, both on and off screen.
Both a Friend and a Partner
“He’s like the male version of me, and I’m the female version of him.”
With this simple yet vivid description, Sandrine Pinna perfectly sums up the friendship and chemistry she shares with Wen Sheng-Hao. Because of this bond, the scene in their new drama where the two quietly mourn a dear friend becomes deeply moving—overflowing with emotion yet profoundly restrained.
She recalls the moment: her character had to walk toward Wen Sheng-Hao in silence, gently take his sunglasses, put them on, and let her emotions shift delicately between collapse and composure—all without a single word spoken.
“That scene taught me what ‘silence speaks louder than words’ truly means,” she says. It was years of trust and familiarity that allowed their performance to feel so raw and real.
Help Me Finish This Series
Rewind to 2020 and 2021—After the Makeover (then under a different working title) was in the midst of research, script development, and costume fitting. But the pandemic disrupted everything. Mounting production costs, stalled investments, and the increased need to fully understand medical regulations eventually forced the team to shut everything down. They disbanded the crew and accepted the losses.
For Wen Sheng-Hao, it was the first time he stepped into a producer role. And for the first time, he felt the painful collision between creative ideals and harsh commercial realities.
Fortunately, the drama eventually found a second life and was revived.
When After the Makeover restarted production, the team was called back together—and it was at this point that Sandrine Pinna officially joined the project. She recalls that Wen, who rarely shares his frustrations, sat with her over a cup of coffee and finally opened up about his discouragement. After handing her a proposal and the script, he looked at her and asked:
“Would you be willing to walk this road with me and help me complete this series?”
(Sandrine Pinna)
Cream knit cardigan, black polka-dot shirt, black polka-dot shorts, and heeled sandals by Fendi;
BVLGARI B.zero1 necklace and ring, BVLGARI Spiral necklace, earrings, and ring by Bvlgari.
(Wen Sheng-Hao)
Black leather jacket, orange knit top, striped shirt, and dark green corduroy trousers by Fendi;
BVLGARI B.zero1 ring, BVLGARI OCTO ultra-thin satin-polished rose gold watch with a sunburst brown lacquer dial by Bvlgari.
“I knew Shen-Hao was under tremendous pressure because of this project, to the point where his mental and physical state were taking a hit. After reading the script myself, I genuinely loved the story and the creative team behind it,” she says. Without overthinking, she accepted the role and stepped behind the scenes as well, determined to help elevate the production.
She explains, “Shen-Hao is a very responsible partner, but he also has this slightly childlike side. In life, he’s not only a close friend — we can also be comrades-in-arms. It’s his first time producing, and being able to stand by him through it feels really meaningful.”
The loyalty between the lines needs no further explanation.
A partner — and the most dependable right hand.
With her sharp instincts as an actor-writer, Zhang Rong-Rong can step back and view the bigger picture with clarity and objectivity — something Shen-Hao admittedly struggles with when his expectations narrow his judgment and make him a little stubborn at times. He laughs and says, “It’s very hard to convince me… but for this project, only Rong-Rong can do it.”
From script discussions, cast voiceovers, post-production sound sessions, to helping Shen-Hao communicate with the director, she was involved in nearly every stage of the process. She watched the early cuts more than five times, becoming the most reliable and indispensable collaborator he could have asked for.
(Zhang Rong-Rong) Blue-violet jacket, sky-blue shirt, polka-dot pencil skirt, and leather heeled sandals by Fendi; BVLGARI Spiral collection rings, necklace, bracelet, and earrings; Serpenti ring and B.zero1 necklace by Bvlgari.
(Wen Sheng-Hao) Black jacket, teal V-neck knit vest, blue-violet shirt, blue-violet trousers, and black leather sole shoes by Fendi; BVLGARI B.zero1 ring and OCTO ultra-thin skeleton titanium 8-day power-reserve watch by Bvlgari.
“There's a quality in Rong-Rong that I really admire,” Wen Sheng-Hao says. “Many actors tend to keep the spotlight on themselves — but not her. She always looks at the project as a whole. She’ll point out who needs to shine more, or where something needs support. That willingness to lift others up… it’s truly rare.”
A heartfelt compliment — and one of the most precious qualities an artist can possess.
Bright orange V-neck knit top, teal shirt, burgundy wide-leg trousers, and black heeled sandals by Fendi;
BVLGARI Serpenti Spiga yellow-gold watch, Spiga collection rings, necklace, and earrings;
Serpenti ring and bracelet, and B.zero1 necklace by BVLGARI.
Follow Your Heart — Why Not?
In After the Makeover, which explores different cosmetic-procedure stories in each episode, the topic inevitably touches on today’s most talked-about issue: appearance anxiety.
In the drama, Sandrine Pinna plays a doctor who constantly dissuades patients from undergoing cosmetic work, firmly believing that natural beauty is enough and that excessive medical intervention isn’t necessary to fulfill an imagined ideal.
Winston Chao, on the other hand, plays a results-driven surgeon — whatever the client wants fixed, he makes it happen right away.
But in real life, the two actors hold very different perspectives on appearance anxiety.
Winston advocates for “aging naturally and gracefully, without unnecessary worry,” while Sandrine’s personal views differ completely from the character she portrays on screen.
Cream knit cardigan, black polka-dot shirt, black polka-dot shorts, and heeled sandals by Fendi;
BVLGARI B.zero1 necklace and rings, BVLGARI Serpenti Viper necklace, earrings, and ring by Bvlgari.
“This drama made me realize that many people seek to change their appearance not because they dislike themselves, but because they want to become the best version of how they can look.”
Through filming, she gradually came to understand:
“Cosmetic procedures aren’t just about fixing the outside. They reflect a person’s desire for transformation. Focusing only on ‘plastic surgery’ is too superficial — it’s really about one’s relationship with self-identity.”
After the Makeover isn’t merely about changing appearances.
It’s about understanding why we so often wish to change.
It’s a question not only for the characters in the drama, but for every person standing in front of a mirror.
Cream knit cardigan, black polka-dot shirt, black polka-dot shorts, and heeled sandals by Fendi;
BVLGARI B.zero1 necklace and rings, BVLGARI Serpenti Viper necklace, earrings, and rings by Bvlgari.
Sandrine Pinna went on to share her own struggle with appearance anxiety, recalling a period when a severe allergic reaction caused long-term swelling around her eyes — a condition that lasted for three years and plunged her into depression. She used this experience to illustrate just how deeply one’s appearance can affect their state of mind.
“That period made me understand how cruel and biased people can be when it comes to looks,” she said. “The world is usually kind, but the moment something concerns your face, it suddenly becomes less gentle. But I believe that as long as you can look in the mirror and feel comfortable and at ease, that’s enough. Sometimes, it’s not that others won’t let you go — it’s that you won’t let yourself go.”
If cosmetic surgery is a personal choice, then appearance anxiety is a cultural phenomenon — and films and television sit right in between. They can mirror these desires, but also challenge them; they give voice to what people long for, while prompting us to rethink where those longings come from.
Bright orange V-neck knit top, teal shirt, magenta wide-leg trousers, and black heeled sandals by Fendi;
BVLGARI Serpenti Viper yellow-gold watch, Viper rings, necklace, and earrings;
Serpenti rings and bracelet, and B.zero1 necklace by Bvlgari.
After weathering every storm
After Aesthetic finally blossoms into its most perfect form as it prepares to premiere at the end of the year. Looking back at the many ups and downs throughout production, Wen Sheng-hao reflects, “Was it a setback? Maybe. It certainly hurt at the time, but now I realize all of it became nourishment. A lot of things may feel futile in the moment, but they eventually become the foundation of the final result. You also learn that some things don’t require such stubborn insistence. Once you’ve walked through it, you understand—nothing is truly insurmountable.”
He speaks of the pain of his first foray into producing—having ideals shattered by reality—with an almost weightless calm. What once felt bitter has now become a turning point, a catalyst, and ultimately a lesson for the future.
Having been knocked down and risen again, Wen Sheng-hao is already diving into his next project even before After Aesthetic airs. To him, the future of Taiwanese drama lies in the power of cultural diversity and the accumulation of creative soft power—an open, unrestricted space where possibilities grow.
He believes drama is more than entertainment; it is a medium. Whether sending local stories to the global stage or integrating cross-industry collaboration through production, his hope is that one day Taiwan’s entertainment industry will thrive healthily and sustainably.
“I don’t want our film and television world to be closed off,” he says. “I hope more people from different fields will step in, exchange ideas, and create together. When every industry is willing to acknowledge and participate, I believe our audiovisual landscape will only grow stronger.”
(Sandrine Pinna / Zhang Rong-rong)
Blue-violet jacket, sky-blue shirt, polka-dot pencil skirt, and leather high-heeled sandals by Fendi;
BVLGARI B.zero1 rings and necklaces, BVLGARI Spirito coil necklace, bracelet, and earrings;
Serpenti ring and B.zero1 necklace by Bvlgari.
(Wen Sheng-hao)
Black jacket, teal V-neck knit vest, blue-violet shirt, blue-violet trousers, and black rubber-soled leather shoes by Fendi;
BVLGARI B.zero1 ring and BVLGARI OCTO Finissimo Skeleton Titanium 8-Day Power Reserve watch by Bvlgari.
EDITOR in CHIEF / Angie Wang
TEXT / Zoe Chen
PHOTOGRAPHY / Hazel Chiu
DIRECTOR／Shuian Hsu
STYLE／Youxu Wang
FILM／ATHENA席娜、Ray
MAKE UP／（温昇豪）張凱ZK、（張榕容）Nina yeh 葉曉菁
HAIR /（温昇豪）張凱ZK、（張榕容）Lee Hsiao-Fen
FASHION / Fendi
JEWELRY / Bvlgari
PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE / Chihyen Hsu、Wang Ya
