China's wannabe actors chase careers, dreams in Beijing hotel

HOPES, DREAMS

Driving the fervor for these wannabe actors is the explosive growth of China's Internet film and Internet series industry.

According to China Internet Network Information Center, China's online population reached 751 million as of June 2017, up 2.7 percent from the end of 2016. The number of mobile Internet users stood at 724 million.

Riding on the back of Internet success, online films and series have also seen rapid growth. In the first half of 2017 alone, about 5,000 Internet films, series, cartoons and documentaries were registered at the State Administration of Press Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

"The quality of the online projects is debatable, but the industry has great potential," says casting director Wang Xiaojian.

The rise of the industry has given precious opportunities to relatively unknown actors, including Chinese actress Zhang Tian'ai, who shot to national fame via her character in the hit Internet series "Go Princess Go." After the show's success, Zhang's career skyrocketed, and her salary rose to rival that of China's top actresses, according to web portal 163.com. Her followers on Weibo also rose from 30,000 to more than 13 million.

But not everyone is as lucky as Zhang. The daily salary for unknown actors varies, from as low as 50 yuan ($7.8) to as much as 4,000 yuan, according to actor Shen Shijie.

Shen, 68, is a retired musician from the Chinese Ballad Singers Association. After his retirement in 2010, he began an acting career, looking for opportunities in the hotel, or via social tools such as WeChat.

"Sometimes I come to the Piao hotel to look for opportunities," Shen says, as he knocks door-to-door to hand out his resume to different crews. "If they think I am suitable for a certain role, they call me."

Shen says he can make more than 1,000 yuan every day for a cameo in a film or TV series, but "most extras can only make 100 yuan or less" because they have no connections in the industry.

"I have some acquaintances, so my income is better," he says.

Many, however, say that money is not a priority, but experience is.

"I love meeting different people in the cast and crew, and more importantly, I really enjoy acting," says Zhao Yuhao, 25.

Zhao says he has played different roles in a series of films, including Zhang Yimou's "The Great Wall," starring Matt Damon, in which he played a general, though his cameo was eventually cut from the final edit.

"It takes time and effort to be a good actor. I am not here for overnight fame," he says.

Quan Meihua says she has been to the hotel many times.

"I would like to be like Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, who has not only achieved fame and celebrity via acting, but also learned to deal with many difficult situations," she says.

Last year, Fan Bingbing topped the Forbes China Celebrity List for the fourth consecutive time.

"I know that not everyone can be like Fan Bingbing or Ziyi Zhang," Quan says. "But it is best to hold out for our hopes and dreams."