Young Chinese film star takes government job as economy slows

ONE of China's most popular young actors has shuttered his entertainment firm and taken a job with a government-sponsored theater, a move that was greeted by social media users in the Asian nation with understanding given the state of the economy.

Jackson Yee, a 22-year-old who rose to fame as a member of the popular boy band TFBoys and later appeared in films like war epic The Battle at Lake Changjin, has been provisionally accepted into the National Theater of China as an actor, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said.

Yee also dissolved his company, which was involved in filmmaking and handling talent, the news website Jiemian reported. The actor whose Chinese name is Yiyang Qianxi doesn't appear to have issued a statement.

The theater Yee is joining is known for bringing classics of Chinese literature and tales of the ruling Communist Party's origins to the stage. The government job comes with "bianzhi," which usually means protections against dismissal, housing subsidies or other benefits. Such positions are more popular than ones in the private sector when China's economy is ailing.

The career move by the first Chinese actor born since 2000 to see his films rake in more than 10 billion yuan (S$2.1 billion) in box office receipts, according to local reports, was a trending topic on the Weibo social media platform on Thursday (Jul 7). Most people said it made sense to them, with one writing: "Indeed, 'bianzhi' lies at the end of the universe," using an idiom for something that is desirable.

China's economic slowdown has hurt the film industry, which saw theaters close for long periods because the government barred large gatherings to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Ticket sales in the world's No 2 economy fell 38 per cent in the first half of 2022 from a year earlier to US$2.6 billion, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which cited the consultancy Artisan Gateway.

Yee's move follows a crackdown by President Xi Jinping on the entertainment industry that saw the broadcast regulator last year ban film stars with "incorrect" politics, cap salaries and rein in celebrity fan culture.

One of China's most popular actors, Zhao Wei, had her works removed from streaming sites and her fan club cut off from Weibo, and actress Zheng Shuang was ordered to pay 299 million yuan in overdue taxes, late fees and fines. BLOOMBERG