The Central Academy of Drama in China is currently facing an unprecedented “earthquake” in its leadership. Following the downfall of the academy President Hao Rong and former head of the Performance Department, Chen Gang, the current head of the Performance Department and renowned actor Wang Xin has also been officially announced to have turned himself in for investigation. What is worth noting is that Chen Gang and Wang Xin both “surrendered” within 24 hours of each other.
On February 13th, the latest official report stated that Wang Xin, the head of the Performance Department at the Central Academy of Drama, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, and has voluntarily surrendered, currently under investigation.
According to Jiemu News, Wang Xin is a well-known actor who has played roles such as Tian Hu in the highly-rated spy drama “Kite,” County Magistrate Xu in “The Great River,” and the significant character Du Chunlin in the popular series “Life of All Things” which aired last year.
As of now, Wang Xin still has a significant presence in the drama series “Life of All Things” on iQIYI.
Information from Baidu Baike shows that Wang Xin was born in Shenyang, Liaoning in 1973. He graduated from the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama, holds a doctoral degree, and after graduation, he stayed at the Central Academy of Drama as a faculty member in the Performance Department.
Just yesterday, on February 12th, it was officially reported that Chen Gang, former Party Secretary and Director of the Performance Department at the Central Academy of Drama, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, and has voluntarily turned himself in for investigation.
Chen Gang is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Central Academy of Drama. He has studied and performed in musicals with the Japanese Shiki Theatre Company. He has also served as a national art scientific expert, a member of the China Dramatists’ Association, a director of the Beijing Filmmakers Association, a member of the China Film Directors Association, and a vice chairman of the Academic Committee of the Central Academy of Drama.
On December 19, 2025, Hao Rong, Deputy Party Secretary and President of the Central Academy of Drama, “voluntarily turned himself in” for investigation.
Hao Rong graduated from the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama in 1995. After graduation, he stayed at the academy as a teacher, later pursued graduate studies and obtained a master’s degree. He held various positions at the academy, including Director of the Performance Department’s Dialogue Research Office, Deputy Head of the Performance Department, Party Secretary of the Performance Department, Assistant to the President of the Central Academy of Drama, Vice President, and in November 2018, he became the President of the Central Academy of Drama.
After Hao Rong’s downfall, netizens brought up a series of controversial incidents at the Central Academy of Drama in recent years, with the spotlight on the criticized “corruption” in the art entrance exams. It was rumored online that the admission ratio of the Central Academy of Drama’s Performance Department was 246:1, causing many aspiring students dreaming of stardom to compete fiercely for a spot. However, there have been doubts about the fairness of the selection process. Apart from the rumored 500,000 RMB “passing fee,” there were also revelations of identical exam results for consecutive years at the academy, all happening during Hao Rong’s tenure.