Chinese Actor Chen Ming, 38 years old, who has appeared in 40 movies and TV series, recently posted a video on his social media account seeking a job as an NPC at the Wansui Mountain Wuxia City, sparking attention. Chen revealed that he has not had any acting gigs for about half a year, leading to a halt in his source of income.
According to a report from “Daily Economic News” on August 7th, Chen Ming stated on August 5th that his job application to become an NPC in the scenic area was serious. He mentioned that since the latter half of last year until now, he has not completed filming a full TV series. It has been just filming a couple of days here and there, significantly reducing his workload. In the past, he used to film two to three series in a month, but now there’s no work. By August of this year, he has only filmed for a few days in the past six months, resulting in a drastic cut in income. After the Chinese New Year this year, the workload of other actors around him has also significantly declined.
Regarding his application to become an NPC, Chen Ming acknowledged that although working as an NPC is tough and the income is much less than before, he stated, “I am already 38 years old this year, and I don’t have much time left to try out a new industry.” He is prepared for the transition, although negotiations with the prospective employer are still ongoing.
In fact, there have been precedents of actors transitioning to work as NPCs in scenic areas.
Actors Cheng Jushu, who appeared in “Joy of Life,” and Zhang Hengrui from “The Young Emperor,” have recently served as immersive NPCs at the Yunqiu Mountain scenic area in Linfen, Shanxi, interacting with visitors from all over.
Public records show that Chen Ming, a native of Hebi, Henan, has been practicing martial arts since childhood. He worked as a print model during college, appearing in magazines, before entering the entertainment industry. Over the past fourteen years from 2012 to 2026, he has acted in nearly 40 movies, TV series, and short films.
NPC stands for Non-Player Character in English, which translates to “非玩家角色” in Chinese.
In themed scenic areas, NPCs are real human staff members who play the role of “interactive character actors.” They wear ancient costumes or specific outfits, portraying characters like knights, shopkeepers, officials from the martial arts world, and engage with visitors through live performances and plot interpretations, as well as posing for photos, chatting with visitors, creating an immersive experience akin to time travel for tourists.