Chinese comedian actress Zhang Xiaowan and her agent recorded a podcast, where the agent talked about the unspoken rules in the entertainment industry, stating, “Male artists are now very dangerous, more so than female artists, with a wider audience (implying that male stars face greater invisible threats and temptations in the entertainment industry).”
At the same time, male artist Zheng Guolin’s disclosure video on the “Zhengjing Talk” segment went viral online. In the video, he revealed that he had almost fallen victim to the unspoken rules early in his career. The topic of “male artists being more vulnerable to the unspoken rules than female artists” sparked widespread discussion across the internet.
Zhang Xiaowan has appeared in popular Chinese dramas like “Ink Rain in the Clouds,” “Carefree,” and participated in “Riding the Wind 2025.” Recently, she had a conversation with her agent on a podcast.
During the program, when asked if there are unspoken rules in the entertainment industry, Zhang Xiaowan’s agent admitted that she had experienced inappropriate harassment in the past. She revealed that before becoming an agent, she had worked as a makeup artist for 11 years and then as a coordinator for 3 years, during which she encountered boundary-crossing behavior on set.
Zhang Xiaowan’s agent disclosed that the risk of unspoken rules for male stars far exceeds what the public imagines. This bold statement made Zhang Xiaowan hurriedly put on her headphones and plea, “Please say less, Sister! Are you trying to ruin me?”
The agent recalled that at that time, some executive directors and even actors, possibly leveraging their higher authority on set, would knock on the staff’s room doors late at night under the guise of discussing the next day’s filming, only to start getting physical. She bluntly said that such behavior often made it hard for people to resist and reflected the power disparity on set.
Finally, Zhang Xiaowan’s agent stated that with the powerful influence of social media today, if anyone dares to act inappropriately, exposing it directly online would make it impossible for them to survive in the industry.
After the podcast conversation was exposed, it quickly became a hot search topic on Weibo, sparking discussions. Many netizens lamented, “No wonder some male stars suddenly rise in resources,” and “Is this too surreal? Will male artists need to carry anti-wolf sprays in the future?”
Many voices pointed out that the essence of the unspoken rules was never about gender but about the power oppression brought by unequal resources. Whether male or female artists, newcomers without connections are vulnerable to exploitation. Casting decisions not only consider acting skills but also require drinking and socializing; refusal could lead to being sidelined.
Some netizens analyzed, “Female artists face pressure from male leaders, while male artists may face pressure from both male and female executives,” stating, “The entertainment industry is too deep.”
Zhang Xiaowan’s agent openly stated on the podcast that male artists are more likely to encounter the unspoken rules than female artists, provoking discussions. Multiple sources have confirmed the revelations.
Mainland Chinese actor and producer Zheng Guolin’s disclosure video on the “Zhengjing Talk” segment also circulated online simultaneously.
In the video, Zheng Guolin shared an experience from his early years: when he was a fledgling actor, he received an audition invitation from a production team one afternoon. After discussing their mutual understandings of the role and thinking that he had no chance, a few days later, the producer called him, inviting him to dinner at his house in the evening. Zheng Guolin expressed that he felt something was amiss when he arrived at the producer’s house – only the two of them, candles lit, and roses around. During the conversation, Zheng Guolin felt increasingly uncomfortable as the producer mentioned that acting well alone was useless, one must know how to ingratiate oneself and must network with the right people, and so on.
Zheng Guolin said that he stood up and said he wanted to leave, but the producer directly grabbed him, saying that he lived far away, and it was already late, so he should not leave and stay at his house instead. “At that moment, my hair stood on end. Regardless of whether I would offend someone, I left immediately.”
He mentioned that this absurd incident haunted him for many years until it was exposed in the “Zhengjing Talk” segment.
Some netizens commented that Zheng Guolin’s willingness to reveal such incidents was brave.
Many netizens expressed that in the face of resources, regardless of gender, the vulnerable party is susceptible to coercion and could become a target of the unspoken rules. Chaos in the Chinese entertainment industry goes unchecked; the waters run deep!
Weibo influencer “Mangguo Butinde 61” stated, whoever controls resources might “make conditions”; whoever needs opportunities might be “requested.” They hoped that all workplace boundary-crossing behaviors would be taken seriously.