In a recent viral news, a 24-year-old male actor from mainland China, Shu Chen, was reported to be delivering food part-time, sparking discussions among netizens. Several well-known actors from mainland China have joined the trend of delivering food, a reflection of the tough times many actors are facing in the current “harsh winter” of the entertainment industry.
Shu Chen recently shared multiple videos on his personal social media platforms, showcasing himself taking orders and delivering food in Hengdian, Zhejiang.
According to “The Paper News,” Shu Chen delivers food part-time during breaks from filming, with the longest shift lasting over 10 hours, earning nearly 200 yuan. He usually spends about four to five hours delivering food on a regular day.
When asked about the reason for delivering food, Shu Chen mentioned, “One is to relieve the anxiety during the filming break, and the other is to interact with different people to enhance acting skills.”
Many internet users expressed their opinions on actor Shu Chen’s part-time delivery job.
One user, “FashionRhythm,” said: “It’s down-to-earth and relieves one’s pressure, avoiding feelings of depression.”
Another user, “kayqin2012,” commented: “It’s all for a living! When you run out of money, delivering food is also good, providing an extra skill and another way to earn a living.”
User “BrightMom6o35” humorously remarked, “If all actors deliver food, then who will be there to order food?”
Shu Chen is not the first mainland Chinese actor to take up part-time food delivery. In July of this year, a 41-year-old male actor, Yu Qingbin, caused a stir on the internet with a video of himself delivering food. In the video, he was seen wearing a delivery uniform and tightly holding food containers while jogging on the street. He accompanied the video with a caption: “Almost forgot what I used to do.”
Yu Qingbin has appeared in numerous TV series but has not had any new shows airing since the end of last year, leading to a quiet presence on social media. Essentially, he was in a state of “unemployment.” However, in May of this year, Yu Qingbin’s social media accounts suddenly became active again, posting some poignant contents: cooking instant noodles late at night, repairing electric bikes by the roadside, studying food delivery apps… Through these posts, people learned about his transition. After his delivery video went viral, most netizens assumed it was a scene from a movie, but he bitterly responded, “This is not acting!”
Yu Qingbin posted a 4-minute video in response, stating that it’s not embarrassing to set aside ego and earn a living with one’s own hands. He shared that he is striving to survive and openly admitted that he needs attention, work, acting opportunities, and recognition from directors and producers. In the video, he was visibly distressed, shedding tears.
In 2020, he bought an 80-square-meter restricted housing property in Beijing’s Southern Sixth Ring Road, hoping for an improved life. However, he did not anticipate falling into the “entertainment industry winter,” with no acting gigs translating to no income. The monthly mortgage of over ten thousand yuan left him gasping for breath. He diligently kept up with the loan payments but eventually ran out of savings due to unemployment, leading to debt collection by the bank. During his most desolate times, he couldn’t even come up with a thousand yuan to pay, highlighting his helplessness in a screenshot of a loan collection message from the bank.
One netizen commented: “Nowadays, there are many actors turning to food delivery. The choice of actors to deliver food is a true reflection of the current ‘harsh winter’ in the entertainment industry.”
On January 2, 2024, shortly after New Year’s Day, a netizen bumped into mainland Chinese actor Gao Hu on the streets of Beijing and shared a video capturing Gao Hu’s current situation. Gao Hu was seen wearing a certain delivery company’s uniform, sporting a yellow helmet, looking no different from other food delivery riders.
The decision of former male actors to become delivery riders has surprised and saddened many netizens. Some users in the comment section questioned whether Gao Hu had indeed started delivering food, receiving a positive confirmation.