Actor Shi Yuanting, who starred in the mainland Chinese comedy drama “Northeast Transferee” at the age of 35, uploaded a video of himself climbing Mount Tai with someone in June of this year. In the video, he was seen catching his breath while joking about having no acting jobs, which led to the climb with him being priced at “699 yuan during the day, 799 yuan at night” trending online.
According to “Jiupai News,” Shi Yuanting mentioned in an interview that during the time when the climb was trending, there was a significant increase in people reaching out to him to climb together. However, things started to feel a bit off as the peak time approached, with a flood of private messages pouring in on social media, some even inflating the price to 19,999 yuan, nearly 20,000. “I thought that was too high and didn’t dare to accept, so I just replied with ‘pure green.’ The other person then asked seriously, ‘Pure green? Why would I spend so much money to find you?'”
“While the allure of money is strong, as an actor, I have standards for myself. I don’t want to tarnish the idea of ‘climbing Mount Tai’ and I don’t want to ruin this originally positive and healthy activity with any inappropriate actions,” Shi Yuanting expressed. He mentioned that while he willingly accepts payment for acting roles, he sets a bottom line of 799 yuan for climbing once, stating, “Even if my acting fee has risen due to popularity, the price for climbing will remain the same.”
Shi Yuanting revealed that compared to climbing excursions, he earns a bit more by working as an NPC (Non-Player Character) in scenic areas. After gaining recognition from trending as a climbing companion on Mount Tai, he had the opportunity to work as an NPC in scenic spots. “Without that popularity, these opportunities probably wouldn’t have found me,” he said.
On October 18th of this year, Shi Yuanting appeared as an NPC at the Shanghai Qianguqing scenic area, introducing himself during a live broadcast as a “downsized male actor, re-employment in the scenic area.” In the video, he was seen dancing with other performers, surrounded by enthusiastic visitors. He exclaimed, “You are too enthusiastic!” Despite his fear of a horror room, he agreed to accompany fans to visit a haunted house, where he ended up scared and sitting on the ground. Afterward, he sighed, “This job is too tough!” However, when responding to his experience as a scenic area NPC, he stated, “Isn’t this all for a living?”
Shi Yuanting admitted, “There is a bit of a gap in an actor doing climbing excursions and working as an NPC. But everyone’s circumstances are different, and life’s pressures far outweigh the pressures brought by image.”
When asked if he would continue as a climbing companion in the future, Shi Yuanting said, “Before trending, I had almost no acting roles in the first half of the year. This trend at least introduced me to everyone. Although I received some web series roles in the second half of the year, the difficulties and predicaments I face in the entertainment industry haven’t actually changed. Some people give me positive feedback, while there are also mocking voices. I can accept both—haters are also fans. I am already happy to receive web series roles. When there are no acting gigs, I will go back to climbing Mount Tai.”
Shi Yuanting disclosed that many of his classmates who graduated from the Central Academy of Drama’s acting department with him have stopped acting. However, as an actor, he still emphasizes that his ideal life is to “seriously perform well, make viewers who love watching movies willing to watch my works, and make the films worthwhile.” Nevertheless, if he still has no acting jobs next year, he plans to start “accompanying people to swim.” A middle-class family once saw a video of him swimming and asked if he would be willing to accompany their child for swimming lessons. This way, he will turn the swimming skills he trained to the level of a national second-class athlete since childhood into his next livelihood.