Born from humble beginnings, mainland Chinese actor Wang Baoqiang has starred in popular films such as “Lost on Journey” and the “Detective Chinatown” series, accumulating a total box office revenue of over 10 billion RMB. His self-written, directed, and acted film “The Eight-Faced Cage” from last year also grossed 2.2 billion RMB and received critical acclaim, solidifying his position in the mainland’s “Billion RMB Club”.
In interviews, Wang Baoqiang has expressed his commitment to financially support the young actors in the martial arts film “The Eight-Faced Cage” to attend university and help them grow to be responsible, spiritual, and resilient individuals.
However, on October 16, entertainment blogger “Jiang Xiaoyan” in mainland China leaked on Weibo that Wang Baoqiang’s “charitable persona” had hit a snag. During the filming of “The Eight-Faced Cage,” Wang Baoqiang allegedly made promises to support the young actors in the film but failed to follow through. The leak mentioned, “Promising 15,000 RMB for 4 young actors to film for 3 months? The pledge to sponsor their education turned out to be empty words? The revelation of Wang Baoqiang’s charitable persona crumbling is here!”
Following the exposure, the topic of “Jiang Xiaoyan exposes Wang Baoqiang’s charity mishap” soared to the top of Weibo’s trending list, sparking discussions among netizens.
Supporters of Wang Baoqiang pointed out his dedication to philanthropy, citing instances such as his immediate donation of 1 million RMB and supplies to flood-stricken areas in Hebei without seeking publicity. Moreover, in March 2005, Wang Baoqiang covered a substantial cost for Enbo, the real-life inspiration behind “The Eight-Faced Cage,” who needed expensive treatment for a heart condition.
However, detractors surfaced details about the background and current success of the actor named “Mahuo,” raising doubts about the authenticity and motives behind the expose. “Mahuo” is now established as an actor and baseball coach, participating in the filming of the new movie “Legend of Number 9,” sporting luxury brands, using expensive phones, and even traveling to the US for baseball tournaments in 2018.
Although Wang Baoqiang has yet to respond to the incident, reports from Tencent suggest that after the filming of “The Eight-Faced Cage,” he had intentions to sign contracts with the young actors, but negotiations with their coach fell through as the coach and actors sought independent paths that did not yield notable success. The coach and actors recalled Wang Baoqiang’s promise to support child actors, sparking attention through the entertainment blogger’s expose.
Informants have revealed that each young actor was not working for free initially, as they received a payment of 150,000 RMB. Given the inflation since then, this amount should have been more than sufficient for educational expenses.