Recently, 41-year-old actor Yu Qingbin posted a video revealing that he has been working as a food delivery driver, sparking heated discussions. Some people find it unbelievable, while others suspect he may have ulterior motives. In response to this, Yu Qingbin posted another video explaining that due to the cold winter in the entertainment industry, lack of acting opportunities, overdue mortgage payments, and even needing to borrow money to get by, he had to humble himself to deliver food to make ends meet.
In the video, Yu Qingbin expressed his understanding of people’s doubts about a former screen actor suddenly working as a delivery driver, acknowledging the stark contrast.
He explained that the attention he seeks is not to become an internet celebrity, but to be noticed by directors and producers in order to continue living a normal life and resume filming in the film and television industry.
According to him, in 2020, he bought an 80-square-meter affordable housing unit in the southern sixth ring road of Beijing. However, due to the industry’s cold winter in the past two years, with limited acting opportunities, especially for actors like him, their salaries have plummeted to the levels of just after they graduated more than a decade ago. His previous earnings from acting have mostly been depleted by the monthly mortgage payments.
“When the industry is in a slump, and the mortgage puts you in a tight spot, it’s not shameful to work hard with your own hands,” he said. “I never expected that one day I would have to resort to borrowing money just to get by.” At this point, he couldn’t help but choke up, even showing messages from the bank reminding him of overdue payments.
Regarding his food delivery job, he mentioned that he has been doing it for some time already. This is not scripted or for publicity; he had hesitated to post videos before due to concerns about losing face. Now, he is simply striving to survive and waiting for an opportunity to return to the camera.
Lastly, he emphasized that his situation is not unique.
In recent years, China’s economy has been continuously declining, and life in the entertainment industry has also been tough. In January of this year, mainland actor Wang Xing was lured to Thailand to film but was trafficked to Myanmar. According to mainland actress Shao Yifan, Wang Xing earned less than 208 yuan a day, prompting him to take risks in Thailand due to financial constraints.
Apart from Wang Xing, other individuals who were deceived and taken to Myanmar include male model Yang Zeqi and lighting technician Sun. At that time, there were rumors circulating in the mainland entertainment industry that dozens of actors who were invited to audition in Thailand had gone missing.
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Famous mainland actor Yu Qingbin reveals working as a food delivery driver, causing a stir among netizens.