Chinese actress Liu Shishi, known for her marriage to Taiwanese actor Nicky Wu and their children, made a successful comeback two years ago with the drama series “One Mind and a Mountain,” and regained her popularity. Recently, her new drama “In the Palm” co-starring Dou Xiao is being streamed online. Rumors circulating online claim that her salary for the role is 12 million yuan, the highest in the entire cast. However, compared to the 110 million yuan she earned from “One Mind and a Mountain,” her salary has shrunk by 90%, reflecting the significant decrease in production costs for Chinese dramas due to the country’s economic downturn, and top-tier stars’ fees being continuously reduced.
“Hand” is a suspense drama set in the era of the Tang Dynasty. The story follows “Gu Qing,” whose family was exterminated during the reign of Emperor Dezong but managed to survive. She changed her name to “Ye Ping’an” (played by Liu Shishi) and returned to the capital city to establish the “Mind Healing Clinic.” Using her own life as bait, she strategically plots her revenge, embarking on an eighteen-year journey of vengeance. As the cases deepen, she encounters the Ministry of Justice’s “Yuan Shaocheng” (played by Dou Xiao), and their relationship gradually evolves from hostility to mutual exploitation and even romantic feelings.
Liu Shishi portrays the enigmatic and ruthless character of “Ye Ping’an” in the drama, known for her ability to see through people’s minds and referred to as a witch doctor by others. According to mainland entertainment blogger “Treasure Ba Yu,” Liu Shishi’s salary for starring in “In the Palm” is 12 million yuan, the highest in the entire series. However, her salary is drastically lower compared to her previous work in “One Mind and a Mountain,” where she earned 2.78 million yuan per episode and a total of 110 million yuan for the entire series. Meanwhile, Dou Xiao’s salary is slightly lower at 10 million yuan.
Furthermore, the salaries of the supporting actors in “In the Palm” have also been revealed. The salary for the second male lead Zheng Yecheng is 4 million yuan; portraying the elegant and talented best friend of the female lead, “Lu Danxin,” Xuan Lu also receives 4 million yuan; Xu Jiao, who plays the female official and advisor by the emperor’s side, “Wu Xian’er,” though ranked as the third female role, earns 5 million yuan due to her rise to fame from starring in the film “CJ7” by Stephen Chow as a “Star Lady,” even higher than the second male lead and female lead; Zhang Yuxi, who makes a cameo appearance as the international fragrance songstress “Ni Chang,” receives 3 million yuan.
Moreover, veteran actors such as Wang Zhifei, who plays “Wu Xian’er’s” father “Wu Youjing,” Huang Haibing, who plays the Minister of Personnel “Hai Yiping,” and Chen Jin, who portrays the imposing female emperor, all earn 3 million yuan each, lower than what was expected by the public.
Analysts suggest that while reductions in celebrity salaries in previous years were due to the crackdown on exorbitant fees, the significant decrease in celebrity salaries since last year is primarily attributed to China’s severe economic downturn.
In November 2018, the National Radio and Television Administration of China issued a “restriction order” that stipulated that actors’ salaries should not exceed 40% and 70% of the production costs respectively: in each TV series, the total salaries of the cast should not exceed 40% of the total production costs, and the salaries of the main actors should not exceed 70% of the total salaries. Subsequently, the three major video websites (Youku, Tencent, iQiyi) in collaboration with six production companies, including “Zhongwu Yangguang,” publicly declared that actors’ total salaries should not exceed 50 million yuan.
An article from mainland China’s “Entertainment Capital Theory” mentioned that following the tax turmoil involving Fan Bingbing, it was not a cap of 50 million yuan on actors’ salaries but being above 30 million yuan that was risky, making them susceptible to official scrutiny. The prices were almost halved and calculated before taxes for contracts that had almost not exceeded 30 million yuan, with up-and-coming young actors aiming for figures like 60 million or 80 million yuan, reluctant to accept deals below 40 million yuan. Presently, the common transactions are 20 million to 30 million yuan, marking a 50% reduction from before.
Just a year later, Bai Yicang, who serves as a producer and screenwriter, in early 2020 mentioned the changes in mainland actors’ salaries during an interview. He revealed that the salaries of top-tier actors dropped by 90%, while general performers experienced at least a two to threefold reduction from their peak. He predicted at that time, “In another month, for a production worth 10 million yuan, stars will be scrambling to take part.”
According to reports from mainland media, many once-popular actors have been absent from the screen for a long time. Several well-known actors have appeared in large numbers on variety shows like “Actors Please Take Your Place,” “Acting Masters,” and “I Am an Actor – Peak Showdown,” indicating a trend where “big names” are transitioning to survival through variety shows.