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| Self-help books for sale outside the studio. Photo: Li Hao/GT |
A quixotic dream
Outside the former Beijing Film Studio, we strike up a conversation with Xu Liangsheng, a 24-year-old from Jiangsu Province. His height of 1.83 meters is not common among southern Chinese, but it doesn't help him stand out from other potential extras here, because his clothes are too shabby.
A pair of glasses held together with tape, an old gray cotton shirt, a pair of polyester training trousers and two dusty cloth shoes without socks - these are his best clothes. Xu refers to himself as an actor. When somebody points out that he is still an extra for the time being, he insisted that he is an actor. "I want to be different from other people," Xu told Metropolitan.
Xu came to Beijing two years ago to pursue his dream of becoming a professional actor, despite having no performing experience. He had just graduated from a local vocational school in his hometown and was supposed to become a mechanic. He told Metropolitan that his decision to act was mostly inspired by Stephen Chow, the Chinese comedian-director whose films often portray rags-to-riches stories.
"I've been watching Stephen Chow's films since I was small. I love his humor," said Xu. "He comes from the lower class and I feel I can be as good as him. He made me believe I can be someone different and do something important."
Shortly after arriving in Beijing, Xu got his first "speaking scene," in a TV series called Destination of Love. The scene depicted people standing up silently to express their willingness to donate money to a cause. All of the extras were told to "just stand up and do nothing else."
"But I stood up and yelled, 'I will donate 8,000 yuan!' which surprised everyone," Xu laughed, gesticulating wildly. "The director forgave my offense and agreed to keep that scene." Xu refers to it as his "proudest moment."
Hu Qiang, a 26-year-old former barista from Xinyang, Henan Province, started working as an extra in 2009. Every month, on his days off, he came to Beijing to seek acting opportunities.
"My goal was to be rich and famous," Hu said simply. "My hometown is small and lacks excitement. Staying there for the rest of my life is the last thing I want to do. I moved to Beijing to perform and to become a success," Hu told Metropolitan.
For Zhao Wen, a 27-year-old who works in advertising, acting as an extra is the only way to get closer to his dream.
"I love performing. In college, I was a member of the campus drama club," said Zhao. "After I graduated, my parents demanded that I get a job to support myself but I don't want to give up. To be honest, I've taken the entrance examination for art schools every year for the past five years, and I've failed each time," Zhao laughed.
"I hope that working as an extra can help me maintain my acting skills," said Zhao.
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