Chinese Actor Loses Work to AI, Turns to Farm Labor
Zhang Xiaolei, known for playing 'bossy president' roles in 200 miniseries, finds AI technology has replaced his acting opportunities.
A Chinese actor, Zhang Xiaolei, 28, who gained recognition for playing dominant bosses in miniseries, has become unemployed due to the impact of AI technology. To make ends meet, he began working in agriculture in the northwestern province of Qinghai in March, according to Red Star News.
Zhang, who possesses basic dancing skills, was introduced to a miniseries filming crew by a friend at the end of 2023. Since then, he has become a familiar face in Chinese miniseries.
In the 200 productions he starred in, Zhang portrayed a “bossy president,” or “ba zong” in Chinese, in 70 percent of them. This term describes a male character in romantic fiction who is a domineering control freak but shows tenderness only to their lover.
