Peeking at dark side of showbiz in China
BEIJING: An online show is giving viewers a peek into the dark side of showbiz in China.
“This is a good opportunity for us to be understood by those outside the entertainment industry,” says Yang Siwei, cofounder of Easy Entertainment. “By watching the show, the audience can get to know who we are and what we do backstage.”
Although talent agents play a crucial role in the employment of actors, singers and other kinds of entertainers, they usually prefer to keep a low profile, without touting their own achievements.
However, on a video platform of Tencent Holdings Ltd over the weekend, some of these behindthescenes players appeared for a reality show alongside their celebrity clients, such as actors Zhu Yawen and Bai Yu, actresses Zhang Yuqi, Qiao Xin and Chun Xia and musician Ouyang Nana.
The show, titled Me and My Agent, is mainly filmed in the offices of Easy Entertainment, a Beijing-based talent agency, presenting how the company helps to shape a celebrity’s public image, plans for various activities and brings together entertainers, casting directors, advertising agencies and production companies.
Different from other variety shows, the actress Qiao says on the Tencent show that it also “exposes moments of frustration” under work pressure, which makes entertainers look real to the audience. Hao Hao, a 24-yearold talent agent for Qiao, says he would not spare any effort to assist the 25-year- old actress to get roles in movies, TV series or other industry deals.
“As both of us lack experience in the entertainment business, it feels like we are rowing a boat at sea and don’t know when we will catch sight of a coast,” Hao Hao says on the programme.
“We are working hard and getting mature together by exploring the uncertainties ahead.”
For Zhu, an experienced actor who has starred in many highprofile films and TV series, a good talent agent should know how to tap the potential of entertainers.
“As an actor, I hide myself behind the different roles I play. However, the agency encourages me to show my true self to the audience (of the show),” Zhu says.
That explains why the unpretentious actor started to
This is a good opportunity for us to be understood by those outside the entertainment industry. By watching the show, the audience can get to know who we are and what we do backstage.
make some changes in recent years by competing in a dubbing show named The Sound, hosting the hit TV show Keep Running and doing things other than only acting. Nevertheless, the show also reflected some differences between the actor and his agent.
Zhu says his agent has hoped that he could reach goals such as winning awards or stepping on the international stage, but that’s not what he wants to do right now. He adds that the show might get other agents to think about how to deal with such kind of divergences.
The actress Zhang says her agent, Xiao Ya, directly tells her about her strong and weak points and never “fools her into thinking otherwise”, which helps her stay grounded all the time.
“As an indecisive person, I also need a professional team to spur me on,” added Zhang.
Xiao Ya says on the show that what talent agents do is to help others realise their dreams by setting and achieving new targets - one after another.
“At the same time, the goals also stretch my mind and improve my logical-thinking ability and interpersonal skills,” she says.
Li Xiao, the producer of the show, says the show’s focus is not only to unveil the daily work of these behind-the- screen players but also inspire the audience, especially young office workers.
“Young people usually become anxious when they hit a bottleneck at work. They may be eager to find someone who shares their feelings,” says Li.
“In that sense, I hope they can find a resonance with these celebrities and their agents, who face similar challenges or problems at the workplace and draw strength from this show.”
Yang Siwei, co-founder of Easy Entertainment.