56-year-old seasoned Chinese actor Lin Yongjian, Vice Chairman of the China Television Artists Association, recently wrote an article in the official media People's Daily criticizing top-billed actors for having extravagant entourages and bringing their own screenwriter teams into productions. These writers are on standby to modify scripts at any time, tailoring roles for the stars and causing plot inconsistencies, reducing works to 'customized products for celebrities.'
Because he had just worked with Yang Mi on the period drama 'Sheng Wan Wu', Yang Mi is considered a likely target of his criticism, but Yang Mi's camp has chosen not to respond or address the issue.
Lin Yongjian harshly criticized the decline of today's Chinese dramas, blaming it on an overreliance on traffic-driving stars. He argued that using them for their online attention and ad appeal results in ignoring the suitability of actors for roles, regardless of their acting abilities or professionalism. When unsuitable actors are forced upon audiences, naturally, viewers will not accept it.
He lashed out at these traffic stars for arbitrarily changing scripts to suit their wishes after joining projects, resulting in incoherent stories. He also blasted their oversized entourages, including exclusive rest vans, personal chefs, and teams of dozens, creating a culture of privilege.
However, some netizens noted that bringing screenwriters into productions to alter scripts isn’t just a problem with traffic stars—many major celebrities do it as well. Sometimes, different stars each bring their own screenwriter, leading to infighting within the crew and utter chaos, unless, like with Korean dramas, the industry transitions to a screenwriter-centered system that respects writers. Only then could this issue be resolved.
Source: Apple Daily