Chinese actor turns to selling vegetables after reportedly losing acting job to AI

Xu Peng, famous for playing domineering CEO characters in China’s booming vertical short-drama industry, has reportedly quit acting to help his family sell vegetables. His departure, he said, comes as AI-generated content takes over the industry, leaving fewer roles for traditional actors.

According to China News Agency, Xu filmed his final short drama earlier this year before leaving Hengdian in Zhejiang Province and relocating to rural Shandong.

The news agency reported that Xu can now be seen working at a local market with his grandfather, transporting and selling vegetables using the family's electric vehicle. However, he continues to attract attention from fans who occasionally take photographs with him. 

The 30-year-old actor said that at the peak of his career, he maintained demanding filming schedules of up to 16 hours a day after entering the microdrama industry during its 2025 surge.

He attributed the disappearance of his acting offers to the rapid adoption of AI-generated productions in China's filmng industry. 

Despite the setback, Xu said he remains grateful to earn a living and dreams of opening an acting training program in the future.

“Being an actor is just a profession. If there are no acting jobs, I’ll find another way to make a living. As long as I earn an honest living through my own hard work, there’s no obstacle I can’t overcome,” he said. “Even if my profession changes, I’m still the same person.”

CNA reported that AI-produced microdramas accounted for over 95 percent of China's new short-drama releases in the first quarter of 2026, with 122,000 AI-generated titles among approximately 128,000 productions.