Pay limits for top Chinese TV and film actors mooted

A proposal to limit 'entire cast members' salaries to not more than 40% of total film and TV production costs has been put out for consultation, China News reports.

The cast of TV series the King's Woman in Shanghai on August 2, 2017.[Photo: China News]

Driven by policy, the internet and funding, China's culture and entertainment industry has seen explosive growth in recent years.

However there have been concerns that the salaries of star actors and actresses are sometimes so high, they damage the overall production quality of movies and TV series due to limited budgets.

The concerns were raised online, with criticism that the production quality of films was damaged because A-lister salaries dramatically lowered the budget for the show. The topic went viral after it was revealed that the pay of one lead actor in a Chinese TV drama took up over half the show's entire budget.

The cast of TV series Line Walker 2 in Hong Kong on September 13, 2017.[Photo: VCG]

Also included in the proposals are rules that the salary of major cast members should not exceed 70% of the entire cast's salaries, while the rest of the cast members' salaries must not be lower than 30% of the total cast's salaries.

The statement also emphasizes that the problem of a lack of professionalism must be corrected in China's culture and entertainment industry.