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Veteran actor Li Chengru lost US$13 million in currency trading
The actor, now 71, previously turned to foreign currency trading as a businessman after struggling to find acting work.
South China Morning Post profiles veteran Chinese actor Li Chengru, describing how he went from business to entertainment after an early career setback.
Before becoming a nationally famous performer, Li, born in Beijing and now 71, lost his entire US$13 million tied to foreign currency trading, according to the outlet. The story also notes he faced difficulties finding acting jobs and sought opportunities behind the scenes.
The article says Li trained for acting later by entering an amateur acting class at the Beijing Film Academy at age 26, after earlier work in a clothing factory. It adds that he impressed director Yang Jie with writing skills and became a script supervisor on the classic 1986 TV series Journey to the West.
SCMP also recounts Li’s background, including family hardship after his father died when he was two and his upbringing that featured eating wild vegetables and leftovers. It attributes to Li the view that his travels searching for locations for the drama supported his later life as both a businessman and an actor.