There was no way they could afford not to be anxious.
They were anxious to death.
Male stars on the mainland had been getting beaten down by Hong Kong and Taiwan stars—systematically suppressed.
When it came to films, they had practically no resources. If they got a role at all, it was usually a supporting one, sometimes not even that.
It was not just young leading men like Huang Xiaoming who were anxious. Former young leading men and current middle-generation actors like Chen Daoming were anxious too!
They were being suppressed brutally.
Chen Daoming, one of the best at marketing himself among the middle generation, held no lowly position in the industry. He also had Wang Jinghua, the mainland's number-one agent, and Wang Jinghua had paid the steep price of being banned by Huayi to join Orange Sky.
Yet in the Red Cliff project, which Orange Sky had invested in, he could not even land a supporting role!
It was simply too miserable to look at. Directors on the mainland were no better off, either.
Still, at least things were relatively fair—whether mainland or Hong Kong and Taiwan actors could be used.
For Hero, Zhang Yimou had wanted Ken Takakura to play Qin Shi Huang. When he failed to invite him, Chen Daoming got his chance.
Though he was still billed after Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and Maggie Cheung, at least he had a role.
Hong Kong and Taiwan directors, on the other hand, were truly airtight.
Chen Daoming had a rather blunt personality. Back in the nineties, during a charity performance, Hong Kong Island stars signed their names only in English, and he slammed the table and rose in anger. In 2004, when Little White Dragon was beaten, he loyally joined others in speaking out.
Before that, there