The Dark Reality Behind the Glamour of Showbiz

Sleeping with someone is one of the lower-level unspoken rules in the entertainment industry. The truly terrifying stuff happens in the South Korean entertainment world. While filming, an assistant director tried to take advantage of her, reaching out with his "dirty hands." She coldly rejected him, saying, "No, I have a boyfriend!" As a result, her scenes were heavily cut, and the crew subtly ostracized her. She even had to rely on others to help her deliver her lines. The entertainment industry may appear shiny and glamorous, but beneath the surface, it's full of filth.

Yang Mi faced similar situations. After wrapping up a night shoot, someone from the directing team hinted at discussing her character in private. Smiling innocently, she brushed it off, saying, "I can barely memorize my lines—how could I talk about anything else?" She firmly shut him down. Later, in a corner of the parking lot, she huddled in her puffer jacket, eating a convenience store rice ball in the cold wind. Her manager muttered beside her, "If you don’t compromise, how can you make it in this industry?" Yang Mi didn’t reply, taking another bite that made her eyes water from the spice. In that moment, it was clear—her feigned naivety wasn’t stupidity; it was her survival tactic.

Jiang Xin, on the other hand, has a fiercer temperament. When an assistant director knocked on her hotel room door late at night under the pretense of discussing the script, she didn’t even crack the door open, pretending not to hear. The next day, she showed up on set as if nothing had happened, her composure making the other party’s face turn pale with frustration. Later, during a dinner with friends, she picked up a piece of braised pork and sneered, "Some people really think everyone’s a pushover? I refuse to play along!" Her stubbornness became legendary within the industry.

But the South Korean entertainment industry is even darker, suffocatingly so. The tragedy of Jang Ja-yeon stands out—her company forced her to entertain clients, and when she refused, they cut off her resources. She left behind a 50-page letter detailing the horrific transactions she was subjected to, each word soaked in blood and tears. And the outcome? The high-ranking executives remained untouched, while she lost her life. Lee Eun-ju couldn’t endure either, ending her life at 25 under the combined weight of on-set pressures and vile demands. An Yu-jin is still holding on, but the brighter her smile on variety shows, the more her fans ache for her, knowing how much pain she hides behind that facade.

The situation in China isn’t much better. Female actors who seem to shine on the surface often carry scars behind the scenes. One actress, after finishing work, sat in her nanny van staring blankly out the window. Her phone buzzed constantly with her manager urging her to attend a dinner meeting. Without a word, she threw her phone onto the passenger seat, drove to an empty field in the suburbs, got out, and smoked half a pack of cigarettes. By dawn, she had reapplied her makeup and appeared on a variety show, laughing and chatting as if the breakdown from the night before had never happened.

This is how the industry works—unspoken rules are like shadows; you can’t escape them, only endure them. Qi Wei would rather have her scenes cut than bow down. Yang Mi navigates with cleverness, while Jiang Xin relies on sheer grit. But not everyone has the same strength. Newcomers are often warned: "If you want to make it, you need to learn the rules." One 19-year-old girl, after landing a role in a web drama, was asked by the assistant director to discuss the script alone. Terrified, she spent the entire night in the hotel bathroom, crying to her family over the phone until her voice was hoarse. The next day, she gritted her teeth, quit the role, and went home to prepare for college entrance exams.

Male actors aren’t exempt from this mire. One talented supporting actor refused to comply with inappropriate hints and ended up not booking any roles for three years, eventually reduced to being an extra in Hengdian. Late at night, he sat at a street food stall drinking cheap beer, joking with friends, "Is this my declaration of resistance?" His tone was light, but the glint in his eyes betrayed his helplessness.

Beneath the spotlight of the entertainment industry lies a battlefield of knives and traps. You have to learn how to crawl through the mud while keeping your heart clean. Some actresses smile sweetly in front of the camera, even though moments earlier, they had just wiped away tears in the makeup room. Who wouldn’t want to focus solely on delivering great performances? But the reality is that the battles offstage are often more grueling than those on it.

Have you ever seen a film set at 3 a.m.? The lights are blinding; some people huddle under blankets waiting for their call, while others fend off unwanted advances in the shadows.

There’s another story that’s hard to forget. A young girl, fresh into the industry, landed her first role with great excitement. During an audition, a so-called "important figure" told her to change into a different outfit, claiming it would better suit the scene. She froze, clutching the hem of her dress before turning and walking out. Later, she worked as a waitress in a café. One day, a customer recognized her and asked why she wasn’t acting anymore. She lowered her head to wipe the table and softly replied, "Some paths aren’t meant for me." Her tone was calm, as if she were talking about someone else, but her hands paused for just a moment.

The truth of this industry is like the fog on a winter morning—hard to see through, yet bone-chilling. You can choose to fight back, like Qi Wei, who grits her teeth and stands her ground. You can choose to sidestep, like Yang Mi, who skillfully maneuvers her way out. But for many, silence is their only option, slowly wearing them down. It’s not that they aren’t trying; it’s just that some costs are too heavy to bear.

Have you ever seen that look in someone’s eyes? Someone in their early twenties, yet with the weariness of someone who’s lived half a lifetime.

An older actor once said something unforgettable. Standing on set, smoking a cigarette, he pointed to the brightly lit skyscrapers in the distance and said, "This place is just one big casino. You put all your chips on the table—you might win, or you might lose everything." After saying that, he stubbed out his cigarette, turned to touch up his makeup, and walked back to work with an air of nonchalance. But in that moment, his back seemed lonelier than ever.

This is the entertainment industry. It’s not just about the stage and the applause—it’s also about the countless people who swallow their pain and carry on. You might envy their brilliance, but don’t forget that behind the light often lies a shadow cast by their sacrifices. What about you? If it were you, what would you choose?