Veteran Actor Offered Insultingly Low Fee To Play A Role With No Lines
“I still have value,” says a seasoned actor who learned an important life lesson; don’t settle for less than you are worth.
63-year-old Singaporean actor Duan Weiming has been acting for decades. Though he’s best known for appearing in the series Neighbours, which aired from 1986 to 1988, he has also acted in Chinese dramas.
Since the age of 22, Duan Weiming has battled diabetes, which led to him undergoing a partial leg amputation in 2022. Even so, the actor has maintained a positive attitude and his value as a professional actor. Both before and after his amputation, Duan Weiming starred in 128 Circle, a multilingual Singaporean series in which his amputation was incorporated into his character’s plotline. This allowed him to continue acting on the show.
Duan Weiming told Singaporean media that he was offered a movie role some time ago that offered him $1,000 USD a day and no lines. He turned it down, recalling a conversation he once had with a fellow actor, Wang Sha.
“Silly child,” Wang Sha told him, “if you only ask for $500 now, it would be very difficult for you to raise your price in the future. Even those with a conscience will only pay you a little more.” In other words, don’t work for less if you can earn more.
“Since [industry professionals] are willing to approach me,” Duan Weiming said. “it means I still have value. I don’t have a manager, so I need to fight for myself to be treated reasonably.”
The last Chinese drama Duan Weiming appeared in was Tiger Mum, which aired in 2015. He will be making his comeback in Hope Afloat as a wheelchair-bound father who moves in with his daughter after his wife passes away from COVID-19.
