A still from I Am Somebody starring Wan Guopeng Photo: CFP

Wan Guopeng Photo: Courtesy of Ma Jiayu

"Everyone of us is somebody else's extra," said Wan Guopeng, a professional extra that finds himself playing the lead role in veteran Hong Kong director Derek Yee's upcoming comedy I Am Somebody.     Wan is not an A-list actor who has risen from humble beginnings, at least not yet. Actually most of the time he still plays those easy-to-be-ignored characters in films and TV dramas, and if it weren't for Yee's comedy, his name and face would barely be known. 

Known as the Hollywood of China, Hengdian is not only the largest film and TV production base in the nation but also the world. Reportedly costing some 3 billion yuan ($480 million) to build, since 1996 the production base has employed several thousands of extras like the 24-year-old Wan. 

Beginnings of a dream

"I have participated in over 30 films and TV dramas in three years," the young man told the Global Times.

I couldn't help but stare at this newly turned star as we sat face to face for our interview, his big, round, innocent eyes, have left a strong impression on audiences that have seen the film.

Still a young adult with traces of a mustache across his baby face, his clean and very new shirt suggests that he is much better off now.

"I went to Hengdian in July, 2012, at the age of 21, shortly after graduating from college," Wan recalled.

 Wan traveled about 2,600 kilometers - the distance between his hometown of Mudanjiang in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province to Hengdian in East China's Zhejiang Province - to reach his dream.

After three years playing characters that go mostly without lines, he still has a strong Northeast accent that comes from time to time when he talks.

Wan had only 500 yuan on him when he arrived at Hengdian. "I was very introverted and did not know how to act. After a week with no work, I had only 20 yuan on me," Wan said.

His first job in Hengdian was at a desert shop. After 20 days he managed to earn another 500 yuan, but soon the shop closed down. After a week spent handing out CVs, Wan ran out of money again and had to get a job at a barbecue restaurant.

About three weeks later, Wan got his first role as an extra. "But playing an extra isn't enough to support yourself," Wan told the Global Times.

Back in 2011 and 2012, extras playing passers-by could earn a daily salary of 40 yuan for 8 to 10 hours work, and 5 yuan more per hour for time beyond that. If you were willing to take on one of the more taboo roles such as a dead person or a prostitute, or a more tiresome role like a palanquin lifter or act in the rain, you could also a little bit of extra pocket money.

Wan recalled the time he played a dead soldier in a period drama. "It was a winter day. I had to lie outside door from six in the morning to seven at night in armor. My hands and my feet went completely numb from the cold," he said.

Although that may have been tough, Wan felt having no work at all was much harder since he had to constantly worry about feeding himself and finding a place to spend the night. "When you want to act and can't, that's a big loss," he said, explaining that this type of thinking kept him and many other extras going.

Lucky lottery

The day Wan met Yee, he once again had only 20 yuan to his name.

"I bought a lottery ticket with five yuan that same day and won 20 yuan," Wan said excitedly recalling that day. It seems that luck remained with him as he not only doubled his remaining money that day, but also the day he met Yee for the first time.

According to a report on extras in China from the entertainment section of news portal 163.com, there is a vast hierarchy among actors from extras to stand-ins to supporting roles and big name stars.

Under such a system, it is very difficult for an extra to get promoted. "There are only two ways: for a crew to take a fancy to you or to rely on connections," the article wrote. "While the former depends on luck, the latter requires you to socialize in the right circles for a long time."

While difficult, there are examples of actors rising through the extra ranks to one day become a star. Popular mainland actor Wang Baoqiang is one such example. It was him, according to Yee, that helped light the dreams of many extras. Yet, it should be kept in mind that it took Wang years before he played a leading role. 

Competition is also very fierce. Mainland director Zhao Baogang once said in an interview with ent.ifeng.com that the number of extras in Beijing alone was 500,000 back in 2011.

On that point, Wan, who studied traditional Chinese medicine in college, has been much luckier than most of his peers, because he was "discovered" by Yee after working for four months.

Although there is no guarantee that he will become a big hit with just a single film, Wan said he has started to learn how to catch the lens through "tricks" even when standing still in corners. Even if I Am Somebody doesn't do well, he still plans on fulfilling his dreams.