Xu Peng, a 30-year-old Chinese short-drama actor who graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, has paused his acting career and returned to his hometown to sell vegetables, as AI-generated dramas have sharply reduced acting opportunities. He became known for playing domineering CEO characters and, at his peak, often filmed 15 to 16 hours a day. Reports stated that around 122,000 of the 128,000 micro-dramas released in China during the first quarter of 2026 were produced using AI, accounting for more than 95% of all new releases. After wrapping up his last drama in March, acting offers largely disappeared, prompting him to help with his family's vegetable business, driving an electric vehicle to a local market to sell vegetables grown by his grandfather. His experience reflects broader disruption, with recent reports estimating AI-generated productions have affected nearly two million jobs. Top micro-drama actors who once earned up to 20,000 yuan a day now often struggle to find work even at daily rates of around 1,200 yuan. Xu said, "Acting is just a job. If there are no roles to take, I will find another way to make a living."