Zhang Xiaofei gave up steady fixed pay, chose revenue-sharing after a decade of skill polishing, which brought huge returns, showing bold choice for long-term career growth.
In the film and television industry’s payment system, there has always been a safe option: accepting a fixed fee, which is paid in full once the production company completes its settlement, without having to bear any project risks throughout the process.For a long time, a pre-tax fee of 8 million has been the standard choice for many actresses at her level. However, when Zhang Xiaofei took on *Kung Fu Girls*, she voluntarily gave up this easily attainable, stable income, paid 2 million out of her own pocket as a penalty for breaching her original contract, and instead signed a box office revenue-sharing agreement.
At the time, almost no one thought this was a wise choice; industry insiders privately joked that she was being recklessly impulsive,but no one noticed that, in order to take on *Kung Fu Girls*, she quietly cut off the waist-length hair she’d been growing for five years, turned down all commercial performances and offers for minor supporting roles, and spent a full three months immersed in the production team’s intensive training, repeatedly refining everything from her delivery and pacing to the finer details of her movements.In fact, long before this series, she had devoted nearly a decade to honing her acting skills in stage plays and various supporting roles in film and television. She had long been among the top box-office draws among actresses born in the 1980s and 1990s; even Stephen Chow had specifically praised her expressiveness when selecting projects.It is this clear understanding of her own abilities that gave her the confidence to accept this contract.
In the end, *Kung Fu Girls*—a film that received little publicity or promotion prior to its release—surpassed 2 billion at the box office in just 18 days, securing the second-highest grossing film of the year. Dilraba, the other female lead in the same production, opted for a fixed-fee contract, resulting in a stark disparity in their final earnings.
Receiving a fixed fee is a safe path for actors who rely on their popularity, while opting for box office revenue sharing is a strategic move by those seeking to transition their careers for long-term growth. There is no absolute right or wrong here; it all depends on which stage of their career the individual is currently in.How many times in a person’s life do they dare to hold fast to a chosen direction, proactively set aside the immediate, tangible financial rewards right before their eyes, and take a chance on a more long-term possibility?
