Honing skills

Actor Jiang Long, 25, made his breakthrough and has gained a large fan base with his comedic play, titled The Last Class, which received high scores both from the celebrity judges and the audience.

Jiang plays the role of a jobless actor who works at an escape room to pay his rent. While playing the role of a zombie, he meets his acting teacher, who is keen on giving more training to Jiang, despite the awkward situation.

"It's a real story. I went to act in an escape room, where I met a friend, who is an actor. He is a good actor and was devoted to his job of scaring people. He didn't give up acting, although he had to figure out a way to make a living," recalls Jiang.

"For many young actors, it is difficult to find jobs after graduation. I am experiencing the same situation and still waiting for opportunities."

One of the judges, Huang, was touched by Jiang's performance, which reminded him of his own experience.

The 47-year-old actor-director recalls his early days pursuing an acting career in Beijing.

"After graduation in 2004, no one hired me to act so I had to return to my hometown to make a living. I was struggling and depressed. Then I returned to Beijing to continue to look for opportunities to act because I just couldn't give it up."

Born and raised in Shenyang, Liaoning province, Jiang graduated from Beijing Film Academy in 2015.He learned to play the piano and practice Latin dance as a child, winning a provincial competition in 2005. He got his first role in a 2004 comedy TV drama, Grow Up, which introduced him to acting.

He says that some of his actor friends have left the scene to do other things, like opening restaurants. However, he still possesses hope.

Coming to the reality show allowed Jiang to test his acting skills in comedy. He was intrigued by the genre and decided to concentrate on it.

"Good comedy cures people. I become happy and confident when I make people laugh. I met lots of talented comedians in the reality show, who inspired me," says Jiang.

Before Super Sketch Show, Ma Dong's company successfully produced a reality show, titled The Big Band, in 2019, which brought once-underground Chinese indie rock bands into the limelight.

In 2020, the second season of the reality show also achieved success, which attracted many young music fans to outdoor festivals and live house venues to enjoy their live performances.

For Super Sketch Show, Ma Dong and his team spent a year working with scriptwriters, actors and actresses-double the time they worked on The Big Band.

"The process of preparing for Super Sketch Show was full of concern. We didn't want to entertain ourselves. We were just trying to make people happy and to deliver a warm, funny package for all ages," says Ma Dong.