Tā cóng qúnyǎn zuò qǐ, yòng le shínián cái yǒumíng qi.
He started as an extra and took ten years to gain recognition.
Tips
culture
Abbreviation of 群众演员 ('crowd actor'). Centered on Hengdian World Studios (横店) in Zhejiang, the 群演 subculture — day-rate pay, on-site housing, hoping for a line — has been dramatized in films like 《我是路人甲》 (I Am Somebody, 2015).