Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming turned down acting jobs in 2026 to study for his doctoral qualifying exam after failing last year, and he has passed this round.
On Wednesday (June 10), Shanghai Theatre Academy announced the list of PhD students to be admitted, and the 48-year-old made it to the list with a reported score of 271.34 points.
The academy reportedly stressed that there is no special treatment for celebrity applicants, with the doctoral admission rate being only 7.3 per cent.
According to Chinese media, Xiaoming had turned down acting jobs this year to focus on his exam preparations.
He reportedly applied with an equivalent qualification and was required to take additional exams in political theory and two professional courses. He scored 90.67 points in the written exam, tying for first place with another candidate.
Expected to enrol in September, Xiaoming thanked his fans for congratulating him and remarked: “Actually, I was very nervous.”
In a previous interview, he had shared his aim of becoming the first in his family to hold a PhD.
The popular actor is known for dramas such as The Prince of Han Dynasty (2001), My Fair Princess III (2003), The Return of the Condor Heroes (2006) and Nirvana in Fire 2 (2017).
He has also starred in hit films like Ip Man 2 (2010) and American Dreams in China (2013).
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