Moved to Beijing in 1997, when Jonathan Kos - Read, he became a teacher of English, or in his words, "the era of globalization, the site".
Now, Mr Reid, is China's a movie and television personality, his stage name "cao cao" better known. In the past 15 years, the American actor in some of China's most famous play a role in the blockbuster, cooperation is the most popular actor in China.
Now in Beijing with Mr Reid, in the late 1990 s began to look far. At that time, his apartment across the street from the "only potato field, extends to the neighboring cities". As a recreational activity, he went to a company called "The Freezer" club, there is another nickname is "Nightmare" popular disco. Today, "building a higher, wider streets, cars more cool, but people still the same," he said, "it was like the big city grew around people, always constantly brings accident."
The film industry also changed. In earlier years, "it's hard to find a good movie cameraman, good director, excellent artistic director, and the properties of excellent teacher". However, a growing audience attracted the attention of Hollywood, the latter can't wait to join China's grand movie wave (trying to attract millions of viewer). Where is the "wealth, where it is. So, the Chinese film and film is becoming more and more good-looking, increasingly sophisticated, and more professional."
Censorship, however, is still very common. Because of this, Mr Reid, like online play, scale more freedom, more young, trendy and audience than television. Appeared in early last year's style is similar to The "sex and The city" The network drama (The Intimate Diary of Little Miss 20), he starred in a designer, a bisexual people. The play contains sex scenes, which is unheard of in the tightly controlled state television.
However, more difficult is to break the "white man" role. In 2005, Mr Reid, in a TV series about the Chinese police to the United States the action without borders, a leading role. Field of filming a scene in the United States, a correct speech British actors play the role of a black drug traffickers. Mr Reid, remember the director shouted in Chinese, "stop, stop, stop," and tell Mr Reid, : "with the actor said that he is more like black!" The director is to describe the caricatures, "slum" kind of African American culture.
This stereotype because writers seldom contact with real foreigners, "so they assume a lot of foreigners will do," Mr Reid, said, "for roles do something stupid and ridiculous."
This is slowly changing. Mr Reid, often still formulaic role, but in recent years, he played some of the more complex characters. He insists he has no plans to leave China.
"In China, the best thing is to have a job as an actor," to say things he said, "I mean, we should be realistic. Los Angeles has tens of thousands of people like me. Since I was young, I want to be an actor, I also had a good life. So, when I left out, feel sad, to play, or think about how hard will it be paid, I always say, well, you are doing work you love, after all."
However, he admitted: "I betrayed his acting to income every day. Every industry will have this kind of problem. But this would allow the injured soul."