Chen Peisi has inherited acting talent from his father, Chen Qiang.

Unlike his dad, who was known for his bad-boy image, Chen rose to fame as a comic star after his debut xiaopin (Chinese skit) performance for 1984's CCTV Spring Festival Gala. He and his long-time partner, Zhu Shimao, have since become celebrities.

Chen also founded his film company in the early 1990s. He produced, and acted in, the movie series, Father and Son, from 1991 to 1997.

After performing another popular Spring Festival Gala skit, The Prince and the Postman, he announced he wouldn't perform for the gala again because of CCTV's violation of his skit's copyright.

Chen says closing the door on CCTV opened another window.

He wrote his first drama, Tuo'er, in 2001. It was followed by Even Relatives Keep Careful Accounts, Balcony, A Duo and Old House, which were all box-office successes.

He has been invited by director Stephen Lawless to play a jail warden in the comedy Die Fledermaus (The Bat). Lawless worked with Chen to rewrite the script to appeal to local humor, including Chinese puns and cultural references.

Chen recently turned down an invitation to perform at CCTV's 2012 Spring Festival Gala.

"I've already moved on to another chapter of my comedy," he says.

"I won't return to the starting point. The times are different, and my understanding about comedy has changed. I want to spend much more time acting onstage, which allows me to fully display my potential."