"Men have Bruce Lee , and women have Zhou Caiqin ."
Zhou Caiqin who can bear such praise is Zhou Caiqin, the "godmother" of all Asian actors and the first Chinese star to appear on the stage of London's West End.
html When she was 120 years old, her name resounded throughout the UK and conquered countless audiences;
0 years old, but she experienced bankruptcy, moving, displacement, and was mentally abnormal under the heavy blow.
In this life, she went from "the light of Asians" to "psychotic madman", experienced a ill-fated fate, and finally returned to Hollywood .
Even though he was tragically ravaged by the times, he never surrendered, slipped out of the fingers of fate again and again, and lived a brilliant life.
How did she do it?
She is the child of a "cat", but she has the temperament of a "leopard"
Zhou Caiqin's father is "Peking Opera Master" Zhou Xinfang . During her father's performance, she was born in a playbox.
Mother Qu Lilin was originally a daughter with her ten fingers not touching the spring water, but after marriage, in addition to taking care of Zhou Caiqin, she also had to take care of the other 5 children.
When Qiu Lilin ran away with Zhou Xinfang at a young age, she brought two things from her home: a bag of jewelry and a pistol.
Jewelry, leave it to children; pistols, leave it to yourself.
In that turbulent era, Qiu Lilin was strong and brave. As long as her husband's rights were threatened, she would draw her gun without fear;
At the same time, she was also sober and rational, and no matter how poor she was, she would not give her husband jewelry, so as to force him to fight.
Qiu Lilin is a "ruthless character". She has never been tamed in love. She is as rough as a wild animal. She even sent her children abroad to survive wildly.
Zhou Xinfang described her: she took the kittens one by one like a female cat.
Perhaps influenced by his mother, Zhou Caiqin was born to be not a person who would be stuck by feelings. As soon as he turned 18, he went to the UK with a watch given by his mother and a book given by his father, becoming the first Chinese to enroll in the Royal Academy of Drama.
She revealed in the biographical movie that studying abroad has not been smooth.
Because she is Chinese, only 1.5 meters tall, her male classmates often frivolously chatted with her. Every time she did not retreat, but instead said with a singular sentence: fuck off (get out!)
The school teacher looked down on her and pointed at her nose and said, "There is no place for you to stand out here." She was not discouraged, thinking that she would make a name for herself sooner or later.
Not long after, the opportunity came: Zhou Caiqin became popular overnight in the stage play "The World of Su Si Huang", and women followed her appearance. For a time, the streets and alleys were full of "Su Si Huang" wearing cheongsams and long hair. The most attractive thing about Zhou Caiqin is: Compared with the forbearance and depression of traditional Chinese women, she has more flaunting and wildness. On the screen, she dares to express her strength; in life, she does not let herself suffer; when performing on stage, she will never allow the audience to disturb her.
One time, a female audience chatted while Zhou Caiqin was performing. She immediately stopped the performance and told her: "Please stop talking."
Later, the audience's husband came to thank her: "We have been married for more than 20 years, and we have never been able to shut up. You are the first person to shut up!"
Even if we work hard abroad alone, Zhou Caiqin's self is also relaxed, and she does not suppress herself because of anyone or anything. This is exactly the same as Qiu Lilin.
" Dream of Red Mansions " director Li Shaohong said: "When Zhou Caiqin closes her eyes, she is a cat, and when she opens her eyes, she is a female Leopard ."
The background color of "female leopard" has made her go further and further in her professionalism.
But in marriage, such a personality was rejected by her husband.
Two marriages ended, she was involved in the torrent of suffering
html In his early 120s, Zhou Caiqin entered marriage.
The husband is a traditional Chinese. He was attracted by Zhou Caiqin's unusual temperament. After marriage, he ordered her: "Don't show up" to stay at home to take care of her husband and children"...
"What's the point of being a good wife and mother?" Zhou Caiqin refused to be a "canary". She chose to divorce without any hesitation.
Ex-husband went to Singapore, and she stayed in the UK with her son alone.
There are many problems with single mothers: the landlord refuses to rent a house to her, and cannot find a suitable job with her children, and is discriminated against by people around her...
Fortunately, Zhou Caiqin's light has not been reduced by suffering. During the most difficult moments, she still devoted herself to her acting career, fascinating the whole of Hollywood.
She participated in the 007 action film series and became the first Chinese "British Girl ";
also starred in the TV series "Object of Fighting", and was nominated for the Best TV Actor in the UK.
Back to the stage from home, Zhou Caiqin let everyone see: she is still that "female leopard", no matter how hard she is, she must run forward.
Zhou Caiqin once said: "To be a good actor, you must understand your own skills and make a lifelong effort for this moment of acting."
However, all glory fell in 1970.
That year, the UK fell into an economic crisis, and all Zhou Caiqin's deposits went bankrupt because they were mortgaged to the bank and were cleared.
The house is gone, the money is gone, the The house is leaking, and it rains all night, and my mother died in the same year.
Zhou Caiqin lost her mental pillar and became a penniless pauper. She swallowed medicine and committed suicide impulse. After her friend saved her life, she was sent to a mental hospital again.
There, everyone wants her to tame and obey. But even though he fell to this point, the rough, powerful and wild power in Zhou Caiqin's heart did not disappear.
She actively looked for a way out and returned to her motherland that she had been away from for many years. She went to her younger brother's restaurant to work, but her younger brother asked her to "do anything with my permission."
Zhou Caiqin doesn’t like being arranged by others, and she doesn’t like to bow to reality. She worked steadily in the kitchen full of smoke, but she thought in her heart what her mother said:
"Although the tree trunk was cut, the big tree cannot die."
So, she returned to Boston and looked for an opportunity to return to the stage - the big tree in her heart.
"not tamed" is the key to her destiny
At this time, Zhou Caiqin was nearly 40 years old, and her wrinkles and poverty made her no longer beautiful.
She wore a three-dollar coat and one and a half-dollar plastic boots, and her face was dusty, making a living by being a typist and a librarian.
Gone with the peak of her career, and the actress's golden age has also come to an end. Logically speaking, she should have accepted her fate.
However, Zhou Caiqin's desire to return to the stage is getting stronger and stronger. The more he can't find a way out, the more he has to learn things.
She saved up the money she earned from working and entered Tufts University to study for a graduate student in drama studies. After graduation, she worked in the drama club. The crew is very poor, but she won a lot of prizes with her acting skills.
One time I went to prison to perform. Facing a group of murderers, she was neither humble nor arrogant, and was full of strength. She conquered these prisoners and created a small peak in her performance career.
After surviving the trough and returning to the stage, Zhou Caiqin had the idea of returning to her roots.
In the first half of her life, she lived stubbornly in order to survive. Now, she began to look forward to a softer way of living - she wanted to become a teacher.
1981, Zhou Caiqin returned to China. Compared with foreign countries, the domestic environment is more friendly to her.
She entered Central Drama and became the first "overseas experts" to return to China to teach. So, we saw this scene:
Zhou Caiqin was wearing jeans and a red coat, not afraid of others' guidance, and sat calmly on the ground and gave lectures to the students.
Chinese students have never seen such a casual teacher, but she created a brand new way of speaking, filling the gap in the Western drama methods of the Central Academy of Drama, and is deeply loved by students.
Zhou Caiqin gave her all to the next generation, but she was still "running".
993, Zhou Caiqin returned to Hollywood, starring in the first Asian film starring Asian Americans.
She plays a very powerful Chinese woman in the play, subverting foreigners' views on Chinese women. To this day, this movie is a masterpiece in the eyes of Chinese people.
Later, she starred in "Memoirs of Geisha", "Grey's Anatomy", "The Demon-Stat Team"...
Some people say: Zhou Caiqin "makes a comeback".
But those who are familiar with her will know that Zhou Caiqin has never declined. Whether at the peak, low or warming up, she always upholds her original intention: even if she is ravaged by life, she will never stop growing.
It is precisely because she grasped this that she has managed a wonderful life.
Now, Zhou Caiqin, who is nearly 90 years old, is still active on the big screen. The sharpness and sharpness she had when she was young last year, and the years gave her the wisdom and calmness of life.
"Life is just a walking shadow, an actor pointing fingers on the stage, disappearing silently after a moment of appearance." This is a line from Shakespeare that Zhou Caiqin likes very much.
In the past, her "wildness" was defense and self-defense; now, she has experienced the impermanence and ephemeral of life. This "wildness" has become a heart of awe and enjoy the blooming of herself.
I wonder if you have found it? Many times, we are influenced by secular culture, obey others' judgments, and live in our minds and rules.
Grow up on time, get married on time, have children on time, be a good wife and mother, dare not go beyond it, but often ignore your real needs.
Freud once divided the structure of personality into three parts: the id, the self and the superego. I follows the principle of happiness and is always waiting to release the original motivation of the body.
Psychologist Winnicott believes that the primitive wildness of the self is the most precious part of the individual life.
It is the fangs we protect ourselves when we face danger, and it is also the capital to escape unscathed when we encounter a trough. It has a strong upward power.
Zhou Caiqin, who always puts "self" first, is a "rebel" in the secular vision.
But it is precisely because of this courage that she firmly grasps every piece of driftwood that saves herself in the ups and downs of life and lives the wonderful life.
Zhang Guimei Principal once inspired the students of girls' schools:
"I was born to be a mountain rather than a stream, I want to look down at the mediocre gullies on the top of the peaks; I was born to be a hero rather than a grass, I stand on the shoulders of great men and despise the humble coward."
Please never be tamed by suffering or temptation. When you completely believe in yourself, love yourself, and have the power to be untamed, even if there are layers of green mountains and oceans in the future, you will sway the boat and see the scenery of life.
*This article was co-created by the author and Zhang Defen Space Main Writing Group. If you need to reprint, please contact authorization.
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