On September 9, 1976, the great leader Chairman Mao passed away suddenly in Beijing. From then on, his heroic figure was no longer seen on Tiananmen Observation Platform, and his kind smile was no longer seen on the screen.
An inexplicable sense of loss lingers in the hearts of the people across the country and cannot be dissipated for a long time. The people miss Chairman Mao and hope to see the image of Chairman again on the screen and his glorious revolutionary deeds again.
At the request of the people, in 1978, the Ministry of Culture of the State Council decided to select the special actor who is suitable for playing Chairman Mao within the entire army. After unremitting efforts, more than 20 young soldiers with extremely similar appearances as Chairman Mao were finally found. Among these 20 people, some are drama actors and some are singers.
After confirming the candidate, the leaders of the Ministry of Culture did not dare to make a decision easily. If the actors were not selected well, they would not only be punished, but also be dissatisfied by the people of the whole country.
pic | Ye Jianying
Just as they were worried about this, they thought of Ye Jianying who was still alive at that time. Perhaps Marshal Ye could help them pick the best candidate.
In the autumn of 1979, the leader of the Ministry of Culture made this request to Ye Jianying. After receiving his affirmative answer, he immediately asked Geng Biao to send the colorful photos of the 20 candidates to his desk.
After finishing his official duties, Ye Jianying returned to the office and saw the photos on the table. After taking a break, he picked up the magnifying glass with his left hand and the photos with his right hand to view them one by one. Looking at these more than 20 carefully selected candidates, it was difficult for him to decide.
After a long time, Ye Jianying stopped flipping the photo's hand and muttered to herself: "It's so similar, it's really so similar!"
In order to make sure that he didn't misunderstand, Ye Jianying asked Geng Biao, who was beside him to look at it, and Geng Biao also said that this person looks very similar to Chairman Mao.
So, who is this person? Why didn’t even dare to recognize Ye Jianying after reading it?
Please read the author to explain in detail.
1. Farewell to Chairman Mao
1976 was an eventful year. Premier Zhou passed away in January, Commander-in-Chief Zhu passed away in July, and Tangshan earthquake .
At that time, Chairman Mao's physical condition was also worrying, and he spent most of the day in a coma. When the Chairman's life was in danger, Ye Jianying walked into the Chairman's ward.
Watching the former radiant leader becoming so haggard, Ye Jianying felt heartbroken. But what can he do when facing the iron law of life, such as birth, old age, sickness and death? I can only wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes silently.
Just as Ye Jianying's eyes were blurred in tears and immersed in sadness, Chairman Mao's consciousness suddenly woke up. He recognized Ye Jianying standing in front of him, moved his arms and waved his hand gently. Unfortunately, Ye Jianying went there with his sadness and did not notice Chairman Mao's return to his mind.
When Ye Jianying walked out of the ward, Chairman Mao miraculously woke up again, signaled with his hands, and greeted him back. Seeing this, the careful nurse chased after him and stopped Ye Jianying: "Chief, Chairman Mao is awake, he seems to be calling you!"
Hearing the nurse's call, Ye Jianying quickly ran back to the ward. He saw Chairman Mao's lips shaking slightly, trying his best to make a sound, but he was in danger of life. In the end, he could not even match the sound of mosquito flapping his wings.
Ye Jianying tightly held the chairman's slightly swinging right hand and asked anxiously: "Chairman, what do you want to explain?"
It's a pity that he didn't hear what the chairman was saying until the chairman fell into a coma again. In the end, he could only move his footsteps silently and leave the ward.
On the way to leave the hospital, Ye Jianying kept thinking: "The Chairman anxiously asked himself to return to the ward. What do he want to explain? Does he have any unfulfilled wishes or no public will?"
's series of speculations made Ye Jianying even more sad. Most of the brothers who had been through life and death with him had left, and now Chairman Mao could no longer hold on, which means that the burden on him was heavier and more lonely.
Picture|Chairman Mao
On September 9, Chairman Mao passed away. During the day of mourning across the country, Ye Jianying assumed the mission of the Chairman's explanation.28 days later, he and several other central leaders completed a smooth transition of power.
2. Select special actors
After Chairman Mao passed away, the people all missed Chairman Mao’s heroic posture. In order to satisfy the people's wishes, the Ministry of Culture of the State Council began to prepare for a series of films with Chairman Mao as the main character.
Therefore, finding special actors suitable for playing Chairman Mao became their most important task.
Chairman Mao is the greatest figure in New China. To become a special actor of the chairman, the following conditions must be met:
- must be well-founded in political and ideological aspects;
- personal image should be as close to Chairman Mao as possible;
- personal quality should be able to endure hardships.
To be safe, the Ministry of Culture decided to find suitable candidates from the army. Hard work pays off, and a few months later, more than 20 candidates stood out.
Holding the personal information of these more than 20 candidates, the leaders of the Ministry of Culture have made difficulties again. They met Chairman Mao at a handful of times. Although they have seen it more than once, the portrait is still a portrait, and it is not as real as it is. If we decide at will based on just a little bit of impression, the selected candidates may not be satisfied with the people of the whole country. What should I do if
?
In January 1979, Geng Biao, who had just served as the secretary-general of Military Commission , put forward his own suggestions: "Maybe you can ask Marshal Ye for help."
whoever proposes, whoever implements it. The Ministry of Culture commissioned Geng Biao to send color photos and personal information of the 20 candidates to Ye Jianying's office and hand them over to him for his decision.
One day after the autumn of the same year, Geng Biao came to Ye Jianying's office with a photo. After a few simple greetings, he explained his purpose.
Ye Jianying did not refuse, picked up the magnifying glass on the table and began to carefully select. After watching it for about ten minutes, his expression changed from calm to surprise, and he muttered, "It looks like it, it's really like it!"
He picked up the photo of "Mao Zedong", got up and left the desk, walked a few steps, sat on the sofa, and said to Geng Biao, "Comrade Geng Biao, is this photo sure this photo is a photo of an actor? I dare not recognize it after reading it."
Geng Biao hurriedly took the photo, took a closer look, and answered with certainty: "Nothing is wrong, he is indeed one of the 20 candidates."
"You introduce this person to me!"
"Mr. Ye, this person is called Hu Sixue . He is a section chief of the Cultural Department of Kunming Military Region. Comrade Hu Ke discovered it. Does it look very much like Chairman Mao?"
Ye Jianying nodded excitedly: "It looks like it, it really looks like it! It looks very similar to Chairman Mao in his youth."
Geng Biao saw that Ye Jianying was very interested in Hu Sixue, so he reported to him in detail what he learned.
Hu Sixue, born in Wuhan in 1937, is an orphanage of a martyr. During the war, he was sent to the Guilin Orphanage. After being rescued by the People's Liberation Army, the troops became his home.
Picture | Geng Biao
After Geng Biao submitted Ye Jianying's choice to the Ministry of Culture, Hu Ke took the opportunity to go on a business trip in Kunming Military Region and found Hu poet Hu, intending to learn about the situation of this person in person.
Hu Ke said straight to the point: "This visit is an important thing I want to discuss with you couple."
"You said."
" The Ministry of Culture and the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army decided to select special actors suitable for playing Chairman Mao across the army. You should have some understanding of this document!"
Hu Shixue nodded: "I have understood, I have understood, I have understood this document!"
Hu Shixue nodded: "I have understood, I have understood, I have understood. . "
" The leaders of the Ministry of Culture and Marshal Ye Jianying have seen your photos and feel that your image and appearance are close to Chairman Mao. If you can play, it is a great thing for your future and the cause of the party. What do you think?"
Hu Shixue, who is 1.8 meters tall, has an extraordinary temperament, and exudes a great temperament between his eyebrows and eyes. The comrades around him have said more than once that he looks like Chairman Mao.
was recognized by Hu Ke, Vice Minister of Culture. Hu Shixue himself was also very happy, but at the same time he was hesitant. It is not a trivial matter to play the great leader Chairman Mao. If he says he is out, he will be "driven" back if he doesn't meet the requirements in the future. In the second half of his life, he will not know where to put his face.
Just as Hu Shixue was still hesitating, his wife Gui Ping interrupted, "It's really quite similar. The comrades in the army say so. But he is not an actor and has no acting skills. I am worried that his performance will not be good and will ruin the image of the chairman."
Hu Ke quickly persuaded, "This is not a problem. No one taught Chairman Mao to fight back then. Did the chairman lead us to establish a new China? If you can't perform, you can learn it."
Soldiers take the execution of orders as their duty. Since the leader has issued the order, Hu Shixue, as a soldier, has no reason to not execute. He had no choice but to follow Hu Ke's instructions and take a set of makeup photos.
Hu Shixue's final makeup photo was taken in Yunnan Provincial Drama Troupe , because few people know him there, and even if the audition is not successful, the impact on himself can be minimized.
What Hu Shixue himself did not expect was that when he put on Chairman Mao's clothes in the drama troupe's "Xi'an Incident" and then briefly treated by the makeup artist, the effect immediately appeared. Even the makeup artist exclaimed after reading it: "It's even more similar to the actors who specialize in Chairman Mao..."
Hu Shixue got up and looked in the mirror after listening to it, and he sighed: "I didn't expect that as much as others said, I really have the potential to play Chairman Mao!"
Hu Shixue immediately became interested. When taking the photo, he deliberately imitated some of the habitual actions of Chairman Mao that he saw in the newspaper. After washing the makeup photo of
, Hu Shixue personally handed it to Hu Ke and asked him to take it back to Beijing. The negatives were kept at home and then on a business trip.
pic | Hu Sixue (Gu Yue)
A few days after Hu Sixue went on a business trip, Beijing called him to notify him and asked him to send the negatives to Beijing as well. His wife Guiping rummaged through boxes and cabinets at home for a long time before finding the negatives and sending them out.
The reason Hu Shixue only found out from a friend later. It turned out that after Hu Ke brought the makeup photo back to Beijing, the leaders of the Ministry of Culture read it and thought that after Hu Shi learned to put on makeup, he looked more like Chairman Mao.
They even found the photos taken by Chairman Mao by his American friend Snow during the Yan'an period, and compared them together, and they could hardly tell the truth or the false. Half of the task was completed, Hu Ke and others felt relieved.
Why does it say that the task is only half completed?
Because Hu Ke has no absolute power to decide who will play Chairman Mao, and even the Minister of Culture does not dare to decide on his own. Guiping was asked to send the negatives to Beijing, so that it was convenient to wash out a few more sets of photos, and handed them over to other old leaders in the central government for review and give a final decision.
So, the final makeup photos of Hu Shixue and 20 candidates were once again sent by Geng Biao to Ye Jianying's desk.
3. Ye Jianying decided to decide Hu Shixue to play Chairman Mao
After seeing the photo, Ye Jianying smiled and said, "The People's Liberation Army has many talents, and we have the obligation to take good care of them!"
Geng Biao, who stood beside him, nodded: "Mr. Ye is right."
"When the Soviet Union filmed Lenin's documentary, he found a person named Shi Chujin . In order to cultivate this person, they spent a lot of money to restore the environment of Lenin's work, study and life back then. Do you know what their purpose was?"
Geng 陈全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全全� Biao answered truthfully: "Maybe it is hoped that through the environment, let Shi Chujin be as close to the image of Lenin as possible!"
"It's very good. The purpose of their creation of all this is to allow the actors to forget themselves, feel Lenin's temperament, psychology and living habits in a suitable atmosphere, so that he can integrate with the roles he wants to portray to the greatest extent."
"So that's it."
"So, when we cultivate special actors, we can also learn from the effective experience of the Soviet Union. Although our situation is special, the funds and environment are different, it is impossible to completely restore Chairman Mao's working environment, but there is one thing that cannot be careless."
Geng Biao asked humbly: "Mr. Ye, what is it? "
" We must provide the actors with photos and video materials of Chairman Mao's various periods as much as possible, and ask him to read more Chairman Mao's works, check more information, and study hard so that he can play Chairman Mao well. Do you think this is the reason? "
Geng Biao nodded while recording the key points of Ye Jianying's speech.
pic | Ye Jianying
Ye Jianying stood up and sat back at the desk, picked up the red pen on the desk, and drew a circle on the back of Hu Shixue's makeup photo. This means that Ye Jianying agreed to Hu Shixue to star in the series of Chairman Mao's films.
In January 1980, with the recommendation of many leaders, Guyue successfully entered Bayi movie The studio studied and began to embark on a different life path.
After becoming "Chairman Mao", Hu Sixue, who was introverted, wanted to keep a low profile, so he imitated Lao She , separated his surname "Hu" and gave himself a stage name "Guyue".
Half a year later, Ye Jianying was recuperating in Yuquan Mountain, Beijing. The leaders of the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army visited and expressed his gratitude to Marshal Ye: "Mr. Ye, this time he came to visit mainly to thank you for helping us find "Chairman Mao"! "
Ye Jianying didn't react for a moment. After being reminded by others, he remembered that it was the case that he was choosing Chairman Mao's special actors. He said humorously: "There is nothing to thank for, it's just a simple task. By the way, my daughter Ye Xiang really learns movies. If you need it, I can also find another 'Lenin' or 'Marx' for you. "
The leaders present were amused by Ye Jianying's humor.
Ye Jianying added: "To be honest, among the old leaders who live now, Chairman Mao and I should have spent the longest time together. My expression and behavior towards the Chairman are still vivid in my purpose. So, I believe my choice is not wrong. As for making movies, I can’t tell it, I can only see whether this person’s artistic attainments are deep or shallow. "
Soon, the "Xi'an Incident" starring Gu Yue was played in primary and secondary schools across the country, winning the applause of the audience across the country, and only Gu Yue himself knew the efforts.
On November 20, 1988, during the filming of the historical masterpiece " Founding Ceremony ", Chairman Mao, played by Gu Yue, stood at the position of Chairman Mao's announcement that the founding of New China, . He was immersive, perhaps because he was infected by the atmosphere on the scene, and shed tears of excitement.
Gu Yue sighed: "The moment I stood on the Tiananmen Observation Platform, I seemed to dream back 40 years ago. I am honored to be able to stand as the sacred place in China as an actor and play Chairman Mao. This experience is unforgettable for me who came from a poor family! ”
Since the filming of the first movie "Xi'an Incident", over the years, Gu Yue has successfully portrayed the image of a great man Chairman Mao in more than 80 films including "The Founding Ceremony", " Decisive Battle ", " Decisive Turn ", and "The Story of Mao Zedong", and has made silent contributions to the people of the whole country being able to admire Chairman Mao's heroic posture on the screen.
4. Only one character was created in his life
Picture | Gu Yue
1993, Gu Yue came to Los Angeles, USA with the film "The Story of Mao Zedong". After the end of the film, he walked into the Galle Theater (Chinese Theater) with makeup. The audience stood up and applauded thunderously.
What's more, he shouted loudly: "Long live Chairman Mao! "
At that moment, Gu Yue's heart was strongly shocked. He sighed: "A great man is worthy of being a great man. Even after he passed away for many years, he still occupies a very high position in the hearts of the people. "
After finishing the performance in the theater, Gu Yue, who took off her makeup, wore casual clothes to go to the local Chinatown for fun. Passing by a Confucius image. He took off his glasses and wanted to ask the staff to help take a photo. A group of Chinese people gathered up and asked to take a photo with him and sign for memorials. Among the people in
, the most eye-catching one was two Russian girls who came to work in the United States.After taking a photo with Gu Yue, they raised their thumbs up and said, "You China is better, Mao Zedong is better!"
Gu Yue asked them in surprise: "You Russian young people should not know much about the Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Does anyone have ever mentioned him to you?"
"Our grandpa's generation often mention him to us."
This experience made Gu Yue feel that he has a heavy responsibility for his performance. He said: "Chairman Mao is not only a political leader, but also a spiritual leader for the Chinese. His life is very exciting, and I can't finish it in my life. In order to play the films of Chairman Mao in various periods, I have to gain weight and lose weight many times within a year. The physical requirements have greatly damaged my body, but seeing the audience's response to me, this kind of sacrifice is necessary and worth it."
When talking about why Chairman Mao, he played, is so vivid, Gu Yue explained: "I often bring books written by Chairman Mao and write books by others. During the reading process, I kept pondering carefully and studied the lives of related great men. Information, and even often visit people who have worked with Chairman Mao. The purpose is very simple, to play Chairman Mao well. "
But some unscrupulous newspapers spread rumors: "Gu Yue was the child who lost to Chairman Mao in Shanghai back then."
Gu Yue said: "I am indeed an orphan, but my identity has been identified and has no blood relationship with Chairman Mao. I have never said to the outside world that I am Chairman Mao's son."
Despite this, there are still newspaper reporters who make things happen, fuel the fire, and spread rumors and make trouble, so as to create "gossip news" to seek personal gain. Some reporters even copy and write imagination into facts,
. Gu Yue always keeps silent about those unfair reports. But silence is not a default. He is collecting relevant materials and preparing to seek justice for himself through legal means when he has time and energy.
However, when facing these things, Gu Yue often quoted the words of a deceased leader to comfort himself: "Since you play Chairman Mao, you must learn from the Chairman's mind. People cannot live for public opinion. The greater the honor they get, the greater the pressure and grievances they have to bear. This is proportional."
As the saying goes, behind a successful man, there must be a woman who silently gives. Over the years, the reason why Gu Yue was able to withstand the pressure of public opinion from many parties is inseparable from the understanding wife behind him.
pic | Gu Yue couple
Gu Yue's third wife Zhang Yan is also an actor. She is the first special actor in my country to play Soong Ching Ling . In the movie " Liao Zhongkai ", she played Soong Ching Ling for the first time. Since then, she has played Soong Ching Ling at different times again and again, and has received praise from the audience.
Zhang Yan is a good actor with superb acting skills. Gu Yue never doubts this. Unfortunately, Zhang Yan sacrificed her future for the development of her husband's acting career and devoted herself to the family.
Gu Yue felt very guilty about his wife's sacrifice. He also wanted to take more time to reunite with his family, but in order to play Chairman Mao well, he had to follow the crew around the country. Most of the year, either on the road or on the shooting scene.
As an actor, Gu Yue had thought of playing other roles. He had thought of trying out all kinds of roles, but the organization stipulated that he could only play Chairman Mao.
Gu Yue does not regret: "Perhaps, for an actor, it is very unfavorable to only create one character in his life, but for the country and the people, I think it is worth it... Chairman Mao's life is full of legendary colors, and being able to play him is a challenge in itself."
In each drama, Chairman Mao's personality, life details, status and role are different. For example, Gu Yue played the young Mao Zedong in " Song of the Chinese Revolution " and also played the old Mao Zedong in "The Story of Mao Zedong". Just imagine, how many actors are focused on shaping one character in their entire lives?
On July 2, 2005, Gu Yue suddenly suffered from myocardial infarction and died ineffective rescue at the age of 68.
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