Twenty-eight years ago, this drama was as popular as the Spring Festival Gala. Today, five actors have passed away and two actors are seriously ill.

In 1989, when the TV series "A Dream of Red Mansions" was still being broadcast on major TV stations, director Wang Fulin received an assignment from CCTV to shoot another one of the Four Great Classics, "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

Wang Fulin felt a little apprehensive: unlike "A Dream of Red Mansions", "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" spans decades of real history, has many characters, and has many large-scale war scenes. It is adapted from four major classics. The most difficult.

Faced with the waiting at CCTV, Wang Fulin said three words: I appreciate it.

He did not refuse, but he needed enough time to study "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and prepare for the subsequent filming.

For a year, he read "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" intensively and scrutinized every detail with historical experts. It was not until 1990 that he officially started filming.

Although many difficulties were encountered during the filming in terms of scripts, scenes, props, etc., for the directing team, the most difficult part of the entire drama was actually the selection of actors.

There are as many as three to four hundred named actors in the play. Just gathering these suitable actors took a lot of effort from the crew.

In a few months, the crew traveled almost all over the country, not only looking for already famous actors, but also many unknown newcomers, who also started to work in the film after being discovered by "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" Emerging in the entertainment industry.

In the early morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year in 1994, at Wang Fulin’s suggestion, CCTV pilot-broadcast three episodes after the Spring Festival Gala.

I thought there wouldn’t be too many viewers in the late night period, but I didn’t expect that the ratings were almost as high as those of the Spring Festival Gala. This made both CCTV and Wang Fulin heave a sigh of relief.

After the official broadcast of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", it triggered a sensational viewing boom across the country. Even Japanese TV stations spent a lot of money to buy the copyright of the TV series. After the broadcast, it also set off a " "Three Kingdoms Fever".

Time is not forgiving. It has been 28 years since the premiere of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Now the actors in the show have also gone through different lives. Some have quit the film industry, some are seriously ill, some have passed away, and some have passed away. But he turned out to be a big shot, and now he is very popular...

1. Sun Yanjun (playing: Liu Bei)

The actor who plays Liu Bei in the play is Sun Yanjun. He combines Liu Bei's benevolence and righteousness, Character aspects such as tenderness and stability are all performed very well.

In particular, Sun Yanjun is good at accurately conveying the character's emotions and psychology through changes in facial expressions, which is a great test of the actor's skills.

When selecting actors at that time, Sun Yanjun was one of the first to be confirmed, and Director Wang Fulin was also very satisfied with his performance.

In a later interview, Sun Yanjun said that at first he felt that Liu Bei was always crying and didn't want to play the role; in comparison, he preferred Cao Cao, but at that time the role had been given to Bao Guoan. Although he was a little disappointed, he He still tried his best to play this role well.

Sun Yanjun’s life was very bumpy. His parents passed away before he was 18 years old. Forced to survive, he worked as a temporary worker, and later went to Daqing Oilfield as a worker.

It was the rough experience in his youth that enabled him to steadily handle many crying scenes when he played Liu Bei. As he said, all the tears he didn’t shed back then were shed when he played Liu Bei. .

In 1973, after years of hard work, Sun Yanjun, who had a dream for art, was admitted to the Central May 7th University of the Arts. After graduation, he entered the China Youth Art Theater and became a drama actor.

In addition to "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Sun Yanjun has also appeared in film and television works such as "Sun Wu", "Sun Tzu's Art of War" and "Plains Guerrillas". Because the requirements for roles are too high, the number of works is not large. No more works have been published since 2016.

Sun Yanjun is very low-key in life. He rides an electric car to and from get off work every day. In the past two years, he was on the hot search list because his electric car caught fire.

He is indifferent to fame and fortune and has already lived an ordinary life.

2. Li Jingfei (played as: Zhang Fei)

In "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Zhang Fei is the one with the most flamboyant personality. Li Jingfei captured the role of "brave and heroic" " and "emphasis on love and justice". These two characteristics have won unanimous recognition from the audience.

Before starring in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Li Jingfei was an actor in the Hebei Repertory Theater and occasionally participated in the filming of film and television dramas.

When I heard that the crew of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was looking for actors, Li Jingfei, who had always been calm, couldn't sit still: He had watched "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" since he was a child. If he could play Zhang Fei in the TV series, It really is a dream come true.

Later, during the interview, Li Jingfei performed a segment of "The Ancient City Meeting" in which he confessed his mistake to Guan Yu. He was fully involved in the situation and shed tears on the spot, which also infected Wang Fulin and others, so Zhang Fei's role fell. On to him.

For this role, Li Jingfei endured a lot of hardships.

For example, in order to portray Zhang Fei's "leopard head and ringed eyes" feeling, Li Jingfei always maintained that angry look during the years he was on the crew. Only at the end of a scene, He just took a moment to squint in his busy schedule.

However, after filming "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Li Jingfei did not take this opportunity to develop in the film and television industry, but returned to the theater to continue performing dramas.

Later, Li Jingfei also appeared in some film and television works, such as the rogue "Hammer" in "Blood Romance", Zhang Daguo in "Beautiful Life", etc. Although they were supporting roles, they all performed brilliantly. .

Li Jingfei is the complete opposite of Zhang Fei in life. He is a person who doesn't like to be pushy and has a reserved personality. Except for "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", he has almost never actively asked to act in any film and television dramas, so he has not many works.

It is a pity that Li Jingfei suffered a cerebral hemorrhage a few years ago and was sent to rescue. Although his condition improved after treatment, he still couldn't speak fluently and could only move around in a wheelchair.

3. Lu Shuming (played as Guan Yu)

With his long beard and beautiful beard, sword-shaped eyebrows and starry eyes, Lu Shuming’s version of Guan Yu completely achieves the point of “both body and soul”, creating a character that has been difficult to date. The transcendent image of Guan Gong.

Many later portraits and statues of Guan Gong were created based on Lu Shuming's version, which shows that the audience recognized it highly.

In 1956, Lu Shuming was born in an ordinary family in Qingdao. When he was 10 years old, because his father supported the construction of northwest China, Lu Shuming's family moved to Xi'an.

Before becoming an actor, Lu Shuming played basketball and studied photography for a few years. Until 1980, he accompanied his friends to the Xi'an Repertory Theater for an interview. Unexpectedly, he was chosen for his tall and tall body. , accidentally joined the drama troupe and became an actor.

In the late 1980s, by chance, Lu Shuming met Zhang Yimou, who was also from Shaanxi. At Zhang Yimou's invitation, Lu Shuming starred with him in the movie "The Love of the Qin Terracotta Warriors in Ancient and Modern Times", in which he played the role of The tyrannical Qin Shihuang has since entered the film and television industry.

Many people don’t know that Lu Shuming actually has another very classic role, that is the Bull Demon King in "Westward Journey".

At that time, "Westward Journey" was a co-production between Hong Kong and Xi'an Film Factory. Lu Shuming, a native of Xi'an, was found to star. He was very dedicated and wore the heavy costume of the Bull Demon King in the hot summer, creating a movie that was loved by countless audiences. A classic character.

However, Luk Shuming had some conflicts with the crew during the filming. In the end, he even asked not to sign his name at the end of the film. This role has become a past event that he still does not want to talk about again.

What is unimaginable is that Lu Shuming has long lost his former glory. Now, under the banner of Guan Yu, he is either live-streaming goods on short video platforms or participating in various commercial performances. Many people This questioned Mr. Guan about his excessive consumption.

4. Hong Yuyu (played by: Zhou Yu)

In the play, Zhou Yu, played by Hong Yuyu, has a handsome appearance and a sense of arrogance, and his every move reveals the spirit of a noble prince.

Hong Yushi’s performance of both physical and spiritual aspects was unanimously recognized by the audience. Even though stars such as Tony Leung and Huang Weide later appeared in the film, the first thing that the audience thought of was still Hong Yushi’s version.

In fact, Yuan Shao in the first few episodes of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was also played by Hong Yuyu. She also performed Yuan Shao's conceited, indecisive and other characters very well.

Later in an interview, Hong Yuyu said that it was really hard for him to play Zhou Yu.

When the crew first approached Hong Yuyu, they planned to let him play Zhao Yun, but Hong Yuyu’s favorite was actually the role of Zhou Yu.

But it happened that no suitable candidate could be found for the role of Yuan Shao. The director felt that Hong Yuyu's image fit the role very well, so he had to come in temporarily and left the crew after filming Yuan Shao's scene.

Unexpectedly, the director team found him again a few days later, saying that they had not found the actor for Zhou Yu, so they wanted him to try. In this way, Hong Yuyu's wish was finally achieved after many twists and turns.

In 1984, Hong Yuyu, who graduated from theater, was assigned to the Gansu Provincial Theater. In the past ten years, he acted in plays and made movies, and accumulated a certain degree of popularity in the film and television industry. Later, the olive branch of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

But after "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Hong Yuyu's interest gradually shifted from acting to producing. As a producer, he successively produced TV series such as "Black Ice", "Black Hole" and "Black Fog" , deeply loved by the audience.

Hong Yuyu, who has a successful career, also has a very happy family. He and his wife have been in love for decades and have never had any scandals. His son has now followed in his father's footsteps and become the boss of a film and television company.

Not long ago, when Hong Yuzhou was endorsing a game, he was wearing Zhou Yu’s clothes, which aroused the emotion of many netizens.

Hong Yuyu, who is over 60 years old, shows his age in the picture. The majestic appearance on the screen in the past has become old. It is no wonder that netizens are lamenting the ruthlessness of time.

5. Bao Guoan (played as: Cao Cao)

From smug and ambitious to deep and treacherous, from magnanimous and magnanimous to deeply suspicious, Cao Cao's image at different levels in different periods has been accurately grasped by Bao Guoan .

For example, in Hengshang's poem, Cao Cao hosted a banquet for hundreds of officials on the Yangtze River. Standing in the center, holding up a wine glass, he said, "You should enjoy wealth and honor with all the gentlemen, and enjoy peace!" He was slightly drunk. With the confidence and domineering of a king, I have to say that Bao Guoan has played this generation of heroes to life.

It is worth mentioning that Bao Guoan almost missed this role back then.

When he received the invitation from the crew, Bao Guoan did not have time because he was filming the TV series "Famous Prime Ministers of the Tang Dynasty" and he was afraid that he would fail in his performance, so he did not agree.

To Bao Guoan's surprise, Director Wang Fulin came to visit him personally. After being deeply moved, Bao Guoan chatted with the director for more than an hour and decided not only to play Cao Cao, but also to perform to the best of his ability.

Although the image of Cao Cao later became too deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and Bao Guoan had no films to film for several years, it is definitely a blessing for an actor to be able to play such an outstanding role in his acting career.

In addition, Bao Guoan's roles such as Song Jiang in the Shandong version of "Water Margin" and Lin Zexu in "The Opium War" are also deeply imprinted in the hearts of the audience.

Nowadays, the 76-year-old Bao Guoan has passed away, but for viewers who are familiar with him, they will never forget the classic roles he created.

6. Zhang Shan (played as Zhao Yun)

Zhao Yun, played by Zhang Shan, is heroic in the play, which is in line with the image described in the book. Among them, the savior riding alone on Changbanpo In one section, Zhao Yun holds a silver spear in his hand and rides his horse to kill the enemy. The scene makes people burst into tears.

Zhang Shan, who graduated from the 82-level acting department of China National Theater Academy, was in the same class as Ni Dahong and He Zhengjun. After graduation, he was assigned to Beijing Film Studio and started his career as an actor.

When selecting actors for "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Zhang Shan actually participated in the competition for the role, but unfortunately failed.

Until Yang Fan, who played Zhao Yun, temporarily withdrew due to various reasons, Zhang Shan's best friend Zhang Guangbei, who played Lu Bu, quickly recommended Zhang Shan to Cai Xiaoqing, one of the directors.

Although Zhang Shan is not much better than Yang Fan in terms of appearance, Zhang Shan's martial arts, especially his horseback riding skills, are very similar to Zhao Yun's style.

When he first joined the crew, director Cai Xiaoqing, in order to test Zhang Shan, found him the most aggressive horse on the crew.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Shan jumped onto the horse with a weapon in one hand. His strong skills made the director applaud him and he was cast immediately.

Since then, Zhang Shan has formed a fate with "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Not only did he play Huang Gai in John Woo's movie "Red Cliff", he also made a cameo appearance as Huang Zhong in "Martial God Zhao Zilong".

What few people know is that Zhang Shan also has another identity, that is, Chen Peisi's brother-in-law.

In 1995, Zhang Shan fell in love with Chen Lida, a colleague of Beijing Film Studio and Chen Peisi's sister. Although Chen Peisi had some concerns about this, he still respected his sister's choice.

After marriage, Zhang Shan proved that his wife’s choice was not wrong. The two have always been very loving. Chen Lida later got hyperthyroidism. Zhang Shan even stopped filming for several years and took care of his wife until she recovered.

In recent years, Zhang Shan has still been active in the film and television industry, and has appeared in dramas such as "Wuxin Master" and "Long Love".

7. Tang Guoqiang (played by: Zhuge Liang)

The Zhuge Liang played by Tang Guoqiang in the play is so graceful and elegant that he almost looks like he has stepped out of the book. His expressive performance has made subsequent versions more popular. Can't be surpassed.

What impressed Brother Pi deeply was the episode where Zhuge Liang’s impassioned speech was only exchanged for the young emperor Liu Chan’s casual “Let’s discuss it another day”, and the scene where Kong Ming, who was kneeling to His Highness, had tears in his eyes. It still makes me emotional when I think about it.

When he starred in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Tang Guoqiang was at the bottom of his acting career and fell into a dilemma with no scenes to film.

When I heard that Wang Fulin wanted to cast Tang Guoqiang to play Zhuge Liang, many people objected: Because Tang Guoqiang has always been a "little boy" in film and television works, how can he play the role of "dedicated to the end of his life and then die"? Zhuge Liang?

But Wang Fulin felt that Tang Guoqiang, wearing costume and beard, fit Zhuge Liang's image and temperament of "feather fan and silk scarf" very well.

In order to prove that his choice was correct, Wang Fulin asked Tang Guoqiang to perform clips of Zhuge Liang's six visits to Qishan in his later years. Tang Guoqiang vividly interpreted Zhuge Liang's state in his later years by capturing the "loneliness" of the elderly Zhuge Liang.

It was this scene that made Tang Guoqiang unanimously recognized by everyone and allowed him to play the role of Zhuge Liang.

From his rise to prominence in "The Great Wall of the South China Sea" in 1976 to his nationwide popularity in "Little Flower" in 1979, Tang Guoqiang has created many wonderful roles in his more than 40 years of acting career.

Today, Tang Guoqiang is already a Mao Zedong-type actor. His meticulous performance of the Chairman's character and psychology has become the one most recognized by the audience after Gu Yue.

8. Wu Xiaodong (played by: Sun Quan)

The Sun Quan played by Wu Xiaodong in the play particularly fits the image of "purple beard and blue eyes, with "splendid eyes"" written in the book, and his speech The behavior is full of domineering kings, so this version is also the most recognized by the audience among the several versions.

When selecting actors, the civil and military ministers of Wu State had already decided, but Sun Quan, as the lord, was still selected. It's still undecided.

In fact, Wang Fulin already has his favorite candidate, Wu Xiaodong, who serves as the executive director on the crew.

Prior to this, Wu Xiaodong had already worked on Wang Fulin's "Dream of Red Mansions". He played Jia Yun in the film, but Wang Fulin always felt that Wu Xiaodong's temperament was not suitable for playing the role of a handsome scholar, so he insisted on letting him play the role of Sun Quan.

Interestingly, Wu Xiaodong also played the role of Sun Quan's father, Sun Jian. Playing father and son in the same play is also a good story in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms"

In 1978, Wu Xiaodong, who graduated from high school, entered the Chengde Repertory Theater with his tall and handsome image, and it didn't take long for him to become a member of the troupe.

After that, while honing his acting skills on the drama stage, Wu Xiaodong began to star in film and television dramas.

In 1984, Wu Xiaodong was cast in "A Dream of Red Mansions". "" opportunity and participated in the actor training of the crew's Red Mansion training class. It was also at this time that he met the actress Shen Lin who played the girl Ping'er in the play, and the two quickly fell in love.

After filming "Dream of Red Mansions", Wu Xiaodong was admitted to the directing department of China National Theater in order to improve his academic qualifications and continue to expand his contacts in the film and television industry.

In 1995, Wu Xiaodong and Shen Lin officially got married. After Shen Lin gave birth to a daughter, she stopped acting and concentrated on raising her husband and children at home.

With the support of his wife, Wu Xiaodong devoted his attention to acting. In last year's tribute drama "The Final Battle", he played the role. Zhang Zhizhong also left a deep impression on people.

Today, Wu Xiaodong and his wife have been married for more than 20 years, and their daughter is already in college. The family of three is very happy.

9. Chen Hong. (Played by: Diao Chan)

Although "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is a men's drama, Chen Hong's Diao Chan is definitely a unique bright color, which also won her the praise of the first classical beauty.

< p> With her oval face and willow-leaf eyebrows, both her appearance and the tenderness in her eyes satisfy the audience's imagination of Diao Chan. No wonder it will make heroes fall for her.

Before that, Chen Hong. She has already made a name for herself with works such as "Liao Zhai", "A Few Sunsets Are Red", and "The Love of a Dai Girl". Even so, when she received the news that she was asked to play Diao Chan, Chen Hong was still not confident that she could play the role well.

Chen Hong made a lot of preparations for this. Not only did she read various information about Diao Chan, she also insisted on losing weight every day and spent time learning dance so that she could fit the role as much as possible.

After "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Chen Hong gained the favor of Qiong Yao, starred in many Qiong Yao dramas, and gained countless fans in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In 1996, Chen Hong married Chen Kaige, who was pursuing her hard. This relationship was a hot topic at the time, but for Chen Hong, she had indeed found her destiny in life.

More than 20 years have passed, and Chen Hong and Chen Kaige are still in love as before. Now Chen Hong’s son Chen Feiyu has also embarked on the path of an actor. I wonder if he can reach the heights of Chen Hong’s entertainment industry.

10. He Qing (played as Xiao Qiao)

Xiao Qiao played by He Qing is the only one in the play who can rival Chen Hong’s Diao Chan. Xiao Qiao is gentle, graceful and understanding. The image of Dayi was displayed very movingly by He Qing.

He Qing, who was born in Zhejiang, has enjoyed participating in various literary and artistic activities since she was a child. When she was 14 years old, she was selected to join the Zhejiang Kun Opera Troupe with her good voice.

In 1983, the Kunqu Opera Troupe went to the Kunqu Opera Troupe to select actors for the movie "Shaolin Disciples". He Qing was spotted by He Qing who was performing on stage and starred in the movie's heroine Xiaoqin. From then on, he turned to the path of film and television actors. .

After filming the movie, He Qing was about to take the train home, but she didn't expect that the god of luck would favor her again.

While waiting at the train station, He Qing met Yang Jie and Liu Xiaolingtong. Yang Jie was attracted by He Qing's outstanding temperament and asked her if she would like to play a role in "Journey to the West".

In this way, He Qing, who had just finished filming the movie, played the role of Lian Lian, the girl transformed by Lingji Bodhisattva in "Journey to the West". Her fresh and smart "fairy" temperament amazed everyone as soon as she appeared.

It is worth mentioning that He Qing is also the only actor who has played in the four major classics. In addition to "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Journey to the West", there are also Qin Keqing in the movie version of "A Dream of Red Mansions", "Water Margin" Li Shishi, these costume roles established her image as a "classical beauty" in the hearts of the audience.

In 1992, He Qing's reputation as a "classical beauty" also spread to Qiong Yao in Taiwan, China. Qiong Yao invited her to star in the TV series "Green River Grass", and He Qing became the first Qiong Yao drama to star. Mainland actress.

He Qing, who has a smooth career, has a very bumpy relationship experience.

She had a relationship with Liu Wei for five years, and after they broke up, she married Xu Yajun. However, the good times did not last long and the two separated in 2003.

Unfortunately, He Qing suffered from a brain tumor in 2015. After surgery, she has still not fully recovered. I hope He Qing will recover soon and continue to give wonderful performances in her works.

11. Wei Zongwan (playing: Sima Yi)

In the play, Wei Zongwan used rich expressions and movements to perfectly portray Sima Yi's coldness and cunning, giving Sima Yi a sense of flesh and blood. People were amazed.

When he was a child, he imitated other people's opera singing, and later worked as a worker and performed in the drama team in the factory. It was this love for performance that made Wei Zongwan choose to take the opera exam.

However, due to delays during the special period, Wei Zongwan did not start contacting movies until 1982. At that time, he was 44 years old and could be regarded as a "late bloomer."

In 1990, when the crew of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" found Wei Zongwan, he was already in his 50s. When he heard that he would play Sima Yi, Wei Zongwan was a little hesitant. On the one hand, he did not want to play the villain in the folk impression; On the one hand, I am too old to act in a horse riding scene.

However, the director team unanimously believed that this role must be played by him, and also said that he could find a substitute for the horse riding scene. Wei Zongwan could not refuse, so he took the role.

After the broadcast of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Wei Zongwan's performance was well received, so many dramas later asked him to play this kind of role, such as Gao Qiu in "Water Margin", "The Punishment of the Song Dynasty" Lu Zhizhou, Wei Zongwan has since become a "professional evil person".

At the same time, Wei Zongwan is also a very good comedian. What impressed Pi Ge deeply was the classic clip of him and Huang Hong "playing cotton" in "Smart Escape", which is still there today. spread widely.

Nowadays, Wei Zongwan is over 80 years old. Despite his advanced age, Wei Zongwan still has not given up acting. He has appeared in "Emperor of the Night" and "Love Apartment 5" in the past few years.

12. The other 6 actors

What is sad is that many actors in the play have passed away in more than 20 years.

For example, Lipo, who played Dong Zhuo, this experienced veteran actor brought Dong Zhuo's ferocity and cruelty to life. In 2013, Lipo died at the age of 85.

In addition, Yang Junyong who played Cao Pi, Yan Huaili who played Cheng Pu, Li Tie who played Liu Chan, and Gu Lan who played Xun Yu are no longer alive.

On the other hand, there is also Pan Yueming, a supporting actor who "played soy sauce" in the play, and later became a star that everyone knows in the entertainment industry.

Pan Yueming was not yet 20 years old at the time. He played the role of Sun Quan’s son Sun Xiu in the play, and he hardly left any impression. Later, he went through ups and downs in career and family, and became famous again in middle age. , becoming a representative figure of Mesozoic male actors.

In general, "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" has made many actors successful, but in fact it has also restricted the development of many actors.

Including the starring role, many actors in the play did not transcend this role later, and the audience's understanding of them still stayed in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" period.

But this also proves the classic status of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in the hearts of the people. I pay tribute to all the actors in the play and thank them for jointly creating these eternal classic characters!

Text/Pippi Film Editorial Department: Yi Azhi

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