Abstract:
You Benchang, a performing artist of the National Theater of China and a national first-class actor, died of illness in Beijing on September 24 at the age of 93. He once played Jigong in the TV series "Ji Gong" and once again received widespread attention for his role as "Uncle Ye" in "Flowers".
You Benchang was born on September 16, 1933, and celebrated his birthday shortly before his death. In 1956, he graduated from the Shanghai Theater Academy and then entered the Central Experimental Theater, now the National Theater of China, becoming the first batch of young actors trained in New China.
At the beginning of his acting career, You Benchang played temporary roles for a long time, some of which even had no lines. He upholds the belief that "there are no small roles, only small actors" and has been working quietly on the stage for 20 years.
In 1984, You Benchang appeared on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala with his pantomime "Shower" and attracted attention for his rich physical performances. After that, he was invited to star in the TV series "Ji Gong". After the show was broadcast, it became popular in the mainland. The image of Jigong created by it and the theme song of "Torn Shoes, Torn Hat" became the common memory of many TV viewers.
You Benchang won the 4th China TV Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor for "Ji Gong". Prior to this, he had played supporting roles for many years, and it was not until he was 52 years old that he took on the representative role of Jigong.
Later in his acting career, on his 87th birthday, You received an invitation to perform in the drama series "Flowers" directed by Wong Kar-Wai. During the filming, he worked nearly 10 hours a day and prepared multiple performance plans for each scene. After the series was aired, his role as "Uncle Grandpa" received wide acclaim and became another representative role in his decades-long acting career.
Comments