2024-01-22 08:57:00
Many people may not know that Ouyang Fenqiang, who played Jia Baoyu in the 1987 version of “Dream of Red Mansions”, has never completely watched this classic work. “Really,” he said with a smile. Over the years, he has heard countless people call him “Brother Baoyu”, and because of this role, he is a household name, but none of this can change his lack of confidence in acting.“I really don’t dare to look at it. The more classic it is, the less I dare to look directly at it. I’m afraid that I will regret it if I find something wrong.”。
Ouyang Fenqiang is well-known for his role as Jia Baoyu in the 1987 version of “A Dream of Red Mansions”, but he has never watched this work from beginning to end.Photo by Beijing News reporter Guo Yanbing
However, the convention of “not reading your own works” is reflected in the movie “The Annual Party Can’t Stop!” ” was broken after its release. As the highest-rated domestic comedy on Douban in the past five years, the film uses black humor to satirize workplace chaos. The chairman played by Ouyang Fenqiang coordinates the overall situation and upholds justice for migrant workers. Hearing that the film was well received after its release, he walked into the theater with his family, “I should say I did a pretty good job. Especially the song at the last annual meeting, which showed the bitterness and bitterness of migrant workers one by one, Very touching.”
The inner expression of lack of confidence actually accompanied Ouyang Fenqiang for a long period of his life. Because he played roles such as Jia Baoyu, he found a way to realize himself through his works. Unfortunately, the 1987 version of “Dream of Red Mansions” and Jia Baoyu in the play are too classic, making it difficult for him to have a chance to surpass him. During his peak period, he chose to retreat behind the scenes and study directing. He only occasionally made guest appearances in some works to enjoy his acting career.
“Over the years, the audience has given us great support.” “The annual meeting cannot be stopped!” “At the premiere meeting, Ouyang Fenqiang was surprised when he heard someone calling “Jia Baoyu”. He did not expect that this character could also affect the younger generation of audiences. “It turns out that everyone still remembers it, so I will be more confident to bring the Red Mansion to the audience. The culture continues to be promoted.At my age, I have no pursuits. I just hope that I can live a fulfilling life every day.”
“The annual meeting cannot be stopped!” 》
Want me to play the role of chairman? But pull it down!
“To be honest, when I heard that the writer and director of “The Annual Meeting Can’t Stop!” asked me to play the role of chairman, my immediate reaction was’But pull it down! How do I look like the chairman of the board? ‘I repeatedly asked the introducer, does this director know about me? Never give blind recommendations to directors! “
As Ouyang Fenqiang said, he still doesn’t know why director Dong Runnian asked him to play this role. After all, he has been working behind the scenes for many years, and he has an easy-going personality and does not have the aura of a chairman at all. “How is this possible?” “I haven’t acted for many years after filming “Dream of Red Mansions”. Later I asked for the script, and it was really good. It is not a comedy in the ordinary sense. It uses satirical techniques and is very ideological. It shows the current situation of modern people who dare to be angry but dare not speak out when faced with the embarrassment of life. Moreover, the co-stars are also very attractive to me, such as Dapeng, from “Jianbing” “The Man” and “The Sewing Machine Band” to “Keep You Safe” released in recent years. He is a rare and good actor and I really want to work with him.”
Later, Ouyang Fenqiang accepted the invitation, “Heroes don’t ask where they came from, I just went.”
The movie “The Annual Party Can’t Stop!” “” Ouyang Fenqiang (front row, right) plays the role of chairman. To this day, he still doesn’t know why the director chose him.Photo provided by interviewee
Although this role is not that important in the film, Ouyang Fenqiang is particularly afraid that his role will be “smashed”. This reminded him of the scene when he was filming “A Dream of Red Mansions” more than 30 years ago: “I was not sure whether I was qualified, including when I tried on makeup. I was also not confident when I played Jia Baoyu. Later, when I tried on After finishing the makeup and styling, I gained a little confidence. What’s interesting is that the director didn’t ask me to wear glasses at first. I can understand that he probably wanted the audience to see Jia Baoyu’s shadow. But I think wearing glasses would It will be deeper and more connotative, and the performance will be more confident. I am very grateful to Director Dong Runnian for adopting this opinion. He is really brave and dared to ask me to play the chairman (laughs).”
The stupid bird has to fly first
My performance was taught by everyone
Ouyang Fenqiang still laughs at himself to this day,“I was the worst actor in “A Dream of Red Mansions””. He doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of “creator”, nor does he gain confidence from the experience of playing Jia Baoyu. His past of being a household name does not make him feel anything to be proud of.
After starring in Jia Baoyu, Ouyang Fenqiang moved behind the scenes and appeared on the set more as a director and producer. Occasionally, he would play several guest roles in the movie “The Annual Party Can’t Stop!” “The chairman of the board” is considered to be the most important role he has played in recent years. He said that acting was “not easy at all” and said, “At this age, memorizing lyrics is the biggest obstacle. I am particularly afraid that not being able to memorize it well will affect my progress.My biggest problem is that I am stupid. My biggest advantage is that the stupid bird flies first.。So when I was playing the role of chairman, I walked around the room every day, reciting (the lines) over and over again, then recorded them and pondered them over and over again, and then continued to play with the staff…”
Ouyang Fenqiang’s partners in the film were all young actors, and he also experienced many firsts, including sweeping a building (left) and doing a group dance (right).Photo provided by interviewee
“The annual meeting cannot be stopped!” “When filming was completed, it was the first time that Ouyang Fenqiang, who had been in the industry for 40 years, received flowers from the director. He couldn’t control it and shed tears. He said that when he came to this young crew, he played the role of chairman for the first time and danced as a worker for the first time. It was very fulfilling and happy, “I pulled Director Dong Runnian and said, I haven’t acted for so many years, but this time it’s good, it ignited my acting fire, and he has to be responsible for my acting career for the rest of my life (laughing).“At least now he is more confident in acting. But he also knows that at this age, he should position himself correctly and be a good green leaf for young actors: “I have been away from the position of actor for many years, “The annual meeting cannot be stopped!” “The experience of participating in the film has given me strong spiritual strength. If there is a suitable opportunity, I hope to serve the work again.” “
“Acting is not something that comes easily,” he said. It requires more effort to “fiddle”. “I have always believed that my performance was taught by everyone. Over the years, I have watched the performances of many actors in front of the monitor, including veteran actors, performing artists, and young actors. This has allowed me to form my own performance style and attitude. To pursue a pyrotechnic presentation, it is best for the audience not to know that it is a performance.Spontaneity and empathy with others are what I pursue.”
“Dream of Red Mansions”
When the streets are empty, I most hope everyone will forget about me
“Once you enter a dream of Red Mansions, you will never wake up” is a saying circulated by the crew of the 1987 version of “A Dream of Red Mansions”. Anyone who acts in this play and is fascinated by this book will be more or less connected to this classic. As Ouyang Fenqiang said, “It’s hard to let go.”
Although he always believed that being cast as Jia Baoyu was a coincidence, at that time, when other actors had already been confirmed, he still had no idea who would play Jia Baoyu. Prior to this, Jia Baoyu was mostly played by girls, but director Wang Fulin insisted on finding a boy to play the role. He selected actors across the country, and Ouyang Fenqiang finally stood out from thousands of candidates. Many people are not optimistic about him, and even his acquaintances call him “the director is blind”; as for himself, he has no self-confidence, thinking that everyone else is a scholar in the Red Mansions, but he has no bookishness, “not like Jia Baoyu” ; Coupled with the fact that he joined the team late, he missed a lot of professional “red learning” training and could only study blindly with a book every day. “He was really out of shape.”
Fortunately, director Wang Fulin is very good at inspiring actors. He asked Ouyang Fenqiang to put down his books, play, and find feelings. “The director said, you can play pranks and prank anyone. The person being pranked cannot complain, and the pranks must be refined.” He actually let me go, and I gradually found the right way to perform. This is all thanks to the director.” Although Ouyang Fenqiang always attributes his achievements to others, it is undeniable that he devoted himself to the role and effort. When setting the makeup, the makeup artist thought his cheeks were too big and asked him if he wanted plastic surgery. In order to be closer to the original in appearance, he agreed without saying a word, so that now his chin has become a “weather report” and itches every time it rains.He said he has no regrets about these choices he made.“It’s all over. To make a good movie, as long as it doesn’t break the bottom line, you should try your best to do it.”
The 1987 version of “A Dream of Red Mansions” became a generational classic, but Ouyang Fenqiang chose to retreat behind the scenes after the show was aired.Photo provided by interviewee
However, after the play was broadcast, Ouyang Fenqiang never watched this classic in its entirety. At most, he “inevitably” watched one or two episodes on the short video platform. Because of his lack of confidence, he was afraid to face it directly. own performance. Wang Fulin once told him, “After you play Jia Baoyu, you will feel unsatisfied playing other roles.” In addition, at that time, Ouyang Fenqiang’s path was not considered mainstream. Everyone was pursuing a cold niche like Takakura Ken. He soon realized that the path he was taking was too narrow and would be quite passive, so he did not hesitate. I chose to retreat bravely and go behind the scenes.
He admitted frankly,When the streets are empty, my biggest wish is that everyone will forget about him.“Rather than being sought after by thousands of people, I still prefer to live an ordinary life. In short, I don’t have any halo on my head, I can live freely, I can go to the vegetable market to buy vegetables, and I can chop without any scruples. Price, no one could recognize me. In my heart, Jia Baoyu was a character I played, and it was long overdue. So I was quite resistant to everyone calling me Jia Baoyu at that time, and I was even a little disgusted, because it meant No matter how hard I try to create, I can’t take off this halo.”
I recall this feeling
The Red Mansion family is close, they just changed their way of accompanying each other
However, over the years, the audience’s “nostalgia” has somewhat changed Ouyang Fenqiang. He began to slowly feel relieved and enjoyed the happiness brought by this role. After all, I have only played Jia Baoyu in my life, and the audience will remember, “I shouldn’t be ‘pretentious’ or resist, but I should feel lucky. He has brought me so much sense of accomplishment and I should be proud of myself.Now, I finally shake hands with Jia Baoyu and have a good time. “When asked if he regretted choosing to work behind the scenes when he was at his most popular, Ouyang Fenqiang gave a definite answer: “I have no regrets. The greatest happiness in my life is to do a job I like and rely on this I am very satisfied with my career and supporting my family. “
Over the years, Ouyang Fenqiang has been committed to the reunion of the Red Mansion crew, whether it is a concert or an anniversary. He said that everyone has not given up after so many years: “Doing these things comes from the heart, including the outside world and the audience’s reaction to this version of creation. To this day, there are still so many people who cannot forget this work, and so many drama fans, including those born in the 90s and 00s, are still paying attention to it and liking it. With the light of this work, we will be respected by everyone wherever we go. , the 1987 version seems to be a topic that will never go out of style. How can you forget such a subtle influence? You can’t forget it even if you want to! It is not just a film and television work, it has become a cultural phenomenon, representing everyone’s youth and memories. “
In the past few years, Ouyang Fenqiang has been committed to promoting Red Mansion culture.Picture from Ouyang Fenqiang Weibo
Occasionally, when he sees old friends and hears the classic “Dream of Red Mansions” episode, he will burst into tears, thinking of the friends he once filmed with, some of whom will never come back. He said that every year at the memorial service, Chen Xiaoxu, who played Lin Daiyu, would be mourned, but he could only keep his thoughts in his heart: “Xiaoxu had read the book “Dream of Red Mansions” most thoroughly, and had the deepest and most detailed interpretation and understanding of Lin Daiyu. At that time, , we often played together, so we bought 135 roll film, borrowed a camera, and took pictures everywhere on bicycles. What we communicated most about was what books to read and how to make friends through books. She would write poems to her lover, and I was the first reader. Help her identify how well she writes…”
Whenever he mentioned the past, there was a hint of warmth in Ouyang Fenqiang’s tone. He knew that all he could do was to keep commemorating, “We always say that ‘the Red Mansion is a family’, and the family members who left us just changed their form to be with us.” Together. We miss them terribly.”
dialogue
Ouyang Fenqiang: There is no need to use the concepts of the past to teach the present
Beijing News: Looking back on the 1987 version of “Dream of Red Mansions”, what did that period mean to you?
Ouyang Fenqiang:Every time I think back, I feel that that time was very precious and worth cherishing for the rest of my life. Both the actors and crew have only one goal – to film the show well. They are a group of pure and clean children with no impurities in their eyes. It may not be possible to have this kind of atmosphere again in the future. However, I have also been following “Flowers” recently. This drama seems to have returned to the creative atmosphere we had back then. Director Wong Kar-wai spent three years working slowly and meticulously. Every actor performed a particularly wonderful role. They must also be special. I particularly cherish this creative atmosphere.
Beijing News: “Flowers” showed you the sense of concentration you had when you were creating it?
Ouyang Fenqiang:Yes, in fact, many excellent actors are not unwilling to exude the light of “carefully crafting high-quality products”. I think everyone does not want to be part of the fast food culture, and actors also want to seriously portray nearly perfect characters. But the general environment can’t help it. In order to survive or produce more, you need to become “fast” and “hard”. This is a choice you need to make.So when you encounter an acting experience that can make you settle, and have space and time for you to pursue the ultimate, I believe that any actor with an artistic conscience will cherish it very much.
Beijing News: Do you regard the 1987 version of “Dream of Red Mansions” as the glory of your life?
Ouyang Fenqiang:Of course, I will always say that this classic is the power of the collective. The most powerful thing is the three words “Dream of Red Mansions”, not the three words “Jia Baoyu”, and definitely not Ouyang Fenqiang, Deng Jie, Chen Xiaoxu, which one person how. Its foundation is the charm of the collective, so I like to bring everyone together. In the past, I was worried that some people thought this was consuming classics and wasting time on feelings. But in fact, I have never heard such a voice. Our reunion and commemoration are meaningful, so I want to continue doing it.
Beijing News: Director Wang Fulin is also someone you have always been grateful and thinking about. Have you contacted him recently?
Ouyang Fenqiang:We have always kept in touch. He is so great and a director we will always respect. Some time ago, Deng Jie told me that it was the end of the year and she would go see Director Wang. We really missed him. But because he was really too old, and my wife was afraid that he would get excited when he saw us, which would be bad for his health, we couldn’t make the trip, but we kept in touch frequently.
Ouyang Fenqiang likes to interact with young people. He also likes to watch various film and television works to understand the thoughts of the new generation.Photo by Beijing News reporter Guo Yanbing
Beijing News: You like to deal with young actors very much. How do you pursue new and trendy things? What kind of industry ecology have young actors shown you?
Ouyang Fenqiang:I have a very positive attitude towards trendy things. I usually go to the theater to watch talk shows. I found out that I am the oldest (laughs), and I really don’t know what some of the jokes mean. After watching them, I will let the young people around me know Someone explain it to me. Although I don’t laugh as much as young people, their performances also make me relax, enjoy, and even enrich my life. If you think about life like a philosopher every day, that would be really tiring. There are so many new entertainment phenomena now, and we really need our generation to keep pace with the times and keep learning. For example, I now pass the time by watching movies and TV dramas. I watch all kinds of film and television works. I can see the ideas of the new generation in my mind. They make my time now full of meaning.
Beijing News: Do you think there are any classic works from that era that modern people can learn from?
Ouyang Fenqiang:No, I am just a layman. I can’t give any advice, and I can’t be a mentor. I think there are many excellent film and television works now. It does not mean that there are no classics in this era, but there are too many forms of communication and information now, which is completely different from the situation in the past. After all, in the past there were only one or two TV stations, and you had nothing else to watch, so you created ceiling-like ratings.Now everyone can get the entertainment they want from different platforms, which is a good thing in itself. There is no need to use past concepts to teach the present. On the contrary, we should adapt to the present.
Beijing News: Many people would describe Jia Baoyu’s appearance as “rich and handsome” and “romantic and handsome”. You are also called a handsome guy, but actors can’t escape appearance anxiety. What do you think of this?
Ouyang Fenqiang:First of all, in that era, most people’s aesthetic standards for gay men were like Takakura Ken’s, and they were not so accepting of baby faces and chubby looks, so naturally I didn’t think I was a handsome guy (laughs). I don’t even think of myself as an actor, so the issue of “appearance” is not a problem at all for me. I should eat and drink when I should, and I won’t have the worry of “if I don’t lose weight, people won’t use me”. It’s also because of this that I don’t have any baggage about my appearance, so I can just let everything take its course.
Beijing News reporter Zhou Huixiaowan
Chief Photographer Guo Yanbing
Chief Editor Wu Dongni
Proofread by Wu Xingfa
#Beijing #News #Good #news