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It is so rare to be able to interview Li Baotian.
No one dares to deny that the three words "Li Baotian" are the epitome of the times and the representative of the image of the Chinese screen, this name is Liu Luoguo, the prime minister who can make he hang on to the waist of Luo Guo and talk and laugh; it is the divine doctor Xi Laile who can rejuvenate the life of the patient with a pulse; it is Wang Baochang of Longyin Town, who is deceitful in the fish and meat township...
"I am a relatively reclusive person, willful and free, not very obedient, not very social, and even my own son can't influence it." During the conversation, he was over seventy years old and ate a special effect to stabilize. This is somewhat similar to the grandfather who stands tall and walks alone in the movie "Looking for Han Ji".
Although he occasionally acts, li Baotian is now far less interested in film and television than painting, and when he asks him his views on the current industry environment, his answer is always "don't pay attention, don't want to watch, I can't control." "But when it comes to painting and music, you can talk for a long time." It seems that at this stage, his ideal life is no longer in the crew, but in a solitary home, the south-facing case is covered with drawing paper, while listening to classical music while sketching lines, the sun sprinkles overhead, comfortable, this is the life he enjoys.
Character photography / Beijing News reporter Guo Yanbing
Self-cultivation of actor Li Baotian
First, the "soul" cannot be lost, and the "qi" cannot be lost
In the past two years, Li Baotian learned to wear slippers.
Having lived most of his life, he used to wear only shoes at home that could go out, in order to keep himself working forever.
In his dictionary, slippers mean slackness, and people become relaxed as a result. Zhao Zhao, the screenwriter of "Looking for Han Ji", asked him, "Teacher Li, how come you are not tired of shooting so hard?" "From the time I opened my eyes to the time I went to bed at night, I didn't know what exhaustion was." As soon as my son called, he said, "Dad! What are you excited about? After listening, Li Baotian rolled his eyes: "If I am not excited, I will not even talk to you." ”
Admittedly, Li Baotian also knows that he does not know how to relax as a person, and he is very tired of living, but he can only shake his head and say "no way."
Over the years, it seems that he has always been in a state of "excitement", he firmly believes that an actor's "soul" can not be lost, "qi" can not be lost, he raised his voice and said: "Before I studied 'ugly' in the opera troupe for five years, and danced for two years, physically training consciousness. Although my knees will occasionally be sore when I am tired, I never walk slowly, and all these habits were exercised at that time. ”
Asked if perhaps even his family members would be tired of this eternal vitality, he looked rebellious: "So, I don't live with them, I live alone, everything is self-control, even to support myself can control (laughs)." ”
Second, strong in creation, dare to be the enemy of everyone
"I was willful, I was willful since I was a child, and I ran away from home because I didn't want to go to school. Now, I may not survive this character. But the luck of that era was good, I was hungry, I broke through the ghost gate, and I could still mix it up. I am strong in creation, and I dare to be the enemy of everyone in artistic creation, can this not be stubborn and self-righteous? In just a few sentences, Li Baotian's life experience was outlined. He is well aware of his stubborn personality and is particularly insistent on the idea of identity.
As early as 1975, he was given the name of "Drama Bully". When he was the head of the literary troupe, the leader above forced a beautiful actor who could not act, and he firmly disagreed; because of his understanding of the role, he fought with his peers; and because he was dissatisfied with the producer's expansion of the series, he went to court... But he still insisted on his own style: he was extremely picky about acting, pushed out 17 scripts for two years without filming, never made an advertisement, and did not attend any events unrelated to acting.
With the film "Have Something to Say" directed by Zhang Yimou, Li Baotian won the Popular Film Hundred Flowers Award.
This person has played countless classic roles, the Golden Rooster Award, the Hundred Flowers Award, and the Feitian Award have won the "old drama bone" over and over again, and these years have really disappeared. Under his previous classic works, there are also audience messages asking, "Why doesn't Li Baotian have such good acting skills" and "When can there be a sequel to "Prime Minister Liu Luoguo"? Li Baotian has not heard of this, and he has a clear judgment of his own works: "I used to have some good things that were really ignored by others, and looking back, I think it should be better than the things in the same period now." I never say this, I have to feel it for myself. ”
Stills from the TV series "Prime Minister Liu Luoguo"
Third, there is no performance methodology, it all depends on reality and environment
Li Baotian does not want to act, but really lacks a good script.
There are a lot of scripts looking for him, but there are very few that he agrees, because the descriptions of the elderly in these books always make him difficult to say a word, and they also make him full of regrets about the creation: "(Those scripts) as long as the old man is written, either in a wheelchair, waiting for the end of life in a nursing home, or the elderly are trapped at home, and none of them write the wonderful old people." What's so wonderful about the old man? Be the experience! It's life experience! In the relationship between the characters, love and selflessness can be generated; or you can also write about the bad old man, the old man has become bad, the bad guy has become old, and he has been photographed as touchingly, but not. ”
Rarely, Li Baotian appeared in this year's May Day file, he picked a real and light book, returned to his familiar small people, and played the grandfather who helped his granddaughter "Looking for Han" in a movie without big stars and big gimmicks. Nearly thirty years ago, when Li Baotian was in his early forties, he used the method of playing an old man who was almost twice his age. Now that he is over seventy years old, he has become a crane-haired and childlike old man under the gaze of the movie lens. In his own words, he used to "play" the old man, and this time although the role was more than a teenager older than himself, he really got older.
In the movie "Looking for Han Ji", Li Baotian played a grandfather who was more than ten years older than his actual age.
In his opinion, there is no methodology for performance. He admired daniel day-lewis's performance, and when he played Lincoln, as long as he arrived on the scene, the surrounding environment was murky and quiet, and this seriousness could undoubtedly help him enter Lincoln's soul. This time, Li Baotian also experienced the help of the immersion of the scene. In the "Looking for Han Ji" crew, everyone shouted Grandpa Li Baotian, as long as he put on makeup and put on the costume, as soon as he arrived at the crew, everyone said "Grandpa is coming", and took the place to shoot the scene, director Tang Danian also shouted "Grandpa, it's time for you", "I am also the oldest in the whole crew (age)". Li Baotian smiled and sighed that this time he happened to meet a good person: "Tang Danian is a good boy, although he looks naughty, he is smart and kind. Ren Suxi and Wang Zichuan are better actors, in fact, Wang Zichuan is not fully displayed in the play, you look at his stage plays, you can definitely call it a model of physical training in contemporary young and middle-aged actors, that kind of ability to control the body, his generation (actors) or the next generation (actors), it is difficult to have his training foundation, helplessly such an actor who pays attention to art is too few. ”
Even though he was considered to have been acting "with his life", Li Baotian felt that he had not really opened up for the role. He said that he never looked back at the works he had acted in because he felt that he was not good enough, and he would be shy and embarrassed to see the deficiencies: "I really did not completely open up for the role, if nothing else, you can watch Lewis's "Blood Is Coming" and "My Left Foot", even if it is a shot of a western cowboy raising his hand and smoking a cigarette, look closely at his fingernails are old dirt, which is the effect that makeup can't achieve. It's like when I was acting in "Ju Dou" I could not take a bath for a month, my palms and body were all ash, and no one else thought it was true, but I had to have a real effect in this way. ”
When filming "Ju Dou", Li Baotian could not take a bath for a month in order to get closer to the role.
Li Baotian, who "acted into what", what is the secret to performance? "It's true. Any role you play must have truth, and true includes the image, including the soul that intervenes in the deep level of the role, not only looks like that role, but even the spirit must be close, even if you can't do it thoroughly, you must do a little like it. He said that if he had the opportunity, the role he most wanted to play was Jia Mu (anti-string) in "Dream of the Red Chamber", or an old lady in a big family with four generations.
Fourth, reject materialization, and even more must reject all right and wrong
Over the years, Li Baotian has always refused to "dress up as old and young", thinking that it is difficult to be real, so when he is older, the opportunity to take over the drama is much less, and it is a "rare era of good scripts", so he stays at home at home to read, draw and listen to music. He says this state of life is "extremely simple and rich", "If there is no music, I will feel that the house is empty, like there is no soul, just like now I don't need to listen to music."
However, it seemed that he would never be able to cultivate the Immortal Wind Dao Bone and the otherworldly appearance. As soon as he talked about the current situation of the industry, Li Baotian shook his head repeatedly, and even scolded. "Although I am staying at home, I keep an eye on it all the time, and I know what the current state is, including all kinds of international relations and human relations, and I will pay attention to it." For example, [movies] have a good box office, but they don't necessarily attract people, because they are getting farther and farther away from the spiritual world and too materialistic. He would be angry at the unprofessional actors and feel helpless for the "idolatry" called Lee Wei Exposure. But thirty years ago, he also thought about being a public figure, which he said was the normal desire of young actors in the development period, but in his opinion, if a person makes himself a public figure with the purpose of making money, it is a villain: "There is no one who does not want to be a public figure, does not want to be noticed, but you are concerned, to serve them, or to pay their pockets?" As long as you act, you will want to pay for other people's pockets, especially some small people who are only for 'this', and they have no bottom. ”
"But no matter how the industry changes, will you still stick to your point?"
"Of course, I can act when I have the opportunity, and I don't have the opportunity to do anything else." But I definitely don't let myself be tired, I won't let the outside world crawl all over my life, like a parasitic vine clinging to my body, sucking my brain marrow and hard work. Now I don't do such stupid things. What is beauty? Just as I was dying, I remembered that I had a worthy day every day. ”
dialogue
Actors should be like special forces to themselves
Beijing News: This time filming "Looking for Han Ji", will it be very stressful for young actors and directors to cooperate with you?
Li Baotian: They were under no pressure, and it only took three days to know that I was very good (to get along with) (laughs). I'm a very nice and well managed person, and if it's good to leave at 6 a.m. tomorrow, I'll get up at 4:30 a.m. In order to force myself to sleep and ensure that I have energy the next day, I quit for more than twenty years and started eating in March 2019. Up to now, after leaving the crew for a year and a half, Anding can't be left behind, and eats every day.
In the movie "Looking for Han Ji", Li Baotian and Ren Suxi starred as grandchildren.
Beijing News: Is this a "joke" with the body?
Li Baotian: No way, this is your job. It's like I'm never late, and every time I'm on site at the same time as the lighting team, they have to set up the lights in advance. Some people think this is very touching, what is there to say? That's your normal job. Now there are a bunch of thick-skinned (people), actually take this to show off, say what I never memorize, directly read 12345, I said why are they so lack of heart and eyes? Do you dare to use such an ugly thing as a good thing to publicize? Can't even say personal words, and still go to acting? It's an insult to the performance, and it's a hazard to the audience. Therefore, I never watch domestic TV dramas, because I was once insulted by the anti-Japanese drama, I never watched it again, I didn't watch anything.
Beijing News: Do you miss the feeling of filming in those years, now the conditions are too good, but it has deteriorated?
Li Baotian: Creation is a difficult process, but today it has become a process of enjoying happiness, and many people have become hedonists. Only the artists who are acting are creative, and ease only trains the "losers". When I say these hardships, I don't mean to be hungry, but to be able to eat all kinds of training, and an actor should treat himself like a special soldier trained, to see if he digs deep in acting, and can't stand it in the inter-encounter.
Those who do this should hide behind the work
Beijing News: Do you know that you actually have a lot of fans?
Li Baotian: I don't know, I don't have much contact.
Li Baotian starred in the TV series "Divine Doctor Xi Laile".
Beijing News: Under many of your works, there are still many audiences discussing, saying that it is very painful to be your fans, because you have too few exposure opportunities and not many works in recent years.
Li Baotian: Because of what? An actor, who is based on the results of your work, with your work, is just an ordinary person as an individual, and should be hidden behind the work. This business is to let others look at the (character) image, not look at you. You open yourself up to the public, the public can't forget you in life, it is difficult to accept you in art. What an actor should remember is the image he creates, not how glamorous he is.
Beijing News: So, you basically don't use social media?
Li Baotian: I don't use it much, and there are only about ten people in WeChat. Are you tweeting in an attempt to communicate with others, or are you ready to be scolded by others? You want to ask others to flatter you, that's impossible, you think wrong; you say I'm going to Weibo just to make others pick a thorn, this line. So I didn't want to argue with them or let them praise me, so I just didn't, never (laughs).
In China, every son is an enemy of his father
Beijing News: Maverick, dare to speak out, as a minority in the entertainment industry, some people describe your character as a "treasure" like existence?
Li Baotian: This does not need to be discussed, and do not say who is the treasure, every day the chimney of the Eight Treasure Mountain is there, no one is not dead, and no one is a treasure. It is enough for a person to be able to leave his spirit behind in this lifetime, and it is enough to influence several people. As for me, even my own children can't influence me, and I still influence others?
Beijing News: How did you get along with your son Li Yu? Will you watch his plays?
Li Baotian: In terms of learning and art, dad can't teach his children. My son's performance will never obey my control, I can't manage it, and I don't watch his plays now. Because once I was in the "Clown Daddy" crew, I saw one of his scenes, and suddenly said to him, "Okay, I know how deep you can go, I don't care about anything else." You can be serious, you can be moved, and at the same time you can release the energy of moving into a performance and affect the people around you, this is performance. ”
In the TV series "Clown Daddy", Li Baotian cooperates with his son Li Yu (right).
Beijing News: He should be able to feel your high requirements for him, will he ask you for advice on performance?
Li Baotian: Never ask for advice, any son is an enemy of his father, he would rather communicate with his mother than with his father. And his dad didn't have the patience (laughs), it was the usual father-son relationship in China.
Hundreds of ads were found, but I didn't want to earn this money
Beijing News: Always using the working state to demand their own life, is it a kind of cruelty to yourself?
Li Baotian: I am not cruel to myself, this is my very satisfied state, if I think it is not good for myself, I will not stick to it, but the state of life of excitement is my best state.
Beijing News: Will there be a drama addiction without filming for so long?
Li Baotian: Not at all, in fact, I have three fragments of my life in a day: painting, reading, and watching movies (movies). In the past ten years, I am still using DVD players, blu-ray discs have been destroyed more than a dozen, because I watch too much, some easy to jam machine.
I usually get up at five o'clock in the morning, drink some coffee, eat something simple, and work until two o'clock in the afternoon. Writing and drawing are also two-pronged. In winter, a large drawing board is propped up by the south-facing window, and the sun shines from the back of my head to the front of my face, next to Beethoven or Mozart, which has not changed for decades. As long as it is awake, three houses, three machines, and a hypnotic combination sound at night, lie down at half-past nine.
I think it's blissful. What is happiness? Living in a state of satisfaction with you, doing something every day, simple to the extreme, but also extremely rich.
Beijing News: Such a "detached" life, you need to refuse a lot of temptations.
Li Baotian: Not a temptation. As long as you are a normal, mentally demanding person, you don't feel anything about it. For example, in the past thirty or forty years, more than three hundred advertisements have approached me, at least "a whole" (referring to the price), but I have never taken it. My family did not dare to persuade me to take the advertisement, because I did not treat them badly. I'm not selfish, not that I see money as dung, it's just that I don't want to earn [advertising fees], and I think earning this money is detrimental to my image.
Beijing News: Are you satisfied with the current situation of your life?
Li Baotian: Satisfied with his own living conditions and dissatisfied with his surrounding environment. I don't even have my most basic say. Of course, I can't change the noise around me, so why go and find this awkwardness? If you don't say it, you can't change it.
Beijing News senior reporter Zhou Huixiaowan chief photographer Guo Yanbing
Wu Dongni, chief editor of the Beijing News, proofreads Zhao Lin
Source: Beijing News