The day before yesterday, after the Berlin Film Festival, I happened to see a name, Xiao Fangfang.
My heart was shocked.
It is a name so long ago that most people today have almost forgotten her legend, with those bright and bright splendors.
However, if you ask casually in the film circle, no one does not know the three words "Xiao Fangfang".
She is Zhou Xingchi's favorite partner, the immortal goddess in Zhang Guorong's heart, the actress duan Yihong dreams of playing, and the pride that Wang Jing is engraved in the blood and bones.
Someone once asked Wang Jing: If you give the actress's acting skills ranking, who do you like the most?
Wang Jing said firmly, "In my eyes, the first place will always be Xiao Fangfang." ”
She is the glory of the people of Heung Kong, and they call her: the titan of Hong Kong cinema.
It is also a symbol in the memory of foreign media, they call her: Xiulan Temple.
It is such a well-known woman who has won the respect of everyone with her acting skills, intellect, talent, diligence and self-discipline.
The media's evaluation of Xiao Fangfang has always been full of contradictions.
Some say she was miserable, leaving home at the age of 2, losing her father at the age of 3, paying off debts at the age of 6, and wandering in the Atlantic at the age of 14.
Some people say that she is fortunate, born in Xiangmendi, has a close relationship with Fu Lei and Wang Renman, and became popular soon after her debut, retook a bachelor's degree in youth, and won the Lifetime Achievement Award in her old age.
Others say she's complex, three-dimensional, and even changeable.
As outsiders have seen, Xiao Fangfang is indeed a person with many changes and ups and downs.
She was born in Shanghai, and she has the unique noble spirit of a Shanghai girl.
The family is also very well-off, the father has studied, and the mother was the president of the Shanghai Art College Student Union, a typical art family.
Unfortunately, fate did not take much care of her.
When she was 3 years old, her father left a bunch of debts and died of illness.
She lives with her mother.
The roof of the home fell, and the creditors rushed to the door and collected the debt day and night.
In order to pay off the debt, the mother sold all the valuable things in the family, but it was far from enough.
The mother and daughter were cornered.
Fortunately, at that time, it was popular for children to shoot movies, and a friend of her mother suggested that Xiao Fangfang also try filming.
With nowhere to go, her mother agreed to this method, and under the guidance of her friends, she rushed to the set with 6-year-old Xiao Fangfang.
At that time, Xiao Mu thought that she only needed to shoot for one day and solve life problems first, but she did not expect that Xiao Fangfang was very talented in acting, and a scene came down and was unanimously recognized by everyone.
Because of her slippery lines, the adults in the crew gathered around and applauded.
This satisfied Xiao Fangfang's vanity.
In this way, day after day, she grew up while filming.
Filming often requires staying up late, and sometimes she rarely has time to go to school in order to catch up.
Reading the second grade, Xiao Fangfang simply dropped out of school and has been thinking about filming ever since.
Not long after she entered the circle, she was in trouble.
The entertainment industry is intricate, the benefits are greater than the sky, although she is a child, she has not been spared.
As long as Xiao's mother is not there, the crew will either scold her or beat her, and sometimes the director will encourage other actors to give Xiao Fangfang a heavy hand to Xiao Fangfang in front of Xiao Fangfang's face until she cries.
Looking back on the past now, Xiao Fangfang said: "When filming "The Wanderings of a Bitter Child", every time before the start of work, I would sit in the car and think for a while, praying that I would not be scolded today. ”
Remember to ask her if she hated her mother for letting herself step into the industry.
Xiao Fangfang smiled: "No, because at that time I knew that we were filming for life." ”
Fortunately, her efforts paid off.
Not long after the release of the film "Wanderings of the Bitter Child", it was nominated for the Gold Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
This is the first time that a Chinese film has been recognized by the San Francisco International Film Festival.
Among them, "Only Mother is Good in the World" sung by Xiao Fangfang is famous at home and abroad.
She was 11 years old.
I think there are very few people in China who haven't heard this song.
Although the career has started, it will take effort to pay off all the debts.
Her mother took on many more scenes for her, and from 1960 to 1966, in just a few years, she starred in more than 100 costume films.
Often at least two or more films are completed in a month.
She is not noisy, nor annoyed, often staying alone on the set, watching adults acting, taking her turn, before adjusting to the state.
Someone asked her if she was happy.
She smiled: "My childhood as a child star is not the happiest for me, now it is my happiest." ”
Stepping into adult society too early, her heart has long been foggy.
But in order to live, she buried this mind deeply at a young age.
At that time, her biggest wish was to be able to play with children her age, because the crew was full of adults, and she couldn't talk to them.
Her mother was distressed by Xiao Fangfang and hired many famous teachers for her to teach her knowledge.
Under the guidance of her teacher, Xiao Fangfang changed from a naïve child who did not understand to a mature girl full of infinite imagination about the future.
She loves to learn.
He studied Peking Opera, ballet and calligraphy under the guidance of Fan Chrysanthemum, Wang Renman and Fu Lei.
Slightly older, he actively learned to draw, ride horses, archery and sword dance.
But anything that was fresh, untouched, and beneficial to herself, she never refused.
At the age of 13, Xiao Fangfang met a fate-changing English teacher, and in the process of learning English, he encouraged Xiao Fangfang to go to the Royal Academy of Drama in the United Kingdom for further study.
Xiao Fangfang has never entered the school since dropping out of school in the second grade, and she has always been obsessed with campus life, and she wants to go.
The English teacher said, "If you're sure you want to go, I can write you a letter of recommendation." ”
She ran to her mother to beg herself to go to school.
My mother hesitated, she was becoming popular at the time, and she still had several plays on her body, and if she left, she would be in default.
Xiao Fangfang did not give up, and throughout that year, she begged her mother and begged her to relax.
The mother is soft-hearted, but there is a fatal problem in front of her, what to do with the drama received?
She could only stay in Hong Kong temporarily and opened a new show, "The Birth of Fangfang".
Because she is diligent enough, her acting skills are becoming more and more mature, and her popularity is getting higher and higher.
At its peak, together with actresses such as Chen Baozhu, Shen Zhihua and Xue Jiayan, she was called the "Seven Princesses" of Hong Kong.
Even so, she wanted to go.
Studying abroad is her dream.
When she was 15 years old, her mother suddenly brought a good news, she told Xiao Fangfang that as long as Xiao Fangfang came to the stage of Xingma, she would have money to go to school.
Xiao Fangfang was excited, followed the crew for three months, sang and danced again, and worked very hard.
However, when the performance was completed, she had the least amount of money, far from enough to study abroad.
Dreams, shattered again.
She still doesn't give up.
While filming, she missed her dreams, and during that time, Xiao Fangfang acted in a lot of dramas, "Girl's Heart", "Snitch Red Rose", "Purple Stormy Night", "Flying Girl"...
This is an important transition period for her.
In the play, she played 10 roles alone, performed various dances, with varied postures and multiple acting skills, setting a box office record for Hong Kong Cantonese films.
After the scene was filmed, in 1970, Xiao Fangfang finally waited for the opportunity.
Her mother put aside her worries and encouraged her to study abroad.
Xiao Fangfang had some doubts.
The mother said, "I know that if you don't do it, you will be unhappy." ”
Hearing this, she jumped up, "I'm very happy, so happy." ”
In the end, Xiao Fangfang chose to go to the United States.
When relatives and friends heard that she was going to study abroad, they all sighed, not mocking her stupidity, saying that she was crazy.
The first love heard that Xiao Fangfang was leaving, and was determined to break up with her.
Xiao Fangfang completely ignored it and resolutely decided to embark on the road of studying abroad.
On the plane to the United States, she has been looking forward to campus life, the emotional world, and even a blueprint for the future.
However, when the plane landed, before she entered the campus, she received a transoceanic call from her mother: "I am doing business with someone in a joint venture, and I have been cheated of money, can you send money back?" ”
At that moment, Xiao Fangfang's heart shattered in an instant.
She has no money, the only money is the only tuition fee, is it necessary to have no connection with the school?
Children in their early 20s have gone so far, but they are faced with the embarrassing choice of zeroing.
At the moment of dilemma, Tan Bingyong extended a helping hand, and he said to Xiao Fangfang: "Little sister, there are eight uncles here, don't be afraid." ”
Although it was only a comforting word, it gave Xiao Fangfang endless courage.
She did not rely on Tan Bingyong all, but worked and read half-time, picked up her old business, used her free time to perform on stage, and went to major theaters to sing and dance.
At its most, hundreds of performances were staged in a row. He was overtired and was in a coma for 30 hours.
The debt is paid off, and it is time to prepare for the next semester's tuition.
Xiao Fangfang went to the local TV station as an assistant.
Such a busy and sad life did not stop her yearning for love.
During her study abroad, she talked about love many times, and even got engaged to marriage twice, but in the end, she did not end up.
Friends asked her if she was sad.
Xiao Fangfang, as before, smiled indifferently: "Ended love and resurrected life." ”
It's also very sudden.
Three years passed quickly, and in 1973, Xiao Fangfang returned to Hong Kong with the title of "Bachelor Star".
Hong Kong media all say: This is the real star of learning.
Who said no, she graduated with a full A, and her thesis "Review and Prospect of Chinese Cinema" was strongly appreciated by professors.
He is a down-to-earth and hard-working scholar.
At this time, there are two roads in front of her:
First, continue filming.
Second, stay away from the entertainment industry.
Xiao Fangfang wanted to choose the latter, and she planned to take her mother to settle in the United States and continue to study.
However, a Taiwanese director stopped the idea of taking pictures, and he advised Xiao Fangfang to go to Japan to shoot a film and cooperate with Qin Xianglin in "Hiroshima Twenty-Eight".
Xiao Fangfang went. As a result, Qin Xianglin fell in love with her at first sight, and before the scene was finished, he frantically launched a pursuit.
In order to seek more contact, he often followed in the footsteps of Siu Fangfang, wandering between Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United States.
It is said that he also used Lin Qingxia to make up excuses for himself and prayed to be alone with Xiao Fangfang.
Obsessed with this, Xiao Fangfang fell.
However, Xiao Mu disagreed. Qin Xianglin was famous and acted promiscuously, not a good one to rely on.
She did not listen and resolutely married Qin Xianglin.
Originally thought that Qin Xianglin would converge after marriage, he did not think that after marriage, he still went his own way, played cards and gambled, and often returned with a hangover in the middle of the night, no matter how Xiao Fangfang persuaded, he did not change.
Once, Xiao Fangfang was anxious, and when he returned in the middle of the night again, Xiao Fangfang closed the door tightly, just not to open the door for him.
Qin Xianglin immediately reported to the police, and when Xiao Fangfang opened the door, he immediately sent a slap.
Xiao Fangfang was so proud, how could she be so angry.
The next morning, she packed her bags and flew back to Hong Kong without a trace of hesitation.
The marriage was completely shattered.
It is said that she also loved Xie Xian, but Xie Xian, like Qin Xianglin, was a playboy and eventually parted ways.
Many fans think that after these two love injuries, Xiao Fangfang will be sad and even depressed.
She didn't.
After returning, Xiao Fangfang quickly entered the working state and did several major things that caused a sensation in the film world.
First, self-edited, self-directed, and self-performed "Jumping Ash". Filmmakers say she has led a new wave of Hong Kong cinema.
Second, from a dignified and elegant jade female star, transformed into a humorous and funny "Lin Yazhen". It made the film industry exclaim continuously.
Third, with "Not a wrongdoer and no gathering", he won the Academy Award for Film Queen.
During this period, he went to the United States to study again.
Soon after returning to China, she decided to make comedies.
Thus, Miao Cuihua was born.
I think that most people are familiar with this role, and her cooperation with Jet Li is simply amazing.
The appearance is funny, the heart is soft. Mischievous, laughing and scolding, climbing the table and protecting his son.
The movements, eyes, and lines are precise, and there is no drama at all.
Especially in the section where people are humiliated, the eyes are cold and stubborn, and the deterrent force is full.
Image from: Tencent Video
The audience is straight to the point!
Some people wonder, ming generation of jade female superstars, why do they have to change their type to take the road of comedy?
Xiao Fangfang said frankly: "Because I cry too much." ”
With this role, she was shortlisted for the academy awards of the year, but helplessly lost to Yuan Yongyi.
But it doesn't matter, soon, Xiao Fangfang made a comeback, shocking the world with a "Woman Forty".
She uses the most simple performance to interpret the joys and sorrows of a 40-year-old woman.
You can't see her acting, you just think: that's what a 40-year-old woman does.
For this play, Siu Won six awards at the same time – the Academy Award, the Golden Bauhinia Award, the Golden Horse Award, the Best Actress Award of the Hong Kong Film Critics Association, and the Queen actress and highest achievement award at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The limelight is unparalleled for a while.
The glory continues.
A few years later, she was awarded the Empress MBE Title, the Hong Kong Artist of the Year Award, and the Academy Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.
That day, she sat downstage, listening to Zhang Guorong and Gong Li's phone calls on the stage, smiling from time to time.
When Zhang Guorong read out loud "Best Actress Xiao Fangfang", she did not respond, until people around her reminded her, Xiao Fangfang slowly stood up and walked lightly onto the stage.
The award ceremony was a little messy, her shawl inexplicably slipped, and Xiao Fangfang still adhered to the comic personality: "This woman is over 40 years old, and everything is shrugged down." ”
The crowd laughed incessantly.
At the end, Xiao Fangfang added: "Thank you director, thank you to the jury, award this award to me this deaf man..."
The scene suddenly fell silent.
It turned out that she was bright, deaf in her left ear in the early years, and as she grew older, her right ear also declined day by day, and now she couldn't even hear herself.
No wonder she once laughed in front of the audience: "I have a hundred male cicadas in my ears." ”
The audience at that time, like the awards ceremony now, was cheering, and no one knew what kind of torture she was suffering when she said this.
But none of this has stopped her enthusiasm for life.
After divorcing Qin Xianglin, Xiao Fangfang married Zhang Zhengfu.
He was an outsider, sincere and caring, and had sponsored more than a thousand seriously ill children.
Influenced by it, Xiao Fangfang was also keen on the charity industry, and when her husband went to Australia to work, she followed and studied architecture again.
In the late 1990s, due to her deteriorating health, she suspended her acting career.
Many people felt sorry and asked her what she was doing at home.
Xiao Fangfang said: "I am more fun at home than filming, because I learn a lot of things, because I have to constantly reflect all day, and then I have to change my own bad things." ”
Life gave her many tribulations, but she never retreated, and the more painful it was, the more courageous she became.
Near the end of the film, Xiao Fangfang acted in a movie, "HuduMen".
Leng Jianxin in the play is a generation of celebrities, galloping on the stage for thirty years, facing many tedious and complicated life choices, she wants to immigrate to Australia, wants a lot of understanding, wants practical love...
Finally, she stepped out of the fog with tears in her eyes: "I hope you don't forget me so quickly, a person who has struggled on stage for thirty years." I, cold sword heart, have no regrets in this life. ”
In fact, fans are clear that what she really wants to say is:
"I hope you don't forget me so quickly, a man who has struggled on stage for thirty years. I, Xiao Fangfang, have no regrets in this life. ”
Author: Chi Jinwen