If she had not played the role of Jia Mu in the 87 version of "Dream of the Red Chamber", not many people may have known about the existence of actor Li Ting. She said: "In my life, the happiest thing I feel is to participate in the filming of the TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber". ”
Li Ting is a native of Anhui, and when she was more than 10 years old, she went to society to support herself. Initially, Li Ting worked as a professional actor at Yanjing Film Company (the predecessor of Beijing Film Studio), and later joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army, successively working as an actor in the Siye Special Forces Cultural and Industrial Troupe, the PLA General Political Drama Troupe, and the Anhui Provincial Repertory Theatre. In the early 1960s, he went to the People's Liberation Army Academy of Arts for further study. She has created many roles on stage and in film and television dramas, but only the role of "Jia Mu" has given her the opportunity to become famous all over the world.
In the spring of 1984, selected by the organization, Li Ting came to the newly formed "Dream of the Red Chamber" film crew to serve as a line, acting tutor and dubbing team leader, while playing the role of the nun of Mantou An. After a period of work, the candidates for important roles such as Baoyu, Daiyu, Baochao, and Fengjie have been determined, and only Jia Mu, who is equally important in the role, has never had a suitable candidate. Previously, the crew determined that the actor Gao Yuqian Jiamu, who had played the mother-in-law of the Pig Eight Commandments in the TV series "Journey to the West", but because Gao Yuqian could not come to the schedule, the crew had to find another candidate. Jia Mu is an artistic image with the largest historical capacity in "Dream of the Red Chamber", and it is also an important clue throughout the whole play. It has extremely rich character connotation and aesthetic implications. Limited by age and experience, as well as social literacy, the selection of Jia Mu's role is the most difficult of all characters.
Just when the crew was having a headache about casting, director Wang Fulin inadvertently found that Li Ting was more suitable for Jia Mu's standards. When he asked Li Ting for advice, he was rejected by Li Ting, who was not confident. Li Ting believes that her image is quite different from That of Jia Mu, and she is afraid that she will not be able to play this role. Wang Fulin believes that Li Ting is the most ideal candidate, and assistant director Sun Guizhen also tried to persuade her to participate in the audition and challenge the role.
Li Ting has loved classical literature since she was a child, and has been reading "Dream of the Red Chamber" since she was 12 years old, and after entering the crew, she took the time to read the original several times. Based on the clear purpose of participating in the filming of this TV series, Li Ting has carefully pondered and studied each role, and is almost familiar with each role. At the audition, Li Ting, who was originally plump and kind-eyed, put on the costume prepared by the props, and when she appeared gorgeously surrounded by everyone, people saw an "old ancestor" with a graceful and luxurious appearance, pearlescent and extraordinary temperament. In the warm applause of the crowd, Jia Mu's casting ended.
The crew of "Dream of the Red Chamber" needs to shoot more than 800 Jiamu shots, in order to save shooting costs, it is required that there is no gap period during filming. Chen Xiaoxu and Ouyang Fenqiang, young actors with good physical strength, are fine, but it is somewhat difficult for Li Ting, who is already 63 years old. However, Li Ting has always obeyed the arrangement and listened to the conductor in terms of cooperating with the crew shooting, and has shown a good quality. No matter what time and place, as long as the crew arranges shooting, it will be in place immediately. One rainy day, Li Ting slipped under her feet when she went to the studio, and she fell into a bone fracture, causing her to be unable to walk. In order to catch up with the schedule, Li Ting went to the Beijing Sports Commission with the crew, and with the help of the sports committee, made a pair of leggings on the feet and necks to alleviate the pain. At the same time, some shots sitting on chairs were arranged in advance to ensure the normal shooting of the crew.
After the filming of "Dream of the Red Chamber", Li Ting returned to Anhui to live with her son's family. In her later years, Li Ting's health has not been very good, and she is maintained by taking medicine and treatment. In 1994, Li Ting died of a sudden cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 73.