Speaking of actress Wang Xiaotang, many young people may not have heard of her name, but in the 1960s and 1970s, she was a well-known big star, and she starred in the movies "Mysterious Traveling Companion", "Wildfire Spring Wind Fighting Ancient City", "Hero Tiger Guts" and other sensations, even today, there are still people watching, which shows Wang Xiaotang's influence on the Chinese film industry.
Wang Xiaotang was born in 1934 in Kaifeng, Henan, the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, her parents are cultural people, like opera literature, influenced by the atmosphere of the family, from an early age Wang Xiaotang showed extraordinary artistic talent.
Wang Xiaotang's father originally worked in Chongqing and was a major general in the Nationalist Army. However, he loved art and was tired of the decadent life within the Nationalist army, so he left the Kuomintang army.
After the outbreak of the All-out War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Kaifeng fell, and Wang Xiaotang's family moved to Chongqing to live. After his father left the Nationalist army, the family moved to Nanjing, and later moved to Hangzhou due to the chaos of the war. Wang Xiaotang's childhood life was spent in this kind of constant moving, but even so, Wang Xiaotang's parents did not give up their daughter's education and artistic training.
In 1952, it was especially important for Wang Xiaotang, who had just turned 18 years old, young and beautiful, versatile, and at this time she needed a stage to express herself. At this time, the staff of the State Cultural and Labor Troupe was looking for outstanding performing talents throughout the country, and Wang Xiaotang, under the introduction of a friend, met Huang Zongjiang, the head of the Cultural and Labor Troupe.
The moment Huang Zongjiang saw Wang Xiaotang, he felt that Wang Xiaotang would be a very outstanding artistic performer, so he was very happy to absorb Wang Xiaotang into the literary troupe. In the same year, Wang Xiaotang also joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
In the People's Liberation Army's cultural and labor troupe, Wang Xiaotang practiced and studied at the same time, and her artistic attainments and performance achievements were once again improved. Wang Xiaotang became a well-known figure in the literary troupe, and the opportunity was left to those who were prepared, and in 1955, Wang Xiaotang's opportunity to go to the film came.
This year, Changchun Film Studio was ready to shoot "The Mysterious Traveling Companion", but the role of Xiao Liying, a girl who played the Yi in the play, could not be determined, and the director looked around for suitable actors, and finally confirmed it when he met Wang Xiaotang. Wang Xiaotang's playful and cute, gentle and kind personality just fits the identity of Xiao Liying.
After the release of the film, it was well received. The name "Wang Xiaotang" began to be known by more and more people, and her acting skills and performances were also recognized by professional directors. It was from this moment that Wang Xiaotang was destined to form a fate with China's film industry.
In 1958, Wang Xiaotang officially joined Bayi Film and became a professional actor. In the same year, the film "Border Village Beacon", specially tailored for Wang Xiaotang, won the Young Actor Award at the 11th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
In the subsequent "Tiger Hero", Wang Xiaotang played a Kuomintang agent Alan, and his wonderful performance made people clap their hands and praise.
The movie that really makes Wang Xiaotang a household name has to be counted as "Wildfire Spring Wind Fighting Ancient City". In this film, Wang Xiaotang single-handedly plays two roles, Golden Ring and Bank, and she interprets Golden Ring's cleverness and wit, as well as Silver Ring's gentleness and understanding. So much so that many parents name their children "Gold Ring and Silver Ring." ”
However, just when Wang Xiaotang's acting career was in full swing, a special era had arrived. Wang Xiaotang's career suffered a serious impact, and she was sent to the forest farm for 6 years. During this period, her husband has been accompanying Wang Xiaotang without abandonment.
Wang Xiaotang's husband's name is Yan Xiaopeng, and he is the younger son of Yan Jupeng, who is born in Peking Opera. The same artistic hobby and family background brought the two together, and in 1958 the two gave birth to a son, Yan Qun. The reason why he gave his son such a name is because Wang Xiaotang believes that he is a member of the masses of the people.
In 1975, Wang Xiaotang not only resumed his work, but also became a director. In 1982, he directed and starred in the film "Xiang", which was well received. In September 1992, Wang Xiaotang became the director of the Bayi Film Studio, and in 1993, Wang Xiaotang was awarded the rank of major general, at the age of 59.
However, at the same time as his career rose, Wang Xiaotang also endured suffering in his heart. Her son contracted liver disease in 1974 and died at the age of 18 without timely treatment. This blow was very big for her and became a pain in Wang Xiaotang's life.
In 1992, when she became the director of the Bayi Film Studio, her husband Yan Xiaopeng also died of illness.
Today, Wang Xiaotang is still active in China's film industry and has made important contributions to Chinese films. In 2012, in recognition of Wang Xiaotang's great contribution, she won the Huading Award for Lifetime Achievement in Chinese Cinema, and on September 19, 2015, Wang Xiaotang won the Lifetime Achievement Film Artist Award at the 30th Golden Rooster Awards of Chinese Film.
Today's Wang Xiaotang is 88 years old, but she still loves and cares about the development of China's film industry, let us pay tribute to this persistent film old man!