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Editor: Xiao Xiao
Zhou Jie was once known as the most beautiful Yang Guifei, and the Yang Guifei she played was like coming out of a painting.
She was rated as dedicated for gaining weight for the role, but she was also a dancer with extremely high requirements for body management.
Her dance level can be compared with Yang Liping, and she is known as the "Oriental God of Beauty".
Therefore, she went to the United States to establish a dance school for the Chinese, but unfortunately died of cancer at the age of only 50.
Unexpectedly, she did not hesitate to spend 270,000 yuan on a chartered flight to return to China before she died, and left without regret 5 days later.
Zhou Jie's life has no children and no daughters, and her life is bumpy, so what heartache has she experienced behind her?
Acting career
Zhou Jie's two most famous character images are Yang Guifei and Concubine Li.
At that time, director Chen Jialin took great pains to find actors suitable for "Yang Guifei".
In order to find actors who match the image in the history books, he traveled all over the show business.
In the end, no one expected that the role that made the actors scramble was played by a dancer.
Before filming "Yang Guifei", Zhou Jie had already participated in costume TV series.
Although the image she created is successful, Zhou Jie herself is a dancer.
Her figure is very slim, and anyone who knows history knows that Sheng Tang is beautiful with fat.
So the director didn't think about letting dancers act in the first place.
Zhou Jie knew that director Chen Jialin signed up immediately after casting.
Although the director did not plan to use her, Zhou Jie said that he could gain weight for the role.
As an actor, gaining or losing weight for your character is a matter of responsibility.
But for dancers, obesity is a fear that cannot be avoided.
Zhou Jie obviously doesn't care about this, and she also said that she will definitely be able to lose weight back after filming.
The director only said that he could give Zhou Jie a chance, and for this sentence, Zhou Jie tried to gain weight within a month.
She eats eggs and chicken soup every day, and when she is full, she lies motionless in bed.
Finally, a month later, he successfully gained more than 30 pounds.
Gaining weight is only part of Zhou Jie's efforts.
In order to be able to perform the most authentic Yang Guifei, she consulted history books at home every day.
Imitating Yang Guifei's voice and smile, she repeatedly pondered the script.
Memorizing the lines well, even dreaming is about Yang Guifei.
She has done everything she can, and the final result can only be left to Providence.
The kung fu paid off, and when Zhou Jie auditioned in front of Chen Jialin, before the performance was finished, Chen Jialin was moved by him.
On the spot, it was determined that the role of Yang Guifei was none other than her, and in Chen Jialin's words, "Zhou Jie is a copy of Yang Guifei." ”
Zhou Jie did not live up to the director's expectations, and the TV series received unanimous praise after it was broadcast.
Zhou Jie also won the hearts of a large number of audiences with his excellent acting skills.
Although the TV series is very successful, losing weight has become Zhou Jie's current problem, and her schedule is tight.
She must lose weight in the shortest possible time, and under the pressure of work, Zhou Jie did not hesitate to harm her body in order to become thin.
Although she lost her original weight, her body was also damaged.
Zhou Jie reached the peak of her acting career with the role of Yang Guifei.
However, this is not her only masterpiece, "Concubine Li" is the "noble" of her acting career.
In 1983, Zhou Jie, a dancer, was pulled to act for the first time at the suggestion of a friend.
The director of "Burning the Old Summer Palace" has already identified actors for other characters.
Only the role of Concubine Li has not yet been found, and after the director saw Zhou Jie, his eyes flashed.
He couldn't believe that the candidate he had been looking for for a long time appeared in front of him.
Zhou Jie joined the crew of "Burning the Old Summer Palace" as she wished.
In this drama, Concubine Li has very few scenes, but this does not affect her grades.
She touched the hearts of her peers and audiences with just a few shots.
Since then, her acting career has officially begun.
After the broadcast of "Burning the Old Summer Palace", Zhou Jie's popularity soared.
Later, she played the role of Concubine Li in "Listening to Politics", and everyone also ridiculed her as a professional of Concubine Li.
From Concubine Li to Yang Guifei, Zhou Jie carefully shapes every character.
She has been well received in the film and television industry, but she has not forgotten her profession.
Throughout Zhou Jie's career territory, acting is only her side job.
She has never given up dancing, but Zhou Jie's dance path has not been smooth.
Behind her successful career, what efforts has she made?
Dance career
Zhou Jie was born in Shanghai in the 60s of the last century.
She showed great artistic talent from an early age.
Zhou Jie's parents wanted their daughter to realize her wish to dance.
He has been sparing no effort to nurture her.
When Zhou Jie was seven, she wanted to enter a dance school.
However, due to the composition of her family, she lost her admission to school.
At that time, Zhou Jie did not know the real reason for his failure.
She only felt that she did not dance well, and after being rejected by the school, she worked harder than before.
Insist on dancing every day, and the young body cannot withstand this training intensity.
Zhou Jie fell ill many times, but she stubbornly stood up again.
At the age of 12, Zhou Jie withstood all pressure and was finally admitted to the Shanghai Theater Academy.
Once upon a time, her parents asked a teacher to teach her to dance, and although she danced for nearly ten years, Zhou Jie has not been systematically trained.
After arriving at the troupe, Zhou Jie's potential seemed to be fully tapped.
Her life has taken a turn for the worse.
Only half a year after arriving at the troupe, Zhou Jie became the heroine of the song and dance drama with her excellent acting skills.
At the age of 15, after three years of honing in the troupe, she was able to stand alone.
At this time, she ushered in the first peak of her dance career.
The familiar "Banping Mountain" and "Fengming Qishan" are all works of Zhou Jie in this period.
Zhou Jie was as light as a swallow on the stage, like a dancing butterfly.
But she is far less relaxed than she seems on stage.
One minute on stage, ten years of work offstage, Zhou Jie in order to show his best state on stage.
She practiced day and night offstage, and the bruises and foot injuries on her body were the marks of her efforts.
Zhou Jie became famous, and a peacock dance made her as famous as Yang Liping in Yunnan.
At that time, some people in the industry said that she and Yang Liping were both elves in the dance industry.
Acting and dancing made Zhou Jie a leading figure in the entertainment industry at that time.
Her figure is on the New Year's wall calendar and magazine prints.
At that time, it was difficult to know Zhou Jie.
Her photographs have been integrated into the lives of every ordinary person.
Anyone who has seen Zhou Jie can hardly help but be moved by her beauty.
No one expected that Zhou Jie would retreat at the peak of his career.
Many people wondered why she went to the United States, and years later, her answer moved everyone.
Immortal artist, chartered flight back home before dying
In 1996, Zhou Jie was invited to perform in the United States, and her dance touched overseas Chinese.
They hope that their children can become world-famous dance stars like Zhou Jie in the future.
Several of her parents stopped Zhou Jie after her performance.
I hope she can teach children to dance, and said that such a good dance only means if it is passed on.
It is difficult for Chinese children abroad to find good Chinese teachers.
The parents said the truth, and after Zhou Jie went back and thought about it repeatedly, she decided to take on the responsibility of promoting dance.
In 1997, she gave up domestic flowers and applause and went to Houston to run a school.
Zhou Jie is a man of action, and she showed the strength she had in the opera troupe.
Put all your energy into running the school.
From site selection to decoration, from enrollment to teaching, Zhou Jie is all hands-on.
Her fame has attracted the attention of many Chinese.
And her attitude has been unanimously praised by overseas Chinese.
There are many children who want to worship Zhou Jie as a teacher, and Zhou Jie tries her best to give every child the opportunity to develop themselves.
Within half a year since the school was founded, Zhou Jie Dance Academy has become the most popular dance school in North America.
Houston has also become a dance capital because of Zhou Jie's presence.
The mayor affirmed Zhou Jie's ability so much that he even designated November 20 as Zhou Jie Dance School Day.
Although Zhou Jie is far away in the United States, she has never forgotten her motherland in her heart.
Five years have passed, and Zhou Jie has gained a lot of experience in running schools and management.
She decided to return to Shanghai to set up a dance school.
In 2002, Zhou Jie officially enrolled students at the dance school in Shanghai.
As soon as the news was released, students flocked to the news.
Since then, Zhou Jie has become a trapeze, and in order to manage the school, she often travels back and forth between China and the United States.
The huge work pressure overwhelmed Zhou Jie's body.
In 2015, Zhou Jie was diagnosed with cervical cancer at a hospital in Shanghai.
From the moment of diagnosis, Zhou Jie's life entered the countdown.
Although terminally ill, Zhou Jie still does not give up the burden on his body.
She continued to work despite her serious illness, and in 2021, when the epidemic was raging, she collapsed.
The pandemic has been a disaster for people all over the world.
Traveling internationally has become a Chinese unattainable luxury.
Zhou Jie, who is far away in the United States, has only one wish, "Death will also die in China."
She overcame many difficulties for this, which would have been impossible.
But with her determination and perseverance, she finally spent 270,000 charter flights to return home.
She returned to China just to be able to return to her roots.
After returning home, she knew that her wish had been granted, and five days later, she died forever.
Zhou Jie has no children in her life and has been alone for decades.
At the age of 24, she married an outsider, but the marriage did not last long, and the two parted ways within two years.
Everyone thought that the young and promising Zhou Jie would remarry.
She and Run Run Shaw are fairy companions in the eyes of outsiders.
But Zhou Jie said many times that they were just friends, and nothing happened to them.
In this regard, Run Run Shaw did not affirm or deny, but accompanied Zhou Jie like a knight.
However, regardless of the rumors, Zhou Jie has been single for thirty-five years is an undeniable fact.
Zhou Jie came to the world alone and left alone.
She dedicated her life to the art career and is a veritable artist.
epilogue
From dance to actor, Zhou Jie has never forgotten her original intention.
Whether it is acting or running a school, it is ultimately at the service of art.
60-year-old Zhou Jie passed away, looking back on this life, she seems to be the little girl who loved art and danced when she was a child.
60 years have passed, the world has changed, and she has not changed.