Wang Baoqiang, don't be a "stupid root" those years

"In the Octagon Cage" is in theaters, with a box office of more than a billion and a Douban score of 7.5, which is far better than Wang Baoqiang's last film as a director. From directing "Big Trouble" was evaluated by the "Golden Broom Award" as the most disappointing film and became the "most disappointing director", to today, Wang Baoqiang has spent six years and new films to save his audience popularity.

Born in the countryside "stupid roots", relying on diligence, hardship and hard work to fight a big star road, after becoming famous, but also always maintain "grounded", such a character image is unique in the domestic actor group, Wang Baoqiang can not lose this label, this is the part of his growth as a star, the part that is most in line with the values of most ordinary people.

Behind the public perception, Wang Baoqiang knew what he wanted from the beginning. He is smarter than many star actors and has never been a "silly root".

Wang Baoqiang, "Hello! Mr. Tree"

"Silly roots" are born

Many stars play ordinary people and farmers in roles, but Wang Baoqiang is born. Born in rural Hebei, his family was poor, and he did not go to school before the age of eight, but went to Shaolin Temple to practice martial arts because he watched "Shaolin Temple", and after six years drifted north, he finally came to the front of the stage step by step.

In this process, Wang Baoqiang attaches great importance to polishing himself. In 2009, some media interviewed Wang Baoqiang's master brother in Shaolin Temple, and got the evaluation that "Baoqiang's favorite is to endure hardship, and what he hates the most is laziness". In the days of Shaolin Temple, he got up at five o'clock every morning to practice, and the training time was up to eight hours, and ordinary people were still at the age of elementary school, Wang Baoqiang persevered like this, and he was also practicing when others rested.

Because he opened his dream of stardom very early, Wang Baoqiang knew that learning more things would be useful for making movies in the future, just went to Shaolin Temple and wanted to learn routines, weapons, and rent cameras, buy film, spent most of the month's living expenses and did not feel distressed, and also knew that "photography is to be an actor and become famous for materials"... In those years, he was a "madman" who dreamed of stardom all day and night in the eyes of almost all senior brothers.

After the accumulation of the Shaolin Temple was completed, Wang Baoqiang began to act and went to Beijing to find opportunities. I lived with 5 people in a large courtyard next to the coal yard, and in order to facilitate the search for work, I pooled money to buy a BP machine with a digital display; Running groups while working; I went to Beijing Film Studio as a group performer, I didn't eat all day, and I was so hungry that I didn't dare to drink water when I ate 5 steamed buns in one go, "I was afraid that I would swell to death immediately."

But in a later interview, he said that even if life is hard, he feels hopeful.

Some media reported that because the education level is not high, all the lines are turned to the dictionary to annotate, other actors are filming a play to remember the lines of a play, and Wang Baoqiang memorized all the lines in advance. "When I wasn't famous, I was said to be ruthless, and I said everything."

Wang Baoqiang "Blind Well"

But hope fell on him. Director Li Yang, who was called a noble by Wang Baoqiang, let him star in the independent film "Blind Well", and when he mentioned the 500 yuan prepaid salary he received initially, Wang Baoqiang was still so excited that his voice trembled. It was a lot of money for him in 2002, but more important than the money, this film won him the Golden Horse Award for Best Newcomer, and Wang Baoqiang's career as an actor finally officially began.

In 2004, Wang Baoqiang became the "stupid root" in "No Thief in the World" directed by Feng Xiaogang. Such a funny and simple character, who does not seem to have a bright brain, can be remembered by the audience at once, and also makes Wang Baoqiang a "stupid root". According to media reports, Wang Baoqiang, who became famous in 2006, still wants to go home to harvest corn - his public image is very clear, simple and able to endure hardships, which is very in line with people's imagination of "stupid roots".

Wang Baoqiang at that time said that after filming this play, he knew that he would not worry about filming in his life, but he didn't understand how to break through the audience's impression of himself after that, "Is it that I can only play such a role in my life?" ”

Wang Baoqiang "No Thief in the World"

Clever "silly roots"

When he was worried about where his actor career was going, Feng Xiaogang woke him up. "He told me that you want to play a role that others can't play, you Wang Baoqiang is unique, you don't have to pursue those rich and handsome things that others say, first eat this bowl of rice and eat it steadily, let the audience accept it first, and slowly you seek changes."

It is true that if Wang Baoqiang after "Silly Root" is a villain or a fashionable urbanite in the movie, it is difficult for the audience to remember his image of "honest man". "The audience didn't know me, so they ruined their own path, because I haven't set a foundation for acting." If the private life of Wang Baoqiang, who became a star, is rich and luxurious, the audience is also unacceptable.

For this, Wang Baoqiang is very smart. He is not in a hurry to lose his label like many stars. Some media once asked Wang Baoqiang, do you feel that your value lies in maintaining your true colors? If you were asked to go to college, would you like it? His answer was: "No, I am like this, I can't change it." ”

Wang Baoqiang "Soldier Assault"

So after that, Wang Baoqiang starred in Xu Sanduo in "Soldier Assault" and the blind man in "Dark Calculation", as well as "My Brother Called Shunyo", these are almost tailored roles for his image, allowing him to consolidate his audience base. "I'm willing to go to college, but I'm afraid people won't want me." I especially wanted to study literature, because literature is especially helpful for writing scripts and doing creative work. After becoming famous, Wang Baoqiang is no longer confused and knows what is useful.

In 2011, starring in "Hello! Mr. Tree" once again allowed him to win awards, but seven years have passed since "Silly Roots", and it is time to make a change: in 2012, Wang Baoqiang's "Man Again in Thailand" strongly refreshed the box office of domestic films at that time, opening a new era of high box office of commercial comedies different from "No Thief in the World", and Wang Baoqiang's road to the box office also began.

But before that, he chose to star in Jia Zhangke's "Destiny" first. "'Thai' was a success, and everyone liked the role of the baby, but it was difficult to surpass it when I made comedy again, so I had to change my image and try different styles and characters." Even if there are other plays to pick up, he doesn't want the audience to fix his aesthetic.

Wang Baoqiang "People in Thailand"

In 2015, Wang Baoqiang starred in the first part of "Detective Chinatown", and the film was still good at the box office. As an important actor in commercial films, after cooperating with directors such as Xu Zheng and Chen Sicheng, Wang Baoqiang also wants to make his own films. "I want to be like them." At the launch conference of "Big Trouble", Wang Baoqiang said.

In the media reports at the time, Wang Baoqiang said that in 2016, he put aside everything, hollowed himself out, and used all the skills he learned in previous filming, and finally filmed this "Big Trouble". However, although the film got more than 700 million at the box office, its reputation collapsed completely.

In the ultra-low evaluation of the film Douban 3.7, "this sympathy score, your baby really can't afford it" and "this film proves that the director still has a threshold", and so on. Because of this film, the audience base on which it is supported has loosened, and the voice of "Wang Baoqiang pretending to be crazy and selling stupid" has begun to appear in public opinion, and the crisis has come.

Wang Baoqiang "Big Trouble"

No more playing silly

Wang Baoqiang went to receive the "Golden Broom" award, which had never been received by a star, and delivered a sincere acceptance speech: "The golden broom is not a very glorious award, but it can spur you to progress." I love movies, I also respect movies, respect the audience, and respect the seniors here, and I owe the audience a word of sorry. This time is a debt to the audience, and I will continue to study hard in the future to become a more qualified director in everyone's mind. ”

As a director, some people have a high starting point and a greater probability of success, Wang Baoqiang does not have Xu Zheng's humor, nor Chen Sicheng's commercial ability, but his advantage is that, just like his sense of belief that he first practiced martial arts and believed that he would become a star, his underlying values are still the same as the most common people: hard work is very important, and hard work can change fate.

He began to throw away "pretending to be crazy and selling stupid", throwing away "stupid roots" and getting back the audience. "At that time, I disappointed the audience, and I felt very guilty in my own heart, and I couldn't help the audience. I said that I would definitely make a good movie for the audience to see in the future, and I had to do it. So I dropped everything and did this in 6 years. During the publicity period of "In the Octagon Cage", Wang Baoqiang told many media that the good movie owed to the audience that year was returned this time.

Wang Baoqiang "In the Octagon Cage"

In the six years since "Big Trouble Tianzhu", Wang Baoqiang has not starred in many works, and the script of "In the Octagon" alone has been polished for more than three years. But because the reputation of the first work is too bad, even the big star Wang Baoqiang is not so easy to attract investment for new works. In media reports, he said that the second time he became a director, he couldn't afford to lose. "I used to fall on my head, I could still stand up, but now at this age, I am very tight, I would rather not do it, and I can't finish it in a hurry."

Wang Baoqiang is really afraid that the audience will no longer believe him. The film has a poster with a large print that emphasizes: Please believe! Wang Baoqiang!

Now that "In the Octagon Cage" has been released, the reputation and box office are good, and Wang Baoqiang has once again verified his national foundation. But looking closely, the story told by this film is more like a review and emotion of his "silly roots" career and grassroots origins, and the simple characters and words in the film once again echo the starting point of his star road - the audience still loves the "silly roots" narrative and likes stars who are not far from him.

It's just that now Wang Baoqiang doesn't need to play stupid anymore, even so, he can still always be that "stupid root" in the hearts of the audience.