preface
Relying on a "Sound Immersion", Zhao Lixin became popular in one fell swoop and became the high-profile "top of the uncle circle". However, just a few months later, he fell into an embarrassing situation and had to choose to withdraw from the net.
In this short period of time, because of a careless remark, he turned from a highly respected "virtue and art" to a target of public criticism, and was widely condemned and attacked.
Once a middle-aged hit, how did Zhao Lixin fall into such a storm? Why did he touch the "bottom line" of the nation?
In fact, the reason for all this began to be revealed as early as his childhood.
Vanishing talent: Zhao Lixin, a typical big yard disciple
In 1954, Zhao Lixin was born in Beijing to a military family. Both parents were converted soldiers and had excellent living conditions. Little Zhao Lixin grew up in an environment where food and clothing were worry-free, and his parents also provided him with ample learning resources. While other children were still playing in the mud in the yard, Zhao Lixin had begun to study seriously.
He has a great interest in reading, and is often fascinated by the passage of time. I don't choose anything to read, as long as it's a book, I read it. This way of learning allowed Zhao Lixin to accumulate a very wide range of knowledge, but it was mixed.
His favorite novels are foreign novels that depict Western life, and he is full of yearning for the foreign life depicted in them. This planted a seed for him to study abroad in the future.
Zhao Lixin is the only child at home, and his parents have high hopes for him, hoping that he will become an outstanding figure in the future. So from an early age, he was encouraged to learn and provided the best educational resources.
Zhao Lixin also lived up to his parents' expectations, diligently studying book knowledge, but also actively participating in social practice and striving to cultivate his social skills. His language expression and interpersonal skills stand out among his peers. This laid the foundation for his later career in acting.
Excellent in his studies and outstanding in appearance, Zhao Lixin soon became what everyone called "other people's children", and was used by other parents to ask their children to study.
The adolescent Zhao Lixin has a cheerful and lively personality, is also very good at pleasing others, and is deeply loved by elders and friends. At the same time, he gradually formed an independent character in his heart.
At the age of 18, he was easily admitted to the acting department of the Central Academy of Drama with excellent grades. This profession is exactly what he has been striving for, and he can give full play to his passion and talent in the performing arts.
After entering the Central Academy of Drama, Zhao Lixin entered a new world, came into contact with various performance skills and artistic accomplishment, and also made many classmates who also love the performing arts.
This will be the starting point for his theatrical dream. As soon as Zhao Lixin entered school, because of his outstanding appearance and voice conditions, he was selected by his mentor to play an important role in the drama "Hamlet". This not only enhanced his acting experience, but also strengthened his confidence and determination in his future.
Feihuang Tengda: The opportunity to study abroad at public expense changes the trajectory of life
The otherwise smooth campus life changed significantly during sophomore year. Due to his outstanding grades, Zhao Lixin obtained valuable opportunities to study abroad at public expense. He chose to study in Russia, which was the beginning of his childhood dream.
Even when faced with the difficulty of adapting to a completely different language environment, Zhao Lixin is enthusiastic about learning. In order to master Russian as soon as possible, he maintained close contact with a Russian girl, and the relationship between the two quickly warmed up, from study partners to lovers.
After graduating from university, Zhao Lixin chose to marry this Russian girl and officially embarked on the life path of international student turned immigrant.
For Zhao Lixin, being able to study in Russia, which he dreamed of, was an important turning point in his life. The whole world opened up before him, and everything was full of infinite possibilities.
In a completely unfamiliar environment, Zhao Lixin is still enthusiastic about life, and the curiosity and desire to explore the unknown world drive him to quickly adapt to a new life. The language barrier did not discourage him, but inspired him to study harder.
He took the initiative to communicate with Russian classmates and finally accelerated the improvement of his language skills.
The appearance of Russian girls brought romantic friendship to this exotic student. Two lonely hearts meet in a strange place, exchange language and culture together, and soon develop a relationship.
Perhaps it is the stimulation of exotic love, or perhaps it is the sincere acquaintance and cherishing, the relationship between the two gradually warms up, and finally enters the palace of marriage. After marrying and settling in Russia, Zhao Lixin found a new homeland here.
According to regulations, publicly-funded international students should return to their home countries to serve the country for two years after graduation. However, Zhao Lixin could not return to China due to marriage, chose to stay in Russia to settle, and eventually gave up Chinese nationality to change to Swedish nationality. The new identity gave him a stronger foothold in Russia, but it also severed his legal ties with China.
A marriage letter: a girl returns him to his homeland
Zhao Lixin originally had no plans to return to China for development, and his work and life in Sweden were stable. However, in 2000, the appearance of Yu Lan, an international student, changed his mind. The two were like-minded and quickly fell in love. Yu Lan is very open to Zhao Lixin's past marriage, but she hopes that the two can return to China to live after marriage.
Yu Lan is Zhao Lixin's lifeline after living in a foreign country for many years. The love story of the two is full of drama, and the middle-aged man meets his soulmate after wandering for a long time, which ignites new hope for his life.
Yu Lan's cheerful and intelligent personality also deeply attracted Zhao Lixin, making him willing to give up a stable life in Sweden for her. Returning to his homeland can give his acting career a bigger stage.
More importantly, regaining his Chinese nationality was a spiritual milestone for him, marking that he had finally rediscovered his self-identity.
Despite years away from the motherland, for Zhao Lixin, China is still his spiritual hometown. After returning to China, he will not only have to adjust his career, but also adapt to the local lifestyle and social environment. But Zhao Lixin, who is eager for knowledge, is not afraid, and he believes that he can definitely open up a new world with his own strength.
Ten years as an actor: poorly treated, no one cares
In 2000, Zhao Lixin, who was 42 years old, returned to the motherland and prepared to break into the entertainment industry. But he switched from drama to film and television, and encountered no small difficulties. At the same time, the actors were old in acting, and Zhao Lixin was stretched thin and could only play some small roles. It wasn't until 10 years later that he played his first leading role. Although no one can match it in terms of language expression, the lack of acting experience has made Zhao Lixin's treatment tepid for many years, and it is difficult to obtain important roles.
In my 40s, I entered a new field and encountered various challenges. Due to living abroad for decades, he is regarded as an outsider in the domestic entertainment industry. His accent and acting style seem out of place among local actors. Zhao had to start from scratch and slowly build his network and reputation.
He has been playing supporting roles for years. His expressive voice earned him a job dubbing foreign films, but few directors were willing to let him play fuller roles. It wasn't until he was in his 50s that he finally got his first starring role.
Although a little frustrated, he made up his mind and continued to hone his craft. He took any opportunity that appeared in front of him, no matter how small. In his spare time, he learns the latest acting techniques and observes how veteran actors practice their art. Zhao has never lost confidence that his efforts will one day be rewarded.
In 2018, his patience paid off, and he earned a spot on the hit variety show "Straight Talk". His eloquent voice and language skills have made him an influencer.
After decades of obscurity, he finally tasted stardom in his 50s. But just a few months later, controversial comments collapsed his burgeoning career again.
Fame in one fell swoop, but overturned at the speed of light: mistaken speech, self-judgment
The opportunity finally came in 2018, Zhao Lixin participated in the talent show "Sound Immersion", his profound language skills made him famous in a battle, and was very popular with the "Uncle Circle" audience. However, after only a few months of popularity, he paid a terrible price for controversial remarks.
In March 2019, Zhao Lixin asked on Weibo "why the Summer Palace was burned", and was criticized for whitewashing the history of invasion of China. Immediately afterwards, he questioned the reason for the good protection of the Forbidden City, which completely aroused public indignation. Under the pressure of public opinion, Zhao Lixin had to apologize and withdraw from the Internet, and his career fell to the bottom.
Zhao Lixin became a blockbuster in variety shows and finally achieved a breakthrough in his acting career at the age of 54. Years of hard work were not in vain, and his wisdom and persistence allowed him to make a successful debut in middle age and win the love of the public. However, the good times did not last long, and a mistake in speech cost him dearly.
At first, Zhao Lixin may have raised controversial issues out of curiosity in historical scholarship. But because of his lack of awareness of public influence, he was unaware of the negative associations that such a question could cause. An accidental gaffe was interpreted by netizens as a defense of the history of aggression against China. Public opinion was overwhelming, and the indignant denunciation crushed Zhao Lixin and ended the peak of his career.
This reaffirms the limits of responsibility for freedom of expression and teaches other public figures a hard lesson. Anyone who stands in the spotlight needs to be careful in what they say and do, because a casual sentence can cause lasting harm. This also tests a person's moral bottom line, and responsibility needs to be prioritized more than free speech.
How did the moral decay overnight? What seems to be a sudden rollover has actually been surging undercurrents for a long time. As early as before the explosion of popularity, Zhao Lixin had controversial words and deeds from time to time, reflecting unhealthy national feelings.
In 2011, he publicly expressed sympathy for Japan and criticized the psychology of the Chinese people. All indications are that he lacks a sense of identity with his homeland. The play passes by a narrow and happy character, making it difficult for Zhao Lixin to escape the evil consequences of improper speech.
Zhao Lixin is versatile, and Wang Laoji's advertisements all ask him as a dubbing. He was good at expression and could have used his voice to spread positive energy and become a spiritual teacher for the public. But the imbalance of one sentence ruined the image he had worked so hard to build and impressed the audience.
In fact, the problems in his remarks reflect deviations in historical interpretation, and do not represent a lack of inner morality. But the public cannot distinguish between academic discussion and value judgment, and can only simply measure a celebrity by moral standards. Teacher Zhao may also have misunderstood and lost his responsibility for value maintenance in the process of pursuing academic answers.
In the later trough, Zhao Lixin should reflect on his social influence as a public figure. Freedom of expression does not mean that historical memory and national sentiments can be challenged arbitrarily. With an open and humble mind, knowledgeable celebrities can become thinkers who drive social progress.