Preamble:
He is the pillar of the Spring Festival Gala sketch industry, he made the "local sound" resounding all over the country, and he was also one of the most popular comedians in China.
However, at the peak of his career, Wei Ji'an chose to retire and gradually disappeared from public view.
What is the story of this comedian who became popular overnight from the Spring Festival Gala and disappeared at his peak?
The teenager aspires to be an actor and has a clear goal
In 1956, Wei Ji'an was born in an ordinary family in Yantai City, Shandong Province, and was the youngest child in the family.
Although the parents are in average condition, they give their children enough care.
Perhaps it is the influence of this family environment, or perhaps it is due to his innate character, Wei Ji'an has been relatively mature and stable since he was a child, and he learned to be considerate of his family and help his parents share housework at a young age.
Shandong people are generally tall, and Wei Ji'an has also grown up rapidly since he was a child.
When the long hands and feet were not very coordinated, he began to like to perform in front of his classmates and family, since elementary school, as long as there are theatrical performances in the school, Wei Ji'an is always the first to raise his hand to sign up.
He seems to particularly enjoy standing on stage and being watched by the audience, fully engaged in preparation and performance.
Perhaps for most children, school performances are just an opportunity to show off and have fun.
But Wei Ji'an is different, from childhood to adulthood, he has maintained a strong interest in acting and self-motivation.
He often fantasizes that he can become a professional actor when he grows up, and one day he can stand on the big stage and accept the cheers of the audience.
This is not only to gain fame and glory, but also to fulfill the family's small wish to improve their lives.
Admitted to the military troupe and practiced acting skills
In 1976, the Xinjiang Military Region Repertory Troupe openly recruited actors from all over the country, and the strict conditions can be imagined.
But this could not stop Wei Ji'an's determination, standing out from the many outstanding young people who submitted applications, and finally he became the only student in the entire Yantai City to be admitted to the Xinjiang Military Repertory Troupe.
When I first came to Xinjiang, the cold wind was cold, the environment was unfamiliar, and everything was not as good as I imagined.
But Wei Ji'an was not discouraged, and was soon appreciated by the leaders with his tall figure.
He started from the tricks and small supporting roles in the drama, no matter how small the role was assigned, he went all out, was strict with himself, and portrayed the character and tone of each character delicately.
This extremely conscientious attitude towards work, coupled with his simple and straightforward personality, soon made Wei Ji'an popular in the military art troupe.
Over the years, he has gradually grown into the backbone of the repertory troupe, and has been regarded by the army as a potential young actor for key training and support.
met a female dance teacher, and the relationship between the two broke the ice
In 1981, the repertory troupe was transferred to Beijing for a tour.
By chance, Wei Ji'an met Dong Zhenqiong, a female dance teacher who was teaching at the Chinese People's Liberation Army Art Academy, in a park near the troupe's residence.
may be because of her profound dancing skills, Dong Zhenqiong is tall and graceful, and her gestures are implied.
There was always a confident smile on that gentle and lovely face.
Not only that, years of professional training have enabled her to develop elegant and generous manners, all of which show the noble temperament of an intellectual woman.
These traits make her extremely popular among men, and she has many suitors.
In the face of Wei Ji'an's frank overtures, Dong Zhenqiong's heart still couldn't help but throb.
Maybe she has seen more handsome and rich boys, but no one can be as tall and simple and polite as Wei Ji'an.
The two quickly fell in love, but soon faced the problem of long-distance separation.
Wei Ji'an solemnly promised Dong Zhenqiong that he would be transferred from remote Xinjiang to a place closer to Beijing as soon as possible.
Sure enough, it didn't take long for him to be transferred to the Art Troupe of the Nanjing Military Region as he wished.
Although the two places are still far away, they are still much closer than Xinjiang.
The two began to get together less and leave more, often communicating or talking on the phone.
In the end, love blossomed, the two tied the knot, and had a son named Wei Chuan.
The sketch "Folk Voice" made Wei Ji'an popular overnight
At the Nanjing Repertory Theatre, Wei Ji'an continued to hone his acting skills.
A few years later, he was finally transferred to the Beijing Military Region Repertory Troupe as he wished, and he was able to reunite with his wife successfully.
During this period, he participated in many dramas and won outstanding performance awards from the Chinese Dramatists Association.
In particular, in 1990, he was awarded the "Plum Blossom Performance Award", the highest honor in Chinese theater, which made him more and more famous day by day and established his status in the theater performance industry.
During the Lunar New Year in 1991, Wei Ji'an was honored to appear on the stage of CCTV's Spring Festival Gala for the first time with his outstanding personal style and rich stage experience.
This year's Spring Festival Gala sketch "Native Voice" starring him, Wei Ji'an played a typical image of a Shandong man, articulate, strong local accent with exaggerated performances successfully detonated the laughter of audiences across the country.
The well-known sentence of "I said buddy...", instantly made him popular all over the country, and his popularity soared to new heights.
It can be said that the performance of "Xiangyin" completely opened the door for Wei Ji'an to reach a higher peak.
In the following 10 years, he has appeared on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala many times in a row, and has become one of the top actors in the sketch industry.
At the same time, he also took advantage of the trend to emerge in the entertainment industry, participated in the filming of many hit TV series, and gained fame and fortune.
His mother was sick, and Wei Ji'an gave up his career to be accompanied by filial piety
Just when his career and family were proud and everything was going well, in 2006, Wei Ji'an's mother, who was in her 80s, suddenly fell seriously ill in her hometown.
When he learned the news, Wei Ji'an chose to put down his work without hesitation and rushed back to his hometown to take care of his sick old mother in person.
At that time, it was the peak of his career, and he had already locked the opportunity to appear on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala again, and many TV series were throwing olive branches to him.
But nothing is more important than a mother's health and safety.
Therefore, Wei Ji'an decisively gave up the hard-won peak opportunity and returned to his hometown alone to accompany the bedside.
In a later interview, when asked if he regretted or regretted it, he shook his head without hesitation, saying that his family is always the most important, and there is nothing worth regretting this choice.
Although Wei Ji'an tried his best to take care of him, he was still unable to resist the entanglement and erosion of the disease, and finally failed to save his mother's life.
In order to thank him for his precious filial piety, he was selected as the "Top Ten Filial Piety Stars" in the country that year.
It's just that this also means that he needs to accompany his father in his hometown, almost quit the entertainment industry, and no major works have come out.
retired after success and died hand in hand with his wife
Before and after his retirement, Wei Ji'an devoted more time and energy to taking care of his father and family life.
He and his wife Dong Zhenqiong have always been close to each other, and they are still affectionate, and they have never had any scandals.
Perhaps, it is precisely by the side of a thoughtful and supportive intimate partner like Dong Zhenqiong that Wei Ji'an can devote himself to his career without forgetting his home, and after retiring, he can be willing to be ordinary.
Dong Zhenqiong not only silently supported him at the peak of his career, but also understood and cared about him when he was at a low point in his life.
After retirement, the two are even more inseparable, living hand in hand, and their relationship is sweeter than the peach blossoms on the Xizi Bank.
Now, Wei Ji'an has faded out of the entertainment industry and lives a simple but contented life in his hometown.
That period of artistic career from debut to peak to curtain call, although it has become history, it still shines and is worthy of future generations to remember and learn.
This old artist with both virtue and art, his story will become a moving "hometown sound" in our memory.
Epilogue:
Life is like a play, there is always a moment to appear, and there will be a curtain call at a certain moment.
Wei Ji'an chose to accompany his family wholeheartedly at his peak, and this emotion cannot be measured by success or failure.
The "local sound" that the audience remembered back then is still ringing in people's hearts today.
This is the best footnote to Wei Ji'an's career as an actor.
He lit up the TV screen with sincerity, and won countless smiles and applause with the vivid image of Shandong men.
The peak of popularity does not forget the original intention, and there are no regrets when you succeed.
This is the best ending in Wei Ji'an's life, and it is also the precious spiritual wealth he left us.