In the spring of 1996, a phone call came to Li Youbin's home. The person on the other end of the phone is the director Tang Guoqiang, who invited Li Youbin to play the actor Li Yunlong in the new drama "Bright Sword".
At that time, Li Youbin had been in the entertainment industry for more than ten years and starred in countless war dramas, but he failed to impress the audience. This time when he first heard the character setting, Li Youbin didn't have much hope in his heart, he thought tiredly, this may be another drama without achievements.
"Just take it, it's a godsend!" His wife, Zhang Ruiqi, encouraged. Li Youbin hesitated, and Zhang Ruiqi's eager and expectant gaze made him unable to refuse.
In the end, Li Youbin finally mustered up the courage and signed his name on the contract. That night, he stared at the bright moon in the night sky for a long time, imagining whether this decision would change the fate of his life.
In 1997, "Bright Sword" was broadcast on major TV stations and caused a sensation for a while. However, after the heroes and heroines of this drama, Li Youbin and Tong Lei, became famous in one fell swoop, the fate of Cao Qifeng, another group actor, was completely different.
Cao Qifeng only played the role of a soldier named Wang Yousheng in the play, and there were few scenes, but his little proud expression in a few shots unexpectedly became popular on the Internet and became one of the most popular emojis in recent years.
However, Cao Qifeng himself did not benefit from this. He watched Li Youbin and them appear at one award ceremony after another, gaining fame and fortune, but he was still tossing and turning on various sets, and still no one cared.
When the Internet celebrity emoji spread in the group again, Cao Qifeng couldn't help laughing at himself, he was just an Internet celebrity, and in reality he still achieved nothing. The contrast between this image and reality all made him feel a little bitter in his heart.
In September 1997, "Bright Sword" started on major TV stations, and as soon as the first episode was broadcast, it attracted countless viewers with its wonderful story and excellent acting skills.
As the plot progresses, characters such as Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang become more and more plump and three-dimensional, presenting a visual feast. When the last episode came to an end in the celebration banquet, "Bright Sword" had already become the most classic domestic drama of the year.
With the help of this drama, Li Youbin, Tong Lei, He Zhengjun and other leading actors have become popular fried chickens. In later interviews, they all said that "Bright Sword" changed the trajectory of their lives.
However, not all actors who starred in this show were able to soar to the sky. Group performers like Cao Qifeng are still working hard but no one cares, and even died because of life after participating in "Bright Sword" for many years.
This cruel comparison is all embarrassing, but some people in the same crew have risen step by step and finally become famous and have families, and some people are still struggling on the edge of the entertainment industry.
With the role of Li Yunlong in "Bright Sword", Li Youbin successfully made the public remember his name. After the play, he received countless film appointments, and in the following ten years, Li Youbin appeared in the audience's field of vision at a high-yield rate of one to two movies and three or four plays a year, including comedy and action movies, but war dramas are still his iconic role.
Now 65 years old, he can strategize in front of the camera, and he has just the right control of every detail. In the recently aired "Punishment", the protagonist played by Li Youbin is facing various problems in the war period, frowning slightly, and his expression of seemingly calm but hiding countless worries in his heart is real and natural, perfectly interpreting the image of a soldier with a complex heart but perseverance in the face of the times.
Tong Lei can be said to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of "Bright Sword". After playing the role of Tian Yu, she became famous, from a small flower to a popular fried chicken. However, while gaining a firm foothold in her career, Tong Lei's love life is not satisfactory.
After her relationship with her boyfriend broke up on Monday, she married a wealthy businessman in a flash. thought that she would live the life of a carefree wealthy wife, but the groom was still in the honeymoon period and went bankrupt.
The dramatic change from heaven to the bottom in an instant made Tong Lei fall into unprecedented despair and helplessness.
In order to make up for the family's expenses, Tong Lei had to take on one drama after another that she was not interested in. It is difficult to make up for her husband's huge debts when she is filming all day long, and gradually, the notoriety of "Lao Lai" gradually covers her.
In the face of all kinds of injustice and criticism, she was aggrieved but powerless. "It's like another Liu Tao. Friends who knew her well couldn't help but sigh.
Zhang Guangbei was already well-known before "Bright Sword", and he was already a big-name actor at that time. In the play, Zhang Guangbei successfully interpreted the role of Chu Yunfei, who is both wise and brave.
After the TV series was broadcast, his popularity rose rapidly, and he really stepped into the ranks of first-line stars. Today's Zhang Guangbei has long been a frequent visitor in the film and television industry. He often appears in all kinds of hit dramas, whether it is anti-Japanese dramas or modern dramas, he can control them easily.
In front of the camera, Zhang Guangbei is calm and calm, and he can always accurately control his emotions and performance rhythm. Even if some plays themselves are of mediocre quality, he can give life to the role with him, which is the power of powerful actors.
Wang Quanyou was a well-known drama actor back then, and his strength has been recognized by his peers. He is known for his solid and traditional theatrical acting, which does not decay and rigidity, and every detail helps the audience understand the psychological activities and emotional ups and downs of the characters.
In "Bright Sword", Wang Quanyou successfully portrayed a Ding Wei with a strong personality but deep kindness. Especially in the scene where he and Li Yunlong quarrel but don't know each other, Wang Quanyou grasped the proportion, did not joke excessively and sell cuteness, but used a slight movement of his eyes to reveal Ding Wei's indomitable heroism, which echoed Li Yunlong's bold atmosphere.
This kind of accurate grasp and delicate interpretation of the inner world of the characters has left an indelible impression on Wang Quanyou in the hearts of the audience.
Sun Li is the second female lead in "Bright Sword", and she does not have many roles in the play, and she has no role in promoting the development of the plot. But it is such a seemingly ordinary small role, which is also interpreted by Sun Li through layers of connotation to be three-dimensional and vivid.
Feng Nan, a female policeman, is simple and simple, and she is strong when she is strong, and her appearance made Zhao Gang, who has always been calm and reliable, show a rare shyness and sweetness. These subtleties add an emotional touch to the two otherwise serious characters and add a touch of warmth to the grim war background.
"Bright Sword" won Sun Li the love of more audiences, making her a popular actress who is a household name. Today, many years later, she is an attractive first-line actress in the film and television industry.
Unlike many actresses of the same period who choose the glamorous route, Sun Li has always focused on acting, even the petite and delicate girl she plays as the nurse He Mengxue, has successfully created a thoughtful and tenacious modern female image through her inner monologue.
It is Sun Li's dedication and persistence in her acting career that makes her the most anticipated guarantee of strength today.
He Zhengjun is a heavyweight in the crew of "Bright Sword", a master's degree in Chinese opera performance, and has won many drama awards. Before receiving the role of Zhao Gang, he was already a model of a powerful middle-aged actor.
He Zhengjun, who was born in an opera family, has solid basic skills, coupled with years of stage performance training, his performance is calm and introverted without losing passion. is different from Li Yunlong, who is a big boss, Zhao Gang is more like an intellectual who is obsessed with ideals and is unswerving.
He was wise and far-sighted and heroic, perfectly combining the internal and external characteristics of a staff officer of the Eighth Route Army, showing the demeanor of a military advisor.
The reason why He Zhengjun was able to interpret this role so accurately back then was also inseparable from his family background. His father was a soldier of the 129th Division, and the independent regiment in the play is also the establishment of the 129th Division.
It can be said that if there were no rare "fighter fighter" like He Zhengjun, there would be no image of Zhao Gang, a real and three-dimensional revolutionary, and there would be no popular classic like "Bright Sword".
Lu Peng received a master's degree in acting from Beijing Film University, and later obtained a doctorate degree in film studies from Beijing Normal University. His education level was definitely one of the best in the entertainment industry at that time.
However, due to the relationship between his appearance, Lu Peng always gave people a gloomy feeling in the early years, so the development has not been smooth. It wasn't until 1997 that he signed a contract to play the small Japanese role of Kazuki Yamamoto, which opened the door to Lu Peng's popularity.
The huge contrast between the play and the outside of the play made the audience refreshed, and Lu Peng became synonymous with playing the Japanese. In many later works, he continued to play many roles similar to "Little Japan", which has become his iconic character type.
Although he was reluctant at first, Lu Peng successfully transformed with the right time and place and started his second spring.
If the role with many scenes in "Bright Sword" is none other than Li Yunlong, then the most impressive thing for the audience is Wei Dayong portrayed by Zhang Tong. Zhang Tong was originally a nobody, and he only played the role of a guard under Li Yunlong in the play, but he successfully made this little person who had no chance to become a popular classic image through his own efforts.
The sentence "I am you Wei Dayong" became Zhang Tong's life card, allowing the audience to remember the actor's name.
Before starring in "Bright Sword", Zhang Tong was still waiting for the opportunity diligently and helplessly. Therefore, when this role brought him popularity and resources, he did not hesitate to choose to transform and devote himself to the road of being an actor.
The hard work that has been built up over time has finally paid off. In 2018, Zhang Tong beat a group of predecessors and strong opponents and won the Feitian Award for Best Actor that year. The transformation from a group actor to an actor is undoubtedly the most glorious moment in his acting career.
This once unknown actor has finally been successfully promoted to the ranks of powerful actors.
Time has passed, and it has been 20 years since "Bright Sword" was broadcast. Li Youbin, Tong Lei, He Zhengjun, Zhang Guangbei, Sun Li and other actors in this drama are still persisting in the entertainment industry, some are still active, and some have faded out of the foreground.
They are all performing different plays on their own stages of life. Some people succeed and some fail, some are rich and some are poor. But no matter how the external situation changes, in the minds of the audience, they will always be fixed in that era of prosperity and courage.
The youthful and passionate heroes in the play are still moving and powerful. Perhaps this is the meaning of an excellent work that remains in the long river of history.