Tong Zirong's dubbing dream
In 1966, 22-year-old Tong Zirong stepped into the first crossroads of his life. He had just graduated from the Drama Performance Department of Shanghai Theater Academy, and he should have gone to the stage like his classmates to start his own acting career.
But he always had another dream in his heart - to be a good voice actor for movies.
This stems from his deep fascination with a Soviet film, White Nights. The magnetic and deep voice shot straight to his heart through the silver screen. Since then, he has passed by the Shanghai Film Translation Factory countless times, looking through the iron door at the busy staff and recording equipment, and fantasizing that one day he will be able to join it.
Time flies, five years have passed in a blink of an eye, and Tong Zirong is still teaching at the school, waiting for an opportunity. In 1971, the news that the film translation studio was going to recruit newcomers on a large scale finally came.
With the help of the teacher, without any assessment, Tong Zirong entered the coveted film translation factory through the back door as he wished.
And just when his career is improving, love and family are also paying close attention to him. He and his favorite Miss Yang Qianhua entered the palace of marriage, and soon they were happy with their beloved son.
Tong Zirong, who already felt fluttering, reached another climax of his life at this moment.
Running tricks in the factory for five years
After going through layers of checkpoints, Tong Zirong finally entered the coveted film translation factory. While he's happy, he also realizes that he's still a long way from becoming a great voice actor.
Because Mandarin is not standard enough, he can only start from the grassroots level and run some dubbing roles.
The salary is meager and the work is boring, but Tong Zirong has no complaints. His passion for voice acting drives him to study hard, often sneaking into the studio when he's free to see how veteran voice actors work.
He also spends a lot of his spare time relaxing his vocal cords and exercising the expressiveness of his voice.
In this process, his wife Yang Qianhua played his solid backing. After the former eldest lady married Tong Zirong, she had to take on the burden of housework and taking care of the children.
And her husband's meager income also limits her quality of life. However, this virtuous helper has never complained to Tong Zirong, because she knows that dubbing is his dream and pursuit.
因《佐罗》一夜成名
After five years of training, Tong Zirong gradually became successful and began to frequently get the opportunity to play the leading role. His magnetic voice has given soul and life to many on-screen characters.
Among them, in 1979, he dubbed the dual role of French movie star Alain Delon in "Zorro", which made him truly one of the first-line voice actors.
As soon as this magnificent epic of resistance was released in China, it immediately achieved a huge response. The audience is crazy, and the filmmaker has also achieved unprecedented results at the box office.
And behind the success of the movie, Tong Zirong also played an indispensable role in it - the haughty and deep voice he paired with Zorro perfectly fits this cold and romantic hero, further highlighting the charm of this character.
For a time, his name also jumped to the headlines of newspapers and magazines.
Ten years later, Tong Zirong ushered in the proudest moment of his life. "Zorro" star Alain Delon personally came to China, and Tong Zirong became the first Chinese Delong to meet.
The two hit it off at first sight, and DeLong highly praised his excellent voice work in Zorro. "Your voice is simply my incarnation!" DeLong said.
The affirmation of this international superstar is undoubtedly the highest recognition of his talent, and it is also the peak of Tong Zirong's dubbing career.
Jet Li's coldness hurt his heart
After the huge success of "Zorro" made Tong Zirong famous, he dubbed the popular martial arts superstar Jet Li's new film "Shaolin Temple" in 1982.
This kung fu action movie became a sensation upon its release, and Jet Li's superb skills and appearance in the film have brought him countless fresh fans. And Tong Zirong, who dubbed him, naturally touched the afterglow of this popular film.
However, Tong Zirong and Jet Li have never met. At a dinner party, the two finally had a chance to get acquainted.
Tong Zirong hurriedly stood up. He looked forward to shaking hands with Jet Li with great reverence, just as he did when he first met Alain Delon. However, what people didn't expect was that Jet Li just glanced at him coldly, and walked quickly with an expressionless face, without stopping to say hello at all.
This sudden cold treatment made Tong Zirong's heart sink. He didn't understand Jet Li's rudeness, and he didn't expect the other party to be so contemptuous of the actor he dubbed.
Since then, his impression of Jet Li as a person has been greatly reduced. And this little misunderstanding lasted for 20 years.
The last days of his voice acting career
With the advent of the new century, Tong Zirong gradually faded out of the first-line lineup of audio-visual theaters, giving up the stage to those younger and more energetic newcomers. However, his rich voice acting works are still deeply imprinted in the memories of countless audiences.
Even if he is no longer on the big sets, as soon as he hears his voice, people will think of their favorite classic clips.
Today, Tong Zirong has entered retirement. Occasionally, when he is alone, he will look back on those ups and downs, as well as his ups and downs in his voice acting career.
Among them, Jet Li's rudeness back then still memorizes him; And Alain Delon's high recognition has made him happy to this day. When he remembered that Delong praised himself as "a soul for Zorro", Tong Lao couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth.
And in those years of the most arduous struggle, he was often accompanied by his virtuous helper-Yang Qianhua. Tong Zirong sighed that without her support and tolerance for many years, he would not have been able to achieve his later achievements.
Maybe many viewers don't know the names of voice actors, but for them there is no substitute. Without excellent dubbing, no matter how perfect the picture and plot are, it will be compromised.
This is why Tong Zirong has always hoped to accompany those audiences who love his works through his voice.
Emotion and summary
Looking back at his ups and downs in his dubbing career, Tong Zirong can't help but feel a lot of emotion. We should not judge others based on one-sided fate alone, just as he misread Jet Li back then.
We should not forget those around us who have supported us for a long time, just like his wife Yang Qianhua's dedication and tolerance to him.
The dubbing road has been very hard, but it has also been fruitful. Tong Zirong hopes that through his story, he can encourage more young people who are struggling for their dreams. No one is a master from the beginning, and success is based on enthusiasm and persistence in their careers.
Some people may laugh at your choice, but as long as you know it's your dream, keep going. In this long journey, you will eventually meet people who will truly support you.
And when you look back, you will be grateful for everything you have experienced in life.