On a cold winter day, 10-year-old Li Xuejian curled up in a dilapidated thatched hut, wearing only a thin shirt. It was snowing outside, but there was no charcoal fire to keep warm inside.
He cowered in the corner, as if to blend in with the dilapidated hut. In his heart, he silently remembered this winter day, as well as the endless bullying and insults.
He thought, I must show you that a poor child who is full of grievances will also get up and resist one day. Many years later, Li Xuejian recalled that winter day and finally understood the reason why he aspired to be an actor in the first place - he longed to be respected and longed to move from darkness to light.
At the age of 16, Li Xuejian came to a large factory nearby and started his first job. At 6 a.m., he got up and started his long day. The machines in the factory roared, and the hot and pungent air took him breathless.
After work, he staggered home after a few miles of walking, the grease stains on his face making him look no different. Li Xuejian understands that this is not the life he wants.
Two years later, he joined the factory's propaganda team and appeared on stage for the first time. Although it was only a small role, the applause and flowers still made him excited. Later, Li Xuejian gave up his job to join the army and became a literary soldier.
He persistently honed his acting skills and finally made his mark on an important performance. After leaving the army, he passed the exam to join the Air Force Art Troupe and trained with the official actors.
After unremitting efforts, Li Xuejian finally stepped onto the stage of his dreams.
The days in the Air Politics Art Troupe were the golden period of Li Xuejian's rapid progress in acting. He continued to learn Xi watch the performances of veteran actors, and worked hard to master the art of character building.
During a rehearsal of the new stage play "The White-Haired Girl" by the art troupe, Li Xuejian played the role of "Mu Renzhi", which deeply attracted the attention of the audience. This became a new starting point in his career.
Many years later, Li Xuejian successfully starred in "Song Jiang" in Water Margin. In order to portray the image of this capitulation faction, he watched a large number of historical materials and vividly interpreted Song Jiang's flattering survival skills.
The audience can feel the flattery and hypocrisy of this character at a glance. In the movie "Jiao Yulu", in order to perfectly interpret the protagonist, Li Xuejian used extreme methods to change his appearance - he dieted and abstained, making himself look boring and haggard.
At the same time, he also darkened his skin through labor and sun exposure. In the end, he was as perfect as a transformation technique into Jiao Yulu himself on the screen, which deeply moved the audience.
In 2001, Li Xuejian, who was filming, suddenly found that his throat was uncomfortable, and he was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer after examination. The news hit him hard, and he was overwhelmed and plunged into painful doubts and fears.
However, what is even more difficult is the upcoming treatment, and Li Xuejian knows what kind of torture and suffering it will be. He curled up in pain on the hospital bed, biting the sheet to keep himself from moaning.
He knows that now is not the time to be sad and depressed, and the work of the crew cannot be delayed because of himself. Therefore, Li Xuejian gritted his teeth and insisted on completing the filming of all the scenes.
Even if the pain is unbearable, he will only pause off-camera for a moment, adjust his state and return to work. Li Xuejian traveled to the hospital and the crew at two o'clock and one line, and often even took a little medicine or an injection after the filming was completed.
In the face of work, no illness can defeat his will and determination.
After the treatment, Li Xuejian finally walked out of the shadow of the disease, but the cancer still left an indelible mark on him. Due to the effects of radiotherapy, his hearing gradually deteriorated, and he eventually had to rely on hearing aids to communicate with people normally.
For an actor, this is undoubtedly a heavy blow. A friend once persuaded Li Xuejian to retire and stop fighting his illness. But he didn't give up and still chose to continue the career he loved.
On stage, Li Xuejian will recite everyone's dialogues in advance so that he can determine his appearance time by lip shape. He also struggled to memorize and feel all the sound effects while he had hearing.
No matter how hard he puts in, Li Xuejian takes it for granted, because acting is his life. Every second on stage is a wonderful moment for him to appreciate life.
Even though this body is not as good as before, Li Xuejian's heart is still burning with enthusiasm for performance, and he knows that he can still surprise the audience.
Li Xuejian is an actor with red genes flowing in his bones. He has been a member of the party for 48 years and has practiced the core values of socialism in his own way.
Every time he plays a revolutionary theme, he will be extremely involved and render the role with hot emotions. The movie "Yang Shanzhou" starring him is a work that praises the heroes of the times.
However, when the film was released, it was met with a cold reception from entertainment films. Li Xuejian was very disappointed by this, and he wondered why the audience preferred nihilistic commercial films.
But this did not discourage him, Li Xuejian firmly believes that as long as he is happy to perform, he will definitely be able to move the audience and awaken their true emotions. Therefore, he continued to choose this type of role, and used distinctive character creation to convey positive energy to the audience.
The current Li Xuejian is not as good as before, but his heart is still burning with the flame of red passion, which cannot be extinguished by the torrent of the times.
After the hit of "The Wandering Earth", Li Xuejian was criticized and boycotted by netizens for only a short narration, and some people even asked him to quit the entertainment industry. Seeing these comments, Li Xuejian just smiled slightly, and did not have much emotion.
Because this is not the first time he has faced public opinion doubts, his salary has also been criticized in the past. However, he will not change himself because of these reproaches, because his heart is firm enough.
Li Xuejian knows in his heart that his contribution to the Chinese film industry is obvious to all. From a nobody to a household name, this long journey has witnessed his love and dedication to the performing arts.
It is unimaginable for Li Xuejian to retire now, and he still has too many stories to share with everyone through the screen. I think Li Xuejian deserves to be tolerant of his shortcomings with a broad mindset, rather than just watching a failed performance and denying half of his life's dedication.
He represents the backbone of a generation of old artists, which cannot be erased by any question.
After several ups and downs, Li Xuejian still chooses to stick to his job and continue to write a legendary life as an actor. He interprets this profession with his soul and waters the tree of art with his sweat.
In him, we see not only the story of an old artist, but also the upward strength of an ordinary person. Li Xuejian practices his love for performing arts in his own way, and this spirit is worth learning from Xi.
It is inevitable to encounter doubts in life, but as long as the heart is firm, the gossip of the outside world will eventually come to naught. I sincerely hope that Mr. Li Xuejian will continue to use his wisdom to infect us and move us.
No matter how the years pass, Li Xuejian will be an eternal superstar in Chinese films.