Preface
Does anyone still remember Li Baotian, the "drama tyrant" who was collectively banned by 13 companies? Where did Wei Zongwan, an 84-year-old national treasure-level actor who still lives in a rental house, settle down? Should Yan Bingyan, an eight-time actress, disappear without a trace after the peak of her career?
They were all once glittering stars on the screen, but now they are struggling to survive off the screen, the situation of these out-of-fashion artists is suffocating, their lives are full of dramatic ups and downs, we see only the tip of the iceberg, it is hard to imagine what twists and turns they have experienced behind the glamour.
Li Baotian, who dedicated his life to art, was "Kaifeng" by 13 companies
Li Baotian is an actor who would rather give up the opportunity than compromise in order to protect his acting principles.
In 2005, he took the investor to court in order to oppose the producer of "The Minister" for increasing the number of episodes without authorization to make a profit.
This move violated the interests of too many people, leading to 13 film and television companies jointly implementing the so-called "ban" on Li Baotian, and he was labeled as a "drama bully".
However, we must see that Li Baotian, as an actor, just sticks to his principles and is unwilling to participate in the fraud of the producers.
In this matter, he did nothing wrong.
He has been high all his life, and has never taken on any commercials or variety shows, and only concentrates on his acting career.
With his youth and passion, he has created countless classic roles, many of which are well-known masterpieces.
It is precisely because of Li Baotian's acting skills and dedication that these roles have vitality.
If it weren't for his dedication, there wouldn't be so many viewers who would remember dramas such as "Prime Minister Liu Luoguo", "Wang Baochang's New Biography", "Shake, Shake, Shake to Grandma's Bridge" and other dramas.
He proved what a great actor he is with his strength.
However, when he offends people in order to stand up for his principles, the consequences are very painful.
Li Baotian not only lost the opportunity to continue to star in new dramas, but was also spurned by the collective in the industry.
We have no way of knowing what kind of pain and torment he went through.
However, the old artist said indifferently that even if he doesn't film in the future, it doesn't matter.
Li Baotian did not regret his choice, but at the same time, his artistic career was interrupted.
When an actor is banned, the consequences are unimaginable.
In the nine years from 2003 to 2014, Li Baotian did not win any acting awards.
We don't know how he got through those difficult days during this time.
Wei Zongwan, 84 years old, still lives in a rental house
Similar to Li Baotian, Wei Zongwan is also a principled veteran artist.
In his 60-year acting career, he has always maintained a humble and focused mentality, never taking any hype methods, and only focusing on performance.
However, fate does not favor such people.
Now 84 years old, Wei Zongwan still lives in a simple rental house and lives a poor life.
It is hard for us to imagine how poor Mr. Wei Zongwan, who has played so many classic roles on the screen, is living in a tight situation today.
His meager salary was not enough for him to live in a comfortable home.
Compared with Zhao Benshan, who was red through half the sky at the same time, Wei Zongwan's experience was really worlds apart.
In fact, we must see that Wei Zongwan does not regret his choice.
Despite the hardships of life, he never gave up his love and pursuit of acting.
It is because he has always maintained a humble and persistent mentality that we can see so many lifelike characters on the screen.
Those wonderful scenes eventually became the best annotations of his life.
Yan Bingyan, the 8th actress has no drama to play
If Wei Zongwan suffered poverty in his later years because he was not popular, then Yan Bingyan's experience is even more distressing.
She could have become the best acting actress in the mainland, but she suddenly disappeared at the peak of her career.
Yan Bingyan is recognized as a powerful person in the industry, and her acting talent is unparalleled.
It only took 4 years for her to become a well-deserved actress.
If it weren't for that sudden change, she could have occupied a higher position in the film industry.
Just when Yan Bingyan was soaring, her mother suddenly became seriously ill.
As a daughter who is extremely filial to her family, she did not hesitate to let go of everything in her hands and accompanied her mother wholeheartedly for the rest of her life.
This illness made Yan Bingyan disappear from the entertainment industry for 8 years.
8 years is extremely fatal for an actress.
When Yan Bingyan reappeared, she was 51 years old and had long lost her former opportunity.
We don't know what struggles she went through during her departure from the entertainment industry, but at least she didn't let her loved ones suffer any regrets when her mother needed her most.
Today's Yan Bingyan, even if she wants to return to the entertainment industry, there is no drama to film.
She had to face the cruel reality that she had been abandoned by this circle.
However, her 8 actresses will always shine, proving what a wonderful actress she is.
Li Qi, there is no drama to film, he can only sell barbecue
Li Qi is a veteran actor in the mainland, and he has played many classic roles that are well-known to everyone.
For example, Uncle Niu, Fat Cook, etc., all made the audience catchy.
However, with the emergence of newcomers and the changes in the market, Li Qi has gradually faded out of people's sight.
Recently, some netizens found Li Qi on the edge of the park.
At 68 years old, he is no longer as glamorous as he once was, but unkempt and tired.
We saw that he had to set up a small barbecue stand on his own to make ends meet.
The humble stall, with only a pitiful few skewers of meat tumbling on it.
During the whole barbecue process, Li Qi was busy alone.
Such a picture really makes people unimaginable that this star, who was once dazzling on the screen, is now in such a difficult situation.
Li Qi hasn't received a new play for many years.
We have to ask, should an artist with rich performance experience and so many popular roles be reduced to the point where he needs to set up a stall to survive today in his old age? This can't help but make people sigh at the cruelty and helplessness of the entertainment industry.
Zhang Yonggang returned to his hometown to sell self-produced corn
Zhang Yonggang, whose stage name is "Heizi", is an old actor.
He has a 27-year acting career and has participated in many classic works.
However, none of them made him famous, and he has always been honest and low-key in his acting career.
However, no matter how much Zhang Yonggang focused on his work, he did not get a better opportunity.
Recently, some netizens met him in his hometown and found that this actor, who was once beautiful on the screen, now has to return to the countryside and plant corn in his own field to survive.
Videos show Mr. Zhang driving back and forth through the village in a dilapidated tricycle full of freshly picked corn.
He was dressed in casual old clothes, his hair was gray, and he looked like a normal villager.
This kind of encounter really surprised many people.
In fact, Zhang Yonggang did not regret his choice.
He has spent 27 years practicing his love for acting, which is difficult for many people to do.
Today, he has learned to enjoy this simple rural life.
Although we have to regret it, his smart eyes and rich acting talent should not be buried on the country road.
epilogue
Li Baotian, Wei Zongwan, Yan Bingyan, Li Qi, Zhang Yonggang...... These names used to be thunderous, and they all shined on the screen.
Now, these outdated artists have come to the brink of embarrassment after experiencing different ups and downs in their lives.
Some of them were "banned" after sticking to their principles, some gave up opportunities to accompany their families, and some had no way out after fading out of sight, so they had to return to their hometowns to farm or make a living.
They are willing to give all their enthusiasm and youth to perform, but at the same time they have experienced the helplessness and cruelty of the entertainment industry.
The stories of these out-of-fashion artists are worth pondering.
Behind the flash, the choices and pain they experience may be unimaginable.
We should not allow these old artists to disappear into history.
On the contrary, we must cherish the wonderful works they left behind, and pay attention to whether those former stars can still survive today? Because in them, we see not only the impermanence of the entertainment industry, but also the memories of an era.