Wong Kar-wai as a unique existence in the film industry, his first TV series "Flowers" directed by him has recently been broadcast on CCTV, with a unique tone, which makes the audience look forward to it, and the most surprising thing is the finale appearance of the 90-year-old You Benchang.
The uncle played by You Benchang is an old mage in the business field, and Hu Ge plays his apprentice Bao. He taught his social experience to him, so that Bao quickly grew into Mr. Bao.
You Benchang is worthy of being an old drama bone, and he brings the audience into it just by his eyes and subtle expressions. Wisely observing the world and human feelings, it seems that he is in it, and there is no trace of performance.
The lines are even more perfect, although he is dressed plainly, he can hardly hide his powerful aura, no wonder Hu Ge was stunned after the first scene with him, and shouted: Master, you are really amazing!
At the end of 2021, Mr. You Benchang was awarded the title of "Lifetime Artist" of the Chinese Theatre.
In April 2023, he won the quality dramatist of the "2023 TV Drama Quality Ceremony".
Now Mr. You Benchang is 90 years old, but he is still active on the screen, dedicating one classic after another to us.
In his life, he was a late bloomer, playing 79 supporting roles before becoming the protagonist at the age of 52. Accompany his wife to fight cancer and never give up. After becoming famous, he didn't forget his original intention, sold his house and filmed to scatter his family wealth, his persistence was moving, and he practiced the words "acting with heart" all his life.
You Benchang has been associated with the Buddha since he was a child, he was frail and sickly since he was a child, he was once enlightened by a master, and he had to be a monk to live past the age of 13, and when he was 6 years old, he recognized the temple's high monk as a master.
He graduated from the acting department of the Shanghai Theater Academy, and became an actor in the Central Experimental Theater after graduation. After that, he began his 20-year career.
Some of these characters flashed by, some didn't even have lines, the audience could even miss it as long as they lowered their heads, and some didn't notice his existence, but he took them seriously and pondered how to play them well.
In the Spring Festival Gala of 1984, it was the highlight of You Benchang, his pantomime "Shower" was an unprecedented success, and the national audience was amused by his meticulous and witty performance.
At this time, the crew of "Living Buddha Jigong" discovered him and invited him to play the first protagonist in his life, Jigong. This year, he was 52 years old.
After filming two episodes, You Benchang found that Ji Gong almost meant something, the feeling of "the wind swings the lotus leaves, and the feet step on cotton" is still not in place, how can this feeling be performed?
When he was resting, You Benchang kept pondering. When he was sleepy-eyed, he heard the director shouting to start filming, and before he had time to put on his shoes, he stumbled on the stage.
Then he was stunned, isn't this what Jigong felt? So Jigong, who wore tattered shoes on his feet and cranked a tattered fan in his hand, was born.
There is a scene where Jigong eats meat. The meat was bought the day before, and due to the hot weather, it was already stinky when it was filmed. But You Benchang didn't show the slightest disgust, and ate it in a big gulp, until he finished filming, he ran to the side and spit it out. The audience only saw that he ate very deliciously, but they didn't expect that there was such a secret behind the scenes, which was so dedicated.
There is a classic scene in the play, Jigong set fire to his home, raised his eyes, half of his face and mouth corners rose, half of his face had tears in his eyes, joy and sorrow appeared on one face at the same time, and the revenge was gone, half relieved and half sad. This classic shot has now been written into the textbook of Beiying.
He pondered the script repeatedly, constantly scrutinized the details, and slept only four hours a day. In order to shoot a beaten scene, I was beaten more than a dozen times before I was satisfied, and my body was swollen after filming.
It is precisely because of this diligent performance and excellence that once "Living Buddha Jigong" was broadcast, thousands of people were empty, and You Benchang quickly became popular all over the country.
After You Benchang became popular, film appointments came one after another, but there was no news of him in the entertainment industry, and it turned out that his wife Yang Huihua was suffering from cancer.
His wife Yang Huihua is also an actor, the two did not spend the romance of the previous month, lived a simple life, gave birth to a son and a daughter, and are full of hope for life.
Unexpectedly, Yang Huihua was suddenly diagnosed with cancer.
At that time, the troupe was reformed, and the actors had certain index tasks, and You Benchang felt that it was difficult to complete, and it happened that his wife also needed to be taken care of, so he retired early and went home to take care of his wife.
I don't know how much better his acting skills are than some of the current 2.08 million, but Jigong only got a total of more than 1,000 yuan after filming, and the lives of the two were quickly stretched.
Yang Huihua wanted to give up treatment, but You Benchang encouraged her to persevere.
After timely treatment and meticulous care, Yang Huihua's condition was brought under control four years later.
After this ordeal, the relationship between You Benchang and his wife has become better, and there is more understanding and tacit understanding between the two.
You Benchang returned to the screen and picked up the performance again.
Later, he sold his house and rehearsed the drama "Master Hongyi", but after three performances, he lost more than one million, and everyone didn't understand and laughed at him for being crazy.
Yang Huihua understands him very well, we are not acting to make money, or we have been drenched in the rain and want to hold up an umbrella for others.
When You Benchang was 83 years old, he accidentally fell and fractured, and at that time, Chinese medicine recommended conservative treatment.
Later, "Master Hongyi" was staged more than 130 times in 2017 alone, not only in the mainland, but also abroad, influencing a large number of people and falling in love with traditional Chinese culture.
Now that the old man You Benchang has become a monk for the second time, filming when there is a play, and precipitating his heart when there is no drama, and teaching students.
His life vividly embodied "helping the world for the public, selfless and altruistic", acting with heart, and still active on the stage at the age of 90, pursuing his dreams, which is respectable.