Preface
When it comes to him, countless people still feel uneasy. He is the proud protégé of Peking Opera master Yu Zhanyuan, he is the eerie and terrifying Mr. Zombie on the screen, and he is also the first "thug in a suit" in Hong Kong movies. Even, most of Bruce Lee's amazing air flips were done by him silently behind his back.
However, despite his hard work and hard work, he can only exist as a supporting role, and often plays villains who are so bad that people gnash their teeth.
Who is he? Is this all true? Why is he fighting so hard, or is he just a supporting character?
He is Yuan Hua, although he is over 70 years old, he is still an old-timer fighting on the road of film.
Netizen: His name is Yuan Hua, but he is not "sleek" at all.
Jackie Chan once said in an interview that all the difficult actions of Bruce Lee flying around in the air in film and television dramas were completed by him and Yuan Hua. The words are full of appreciation and affirmation of Yuanhua.
In an interview with Sammo Hung, he praised Yuan Hua even more, talking about somersaults, Yuan Hua is the highest.
There are also some feelings about Yuanhua's disappointment.
In fact, this is not Jackie Chan's opinion alone, in the eyes of many people, it was Yuanhua who made Bruce Lee.
The inside story behind the Jingwu Gate
In March 1972, the kung fu movie "Jingwumen" was released in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee and his good friends quietly came to the theater and sat in the last row.
He wanted to be the first to know the audience's reaction.
Picture of the movie "Jingwumen".
However, the audience's reaction made Bruce Lee's heart beat a drum, because the audience was quiet throughout the movie, and there was no applause or shouting as he expected.
Filmmakers know that the quality of a movie depends entirely on the audience's response, and just when Bruce Lee and his entourage were about to leave the venue in embarrassment, bursts of thunderous applause suddenly broke out in the venue.
Some of the audience burst into tears of excitement, while others waved their fists and ran across the audience.
The friend who was traveling with him happily grabbed Bruce Lee's hand and said, "I'm proud of you!"
But even bigger surprises are yet to come.
The box office of "Jingwumen" has exceeded 4 million Hong Kong dollars within half a month of its release, and the Hong Kong media shouted "Oh my God, they (fans) are crazy!"
Some experts commented that the popularity of Jingwumen has two aspects, one is that the theme of the film caters to the emotional needs of the public's patriotism, and the anger that Chinese have suppressed for many years has been vividly vented in the film.
But there is another more intuitive reason for the success of the film, and that is Bruce Lee's superb martial arts on the screen.
Right: Bruce Lee
An American fan said that in his impression, martial arts films in Hong Kong and Taiwan are the most boring, and they are all just doing tricks, but only Bruce Lee is really fighting. ”
However, no one will pay attention to the fact that the so-called real fight is not all Bruce Lee, in other words, all the people who show their faces are Bruce Lee's fights, and all the high difficulties are Yuan Hua's fights.
Right: Bruce Lee
Jingwumen once again consolidated the title of Bruce Lee's Kung Fu Emperor, extending his acting career to the world, and at this time, Yuanhua was still a poor boy who entered the film industry for the first time.
In this film, he plays two roles, one is the Japanese devil who was beaten by Bruce Lee, and the other is the stand-in for Bruce Lee who hides behind the scenes.
Everyone is curious, why is Yuan Hua fighting so hard, isn't he made of meat? If you want to explain this, you have to enter his world first.
Humble and proud
Yuan Hua was born in Hong Kong in 1952, his family was very poor since he was a child, and he has lived in the slums of Hong Kong since he was born.
When he was a child, he was not called Yuan Hua, but Rong Zhi.
In order to let the child be able to eat, his father wanted to send him to study drama, and the ignorant Xiao Yuanhua obediently followed his father.
At that time, Yu Zhanyuan, a famous Hong Kong singer, opened a local drama academy and had some fame, and his father sent Xiao Yuanhua there.
At that time, there were many later big names in the Hong Kong entertainment industry in the Drama Academy, such as Sammo Hung , Jackie Chan, etc., and several brothers formed a team called Seven Little Blessings, and Yuan Hua was the second in line.
Unlike Yuanhua, Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan and other friends have better family backgrounds than him, so during that time, Yuanhua's sensitive and inferior personality made Yuanhua develop the habit of being unsociable, and he was alone in everything he did.
But Yuan Hua is also the most diligent and hardworking of this group of children. Other children always take advantage of the master's absence to secretly play fun, but Yuanhua is as hard as everyone before and after.
In a certain show many years later, senior brother Yuan Qiu once said that Yuan Hua at that time was simply an outlier. He likes to be alone and has a more withdrawn personality that is elusive.
Later, Yuan Qiu added that when Yuan Hua stepped into the entertainment industry, his attitude changed greatly, as if he had changed as a person. He has become more desperate than others, no matter how dangerous or difficult the scene, as long as the reward is in place, he will not hesitate to take on what is common with bruises and bruises on him.
In the editor's opinion, there is no one who does not cherish the life of himself and his family, life and work, people work so hard, it is nothing more than to feed a family.
In the drama class, everyone also loves this introverted child very much, especially Sammo Hung as a senior brother.
Yu Zhanyuan has always been very strict with his apprentices, and hands-on punishment is commonplace, once anyone is accidentally lazy or makes a mistake, he will be beaten by the master for a few days.
Yuan Hua has been very brotherly since he was a child, one day Sammo Hung skipped class for no reason and was discovered by the teacher, and asked Yuan Hua, but Yuan Hua deliberately concealed it for Sammo Hung, so angry that Yu Zhanyuan whipped him dozens of whips, and directly beat him to the point that his skin was open.
And it was from that time that Sammo Hung and Yuan Hua formed a deep friendship.
In the countless days of sweating and rain, Yuanhua gradually showed his talents in the Seven Little Blessings and became the best person in the Seven Kung Fu, especially when he practiced the unique skill of turning his heels, and won the full house of everyone again and again.
His solid martial arts skills have paved the way for his future acting career.
"Seven Little Blessings" Middle: Yuan Hua Right: Jackie Chan
A lifelong "actress"
In Hong Kong in the mid-60s, because of the impact of movies, people's interest has shifted dramatically, people no longer choose opera alone, seeing that the business is getting more and more bleak, Yu Zhanyuan had to disband the team, let the disciples make their own livelihoods.
At this time, Shaw Brothers Pictures had already achieved good results, launching the movies "The Drunken Man" and "One-Armed Knife" respectively, which soon set off a frenzy of martial arts films in the local area.
Subsequently, Golden Harvest Pictures was also established, and successfully introduced a big name, that is, kung fu superstar Bruce Lee, so that Hong Kong's entertainment industry has a situation of two heroes competing for hegemony.
As the eldest brother of the team, Sammo Hung relied on his rich connections to join Golden Harvest early in the morning, and after gaining a firm foothold, he did not forget his little brothers, and pulled several people in the Seven Little Blessings in, Yuan Hua is one of them.
So far, Yuanhua has started a long-term career.
Even if he is running tricks, Yuan Hua is full of spirit and vigor, and he cherishes every opportunity to act.
In 1972, Yuanhua finally waited for a chance to turn over.
In this year, Bruce Lee began to prepare for the large-scale kung fu film "Jingwumen". Motoka gets a chance to play a Japanese samurai.
Left: Yuan Hua Right: Bruce Lee
Although there are not many shots and he was beaten by Bruce Lee, Yuan Hua is still happy to do it, because this is the first time he has stepped onto the screen in the true sense.
Bruce Lee is good at martial arts, but he doesn't like somersaults, and he thought of Yuan Hua, who has this unique skill. Yuan Hua was unanimously recognized by everyone after the audition, and everyone felt that he was better than Bruce Lee.
So far, Yuan Hua has become Bruce Lee's royal "martial artist".
At any time, appearance is the most important thing in the entertainment industry, and Yuan Hua was born with a rebellious face, so no matter how hard he works or how hard he fights, he always hovers in a stand-in or an inconspicuous supporting role, and his colleagues also gave him a nickname - actress.
Fortunately, since filming Jingwumen, Yuan Hua has gained Bruce Lee's great common sense, Bruce Lee promised him to take him to Hollywood to develop, but God is jealous of talent, Bruce Lee died of illness suddenly, making Yuan Hua fall into the dust again.
Bruce Lee is gone, and Yuan Hua continues to return to a life of tricks. He has starred in dozens of blockbusters, but he has never even shown his face.
But for the sake of life, he still refuses to let go of any opportunity.
In 1985, the comedy horror film "Mr. Zombie" started filming, Yuan Hua unexpectedly got a zombie opportunity, in order not to affect the progress of the crew, Yuan Hua did not remove his makeup for several days until he finished filming all the scenes, and at this time Yuan Hua's face was already red and swollen.
Yuan Hua has come all the way to the present with his style of hard work and few words, although he has never been popular, his conduct has won unanimous praise from many directors in the circle.
However, as a showbiz with many talents, being eliminated is something that everyone has to encounter sooner or later.
Yuanhua was naturally not immune.
Since the 90s, the box office of Hong Kong movies has been declining, and the box office is even more miserable.
Once in an interview with the media, Yuan Hua reluctantly said that old actors like them have expired, and they dare not make any more requests, and they are very content if they have filming.
However, soon Yuan Hua also ushered in his highlight moment.
In 2004, Yuan Hua was invited to participate in the crew of "Kung Fu", and he was personally ordered by Stephen Chow.
Yuan Hua's role in "Kung Fu" is still pitiful, but just a few scenes have made Yuan Hua and ignited his highlight moment.
This "charter man" who loves to take advantage of small advantages and lustful made him win 3 awards in one fell swoop: 2 Best Supporting Actor Awards at the Academy Awards and Golden Bauhinia Awards, and 1 is the Best Actor Award at the Global Chinese Golden Arts Awards.
Yuan Hua won the Best Supporting Actor for "Kung Fu".
However, until the twilight of his life, Yuanhua did not stand in the position of the protagonist. It is difficult to get rid of the traces of the "shadow queen" in his life.
Author's point of view
Today's Yuan Hua is already an old man with gorgeous hair, although many people still don't know his name until now, the influence of this actor who has done his best on the screen is irreplaceable.
Sammo Hung regards him as his own brother, Stephen Chow bluntly admires him very much, and countless fans like his funny and open-minded.
The entertainment industry has always been an iron-clad soldier, no matter how good you are, you will inevitably be overwhelmed by latecomers, but there are always some people who will engrave a deep imprint in the hearts of the audience, such as Yuanhua.
Text: Black Soil
Black Soil