Photo/Teacher Weng gossip
Editor/Teacher Weng gossip
Preface
Liu Xiaolingtong, whose real name is Zhang Jinshan, is a well-known performing artist in China, born in a Peking Opera family. His father was a famous Peking Opera actor Wu Xiaolingtong, so he was influenced by art from an early age. By playing the role of Monkey King in "Journey to the West", he not only won the love of audiences across the country, but also interpreted this role into a benchmark and a classic that is difficult to surpass.
An experience like no other
Zhang Jinshan, known as Liuxiaolingtong in later generations, was born in an artistic family in Zhejiang known for performing monkey operas. Before he was born, there were already three boys in the family, and the six-year-old boy was more introverted by nature, so his father six-year-old child did not expect him to pursue a career in the arts. The six-year-old boy has high hopes for the inheritance of monkey opera at home, especially for his second son, "Little Liulingtong". Talented since childhood, he dropped out of school in the third grade to join the troupe, and performed with his father day after day, becoming his father's pride.
However, as fate would have it, the second son, who was relied on by the six-year-old child, died of leukemia at the age of 16. Soon after, the family's third son also died of intestinal diseases caused by injuries during training. This series of blows plunged the entire family into deep grief. There are 11 children in the family, and the older siblings of the six-year-old children have tried to inherit the family business, but they are not up to the task.
After the death of the two elder brothers, as the youngest child in the family, Liu Xiaolingtong had to shoulder the responsibility of inheriting the family monkey opera and became the only hope and successor in the family. Although Liu Xiaolingtong was only an actor in the Kunqu Opera Troupe before filming "Journey to the West", which is far from his father's reputation, his fate has changed since director Yang Jie noticed him.
At the beginning, director Yang Jie was actually more optimistic about Zhang Zongyi's other apprentice, Liu Jianyang, whose performance in the Shao Opera Troupe was very good, and he could be described as the mainstay of the troupe. But under Zhang Zongyi's insistent recommendation, Yang Jie finally decided to give Liu Xiaolingtong a chance. In the audition, the six-year-old boy passed through his superb performance and vivid image of a monkey.
successfully won the recognition of Yang Jie, and then under the intensive training of his father, he successfully passed the interview of the crew of "Journey to the West" and became the role of Monkey King. However, the early filming of the six-year-old boy in the crew was not all smooth sailing. Because he suffers from high myopia, this is inconsistent with the image of Sun Wukong's fiery eyes, making him look blank in front of the camera.
Career and love
In 1983, a year has passed since the filming of "Journey to the West" started, and the crew was very lively inside and outside. At this time, director Yang Jie walked into the crew with a beautiful woman like a flower, causing everyone present to stop and watch, privately speculating whether she would play an important role, such as the compassionate Guanyin or the beautiful Chang'e.
However, Yang Jie later revealed that this beauty did not join the performance team, but was responsible for the logistics of the crew. As soon as these words came out, many actresses felt a little ashamed, realizing that although they were good-looking, they also had beautiful and capable people. This new beauty is named Yu Hong, she was born in a military family and is a native of Beijing. It's not so much that she's here to act, it's better to say that she's here to accumulate work experience.
The "Brother Monkey" in the crew also noticed Yu Hong's arrival. Among all the scripture-learning characters, he and Yu Hong are the closest in age, while "Bajie" and "Sha Seng" are slightly older, and the "first Tang Seng" often wants to leave for other reasons. Therefore, this provides "Brother Monkey" with an opportunity to get close to the rainbow. Sure enough, as time went on, the two began to interact more, and they also became the focus of whispers from people in the crew.
In the sensational TV series "Journey to the West" in 1986, a 22-year-old young man stood out among more than 5,000 competitors with his excellent acting skills and successfully played the role of Monkey King. He is a six-year-old child, a role that made him a national idol overnight. After the show was broadcast, the ratings were as high as 97%, and the image of the "Monkey King" Sun Wukong created by the six-year-old child was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and became an irreplaceable classic.
This legendary TV series not only made Liu Xiaolingtong's fame rise dramatically, but also allowed him to meet his beloved, the female lead actress Yu Hong. Yu Hong played a beautiful and elegant princess of Tianzhu Kingdom in the play, and she was the goddess of Liu Xiaolingtong's childhood. Over the course of several years of filming, the two get along day and night, gradually get to know each other, and eventually fall in love.
For more than 30 years since then, whenever "Journey to the West" is replayed, it has always aroused enthusiastic responses. Although there have been many remakes later, none of the Monkey King's interpretations can surpass the version of Liu Xiaolingtong, and his performance has been regarded as a classic among the classics and deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. This Monkey King and his Zixia Fairy, that is, Yu Hong, became attached to the drama and also weaved a good story in reality. The trajectory of Liu Xiaolingtong's life has completely changed because of this drama, and he has become the eternal Monkey King.
What's going on now?
Although Liu Xiaolingtong has tried a variety of roles in his acting career, his role as the Monkey King is still his most praised role. No matter how he breaks through himself, the image of Monkey King has become an unsurpassed classic in his career. In terms of family life, the role division between Liu Xiaolingtong and his wife Yu Hong is also very traditional: Yu Hong chooses to take care of the family at home and support her husband's career, while Liu Xiaolingtong devotes himself to acting work.
In 1990, the couple welcomed their daughter Zhang Tongtong, which inspired the efforts of the six young children in their careers. In addition to Monkey King, Liu Xiaolingtong also starred in many other influential roles. He played the sinister Hua Tiegan in "Liancheng Jue", portrayed his father as a six-year-old child in "Monkey Baby", and played Taishang Laojun in "Seven Fairies of Joy".
Liu Xiaolingtong is firmly bound by the role of Monkey King, and almost his entire career has been exploring the possibilities of this role. Whether it is a movie or a TV series, as long as it is a role related to "monkey", he is always happy to try. In February this year, he even participated in the performance of the animated movie "Journey to the West", which can be said to have played the "Monkey King" all his life.
However, he seems to have forgotten an important fact: it was not he who made the character of Monkey King famous, but "Journey to the West" directed by Yang Jie that made him famous. If he hadn't played it, and replaced it with other actors, this role might still have become a classic. With the passage of time, the continuous reappearance of the role of the Monkey King by the six young children has made the audience lose interest in the Monkey King played by him, and the "consumption" over the years has made people feel tired.
Liu Xiaolingtong still uses the Monkey King to advertise himself, although his Monkey King performance can be called a classic, but it is indeed an embarrassing thing for an actor to be limited to one role in his life. As director Yang Jie said, seeing his current situation now, it is not difficult to understand why Yang Jie has the feeling of "I'd rather "Journey to the West" not succeed". Indeed, "Cheng is also "Journey to the West", and defeat is also "Journey to the West".
epilogue
Liu Xiaolingtong, formerly known as Zhang Jinlai, is a well-known Chinese performing artist best known for his role as the Monkey King in the TV series "Journey to the West". One of the most important decisions in his career was to marry the scene reporter of the crew of "Journey to the West", Wu Suying, as his wife. It's not just a romantic relationship, but it's also a commitment to both family and career success. Wu Suying's acquaintance with Liu Xiaolingtong began with the work of the crew, and her role was to record the plot and actors' performances to ensure that the filming went smoothly.
Her enthusiasm and professionalism in her work impressed the six-year-olds. Over the course of a long period of cooperation, their relationship gradually deepened and eventually they became married. This marriage not only brought stability and happiness to Liu Xiaolingtong's life, but also provided him with a strong backing, giving him infinite support and inspiration on the road of art.