In the 60s and 70s, there were eight "model plays" on the stage and screen of Chinese theater, in which the characters of "Lao Dan" appeared, although they were dressed in simple cloth shirts and gray hair, they left a deep impression on the audience with their superb acting skills. And the roles created by these three famous Peking Opera Lao Dan actors on the screen have reached the state of perfection and are the best among them.
"Red Lantern" Grandma Li
Gao Yuqian, the actor of Grandma Li in "Red Lantern", learned drama at the age of 8, focusing on Tsing Yi and Hua Dan. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he entered the Peking Opera Company of China. Her most famous role is Grandma Li in the model drama "Red Lantern", after "Red Lantern" was made into a movie, she played "Grandma Li", which became a classic artistic image and influenced several generations. She sang "Seventeen Years", "Painful History of Revolutionaries", "Learn from Your Father's Red Heart and Ambition Like Steel" and other singing segments have spread all over the country, and are still sung by fans. Later, she played the role of "Zhang Da Niang" in the modern Peking Opera movie "Plain Battle", and her singing segment "Gunshot" in the film has also become a classic that has been sung for generations. She became a star actor known to everyone.
Gao Yu-hsien
Gao Yuqian's representative repertoire also includes "Red Lady", "Picking Up Jade Bracelets", "Fishing and Killing Home", "Red-Maned Horse", and Zhu Bajie's mother-in-law "Mrs. Gao" in the TV series "Journey to the West". In 2018, Gao Yuqian passed away at the age of 91.
"Sha Jiabang" Grandma Sha
Wan Yiying is another high-profile Lao Dan actor who played Grandma Sha in the modern Peking opera "Sha Jiabang", showing excellent acting skills. Although she was only 25 years old when she made the film, she showed extraordinary talent in "Sha Jiabang". In 1971, the modern Peking Opera "Shajiabang" was made into a movie and was released, causing thousands of empty alleys. She immediately became a star loved and admired by audiences across the country. In particular, the singing segments such as "It's a Long Story" and "Shajiabang Will Be Liberated One Day" sung by her have spread all over the country.
In case of English
In case of Ying, not only the model plays of modern dramas are performed well, but many traditional plays are also brilliant. Like "Da Dengdian" and "Chisang Town" are her forte. And in 1984, she also won the first prize of the Beijing Young Peking Opera Performers Competition with a fold of "Strike Banquet". In 2015, Wan Yiying died of illness at the age of 70.
"Outwitting Tiger Mountain" Yong Qi Niang
Rock Bay
Wang Mengyun, a famous Peking Opera performance artist, Gong Lao Dan, Zong Li School, his teacher is the famous Peking Opera master Li Duokui, there is a saying in the Peking Opera industry that there are "three kings and one Li", and one of the "three kings" is Wang Mengyun teacher. She has solid basic skills, a loud voice, a wide range of plays, and passionate singing and acting. She played Yong Qi Niang in the modern Peking Opera film "Outwitting Tiger Mountain" and Zeng Grandma in "Rock Bay", both of which left a deep impression on the audience. Although she showed excellent acting skills when she was young, her talent and charm have become stronger with the accumulation of years, and her frequent performances include: "Hong Mu Scolding the Domain", "Fishing for Golden Turtles", "Walking and Crying", "Meeting the Queen", "Fighting the Dragon Robe", "Chisang Town" and so on. Wang Mengyun later served as the principal of the Shanghai Opera School, and trained many outstanding Peking Opera actors, such as Wang Peiyu, Fu Xiru, Lan Tian, etc., who we are familiar with.
Wang Mengyun