Hong Kong veteran actor Du Xiongwen passed away at the age of 81, and has been a household name since the sixties and seventies of the last century. Speaking of his life, it is really wonderful and full of ups and downs!
He loves sports and became an instant hit as soon as he graduated
In fact, Du Xiongwen didn't have anything to do with performing arts when he was a child, he was a sports-loving old man since he was a child, and he liked boxing. At that time, he was one of the best "little hooligans" in Sham Shui Po, hehe. Who would have thought that this yellow-haired boy would become the "No. 1 student in the South" in the film industry in the future?
However, Du Xiongwen is really brave, not only learned boxing but also learned painting, radio repair, etc., he is really an all-round genius. His artistic talent was shown very early, and he formed a repertory troupe in school, which is strange.
After graduating from high school, Du Xiongwen went to study at the Shanghai Film Academy, where he met the muse of his life, his classmate Miss Yao Xijuan. The two hit it off at first sight, and the pure campus love began. Who would have thought that they would grow old together until the end of their lives?
It is said that Du Xiongwen was caught by Hong Kong's Pearl River Film Company after graduation, and in 1963 he became popular and played the leading role in the movie "Big Waves and Sands". has good acting skills and countless fans, so he has become a first-line niche.
Who would have thought that during the "10-year catastrophe" that followed, he would be dismissed from his post and criticized, and sent to a tea factory for four years of labor reform! A generation of red stars fell into the lowest point of their lives like this, which is really a merciless mockery of fate.
But fortunately, Du Xiongwen has the tenacity of a heroic son and daughter in his bones, he did not give up or despair in the face of adversity, and finally waited for the release of "Big Waves and Sands", a long-forgotten debut film, in 1977, and his acting skills finally won the praise they deserved. Since then, his career seems to have opened up, riding the dust, scolding Fang Xuan, and all kinds of film and television dramas are his home field.
At that time, Du Xiongwen was a veritable "master of the film industry"! Lin Kegui in "Mountain Country Storm", Shi Lei in "Plum Blossom Scarf", Ah Hua in "Overseas Child", and Xiao Gang in "Girl's Wish" are all stunning every time they appear, and they deservedly become the "No. 1 student in the south". He seems to have become the unshakable king of film and television in the 70s, with excellent acting skills and peerless elegance!
Of course, his success is also due to his virtuous helper, his wife Yao Xijuan. Miss Yao is also a well-known voice actor and reciter, and the two can be said to be each other's soul mates. In this way, they held hands and walked all the way, sharing each other's weal and woe. Until Du Xiongwen was 80 years old and his health deteriorated, Miss Yao still guarded him and took care of him.
Although he was lucky enough to escape, he didn't leave anyone behind
In 2021, Du Xiongwen was admitted to the ICU due to illness, and Yao Xijuan and her two daughters wandered in front of the ward every day, and the scene was really poignant. Thankfully, Du Xiongwen finally survived and reunited with his family. But the good times didn't last long, on January 2, 2023, Du Xiongwen, a master of the drama world, left us forever, and his wife and daughter stayed by his side when he died.
The wife Yao Xijuan cried bitterly, and the two daughters also burst into tears, they have gone through difficult days one after another, and now they are finally separated forever, which is really tearful. For Du Xiongwen's family, this is indeed a desperate blow.
Du Xiongwen's life can be described as ups and downs, but in the end, he has made remarkable achievements in the film and television industry with his love and persistence. He has left behind countless wonderful screen masterpieces, and has also cultivated a large number of young actors, making outstanding contributions to the development of Hong Kong's film and television industry.
The death of Du Xiongwen marks the loss of another superstar in the Hong Kong film industry, but his light will last forever. Du Xiongwen is gone, but his glorious years will forever remain in the annals of Hong Kong film and television history. As a representative of the previous generation of powerful actors, he used his classic roles and superb acting skills to leave us too many precious screen moments.
To be honest, looking back on the development of Du Xiongwen's opera road, it is really wonderful. When he was a child, he had the energy of "spreading wildness", but later he completely developed it in the film industry. From the original idol drama to the later dramas, comedies, and martial arts films, he has everything and is proficient in everything!
Du Xiongwen's acting career
For example, how many people are crazy about the role of "Lin Keyi" he created in "Mountain Country Storm"? Dressed in a coarse cloth robe, tied with hemp rope around his waist, and tied in a small bun, he looks very "deep in the mountains" on the outside, but as soon as he opens his mouth, he has a pure "oriental studio tone".
The shape and image of this "poor boy in Jincheng Bay" immediately made people feel intimate with him, and he felt like a boy next door living in his own village.
Looking at the role of "Shi Lei" he played in "Plum Blossom Scarf", capable, bold, heroic and fearless, the tough guy image of the horse leather shroud and the bloody energy of charging into battle, he became the dream lover of countless young men and women back then! At that time, the audience had a very "heavy taste" for film and television dramas, especially young people, who loved this image of a "tough guy".
Du Xiongwen's "Shi Lei" is a good interpretation of the heroic image of this "revolutionary young soldier". However, what impressed me the most is the character of Ahua created by Du Xiongwen in "Overseas Child". This movie tells the story of a group of Cantonese people who have taken root in Hong Kong and worked hard, and Du Xiongwen's acting skills are vividly displayed!
He played Ah Hua, who was very young and young at the beginning, and the image of the "old Cantonese guy" who came from the mainland was vividly interpreted, especially the strong Chaoshan voice and honest country style, which almost became his "housekeeping skills".
But as the plot progresses, the character of Ah Hua has gradually grown up, from a "poor bastard" to a promising businessman, and the whole person's temperament and style have taken on a new look. Du Xiongwen interprets this transformation process with ease, which is amazing.
From "Mountain Country Storm" to "Plum Blossom Scarf" to "Overseas Child", Du Xiongwen used his superb acting skills to show us characters of different eras, different identities, and different personalities. Each character has distinct personality traits with each other, but they all contain common qualities of perseverance and self-improvement.
Perhaps, this is also the spirit of "gritting teeth and persevering" that Du Xiongwen embodied during the low point of his life!
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Du Xiongwen's death is deeply regrettable, but his positive, optimistic and indomitable spirit is always worth learning and remembering. For a generation, Du Xiongwen is the embodiment of art and an eternal hero in his heart. May his spirit in heaven also enjoy eternal peace!