Time flies, time is like an arrow, and the image of Zhang Fei, who was once heroic, majestic, and quiet, now only remains in the memories of the audience. Li Jingfei, who is now in his sixtieth year, unfortunately suffered from a severe cerebral hemorrhage, paralyzed in bed, weak limbs, and slurred speech.
His gaze was dull, and his face was haggard, as if he had lost his last will to live.
The huge pressure on the cost of living was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, and Li Jingfei fell into a predicament. Those expensive medical expenses are like an invisible wall, completely surrounding him in a desperate situation.
Seeing that the only hope was gradually dissipating, Li Jingfei's heart was full of helplessness and despair, and his eyes gradually eclipsed.
In 1990, a majestic epic TV series "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" began to attract widespread attention, and director Wang Fulin was carefully selecting actors for the play. Li Jingfei, then 33 years old, is a senior actor in the Hebei Repertory Theatre, and has played a starring role in many film and television dramas, especially the role of the yellow leopard successfully portrayed in the popular drama "Iron Man", which made him stand out in the industry.
As an experienced actor, Li Jingfei has a soft spot for the classic "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", especially the image of Zhang Fei depicted in the book, and he firmly believes that he can interpret it to the fullest.
Because he is a fellow villager in the land of Yanzhao with Zhang Fei, coupled with a similar bold appearance, Li Jingfei deeply feels that this is an excellent opportunity given to him by fate.
When the crew announced the news of the open selection of roles, Li Jingfei had been secretly looking forward to it for a long time. He did not hesitate to tidy up the slightly messy clothes, took a deep breath, straightened his waist, took a firm step, confidently walked into the door of the crew, and solemnly introduced himself to the members of the director team: "In Xiayan Li Jingfei, Mao Sui recommended himself to play the role of Zhang Fei." ”
The crew has gathered many excellent actors, and it is not easy to stand out among so many old actors. At first, almost no one knew Li Jingfei, and it wasn't until a few hours later that the audience recognized him as the actor who successfully portrayed the role of the yellow leopard in "Iron Man".
competed with Li Jingfei for the role of Zhang Fei, as well as Mr. He Wei, a powerful actor who won the double actor award for the movie "Garland Under the Mountain".
In the face of this fierce competition, Li Jingfei was not surprised. On the contrary, he obeyed the director's command and dispatch, determined to present us with the classic scenes of the two Zhang Fei.
First of all, he vividly interpreted the wild scene of Zhang Fei hiding in the grass house, roaring angrily, and wanting to burn Zhuge Liang, and then he vividly reproduced the touching moment of kneeling down to Guan Yu at the "Ancient City Meeting" in his unique way.
He sometimes shows a fierce and domineering side, sometimes he is emotional, every subtle look and movement depicts Zhang Fei's character traits vividly, so that the entire crew is overwhelmed by his wonderful performance, and the applause is like thunder.
With excellent acting skills and in-depth understanding of the role, Li Jingfei and Lu Shuming successfully created the two classic images of Zhang Fei and Guan Yu in the old version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".
As soon as this well-made TV series with huge investment was broadcast, it was like a bombshell, which caused a strong response across the country and even the world, and became a hot topic at the time.
The ratings of that year were so high that they even surpassed the much-watched Spring Festival Gala, which is enough to prove the audience's love for the show. In Japan, the CD of the show was bought at a high price and sold up like a frenzy, and many Japanese people still treasure the 1994 version of the CD as a treasure.
A professor of literature from Waseda University in Japan was full of praise for Li Jingfei's performance after watching the TV series. He believes that Li Jingfei vividly interprets Zhang Fei's multiple characteristics of roughness, innocence and violence, and every action shows a distinct personality, which is unforgettable.
However, it is the classic images created by these leading actors that have also become an obstacle to their future development. It is always difficult for the audience to distinguish Li Jingfei and Lu Shuming from Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, and even if they play other roles, people will involuntarily associate them with these two classic images.
This kind of preconceived concept undoubtedly seriously restricts the broadening of their follow-up drama path.
After the amazing achievements of the old version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", the careers of Li Jingfei and Lu Shuming went in diametrically opposite directions. Lu Shuming successfully achieved a role transformation in his subsequent career with his superb acting skills, however, Li Jingfei chose to settle for an ordinary life and enjoy the satisfaction of ordinary days.
In Stephen Chow's classic comedy movie "Journey to the West", Lu Shuming played the role of the Bull Demon King, and the character image he created was full and vivid, which was lifelike, and once again won warm praise from the audience. Since then, Lu Shuming's popularity is no longer limited to the role of Guan Yu, and his acting path has become wider and wider.
In contrast, Li Jingfei did not show his strength in the film and television industry like Lu Shuming. He doesn't seem to be keen on whether he can reproduce the well-known pomp and circumstance of Zhang Fei, who was a smash hit back then. For him, as long as he can live an ordinary life in peace, he is satisfied.
It is worth mentioning that Li Jingfei and Lu Shuming have made many friends in the entertainment industry, and the friendship between them is like a brotherhood, close and close. Most of these friends were actors who participated in the old version of the four famous TV series with them back then, and the deep revolutionary feelings between them have long forged an indestructible brotherhood.
Whether they choose to settle for the status quo or continue to work hard in the film and television industry, these two leading actors have lived the lives they yearn for. It's just that Li Jingfei is more inclined to live a quiet and indifferent life, while Lu Shuming seems to have a stronger pursuit and motivation to continue to show his talents.
At this time, there will always be more and more audiences looking forward to revisiting the wonderful performance of the old version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Whether it was the older generation of viewers who followed the broadcast back then, or the new generation of viewers who came into contact with the show through replays or video resources, they were always deeply moved by the excellent acting skills of actors such as Li Jingfei and Lu Shuming.
Looking back on the filming process of that year, it was not all smooth sailing for the crew. CCTV's financial support for the show was quite limited, and the crew had to borrow money from an engineering bureau of the Ministry of Railways to barely maintain filming. The hardships of the conditions made the members often break the bread and butter together, and tasted the ups and downs of life.
However, it is in this challenging environment that those veteran actors who are full of perseverance and sincere enthusiasm, with their love and dedication to art, have successfully created indelible classic roles again and again.
Mr. Li Jingfei accurately and delicately portrayed Zhang Fei's bold and upright character with his pure skills and excellent insight, making the audience feel as if they were in it, while Mr. Lu Shuming devoted eight years of hard work to dig deep into Guan Yu's inner world, and finally under the careful guidance of director Wang Fulin, he successfully created a lifelike image of Guan Gong, allowing the audience to appreciate a real and shocking image of Guan Yu.
Today, the wonderful performances of these older generation actors have become eternal treasures in the film and television industry. Whether it is Cao Cao played by Mr. Bao Guoan, Zhuge Liang played by Mr. Tang Guoqiang, or Zhang Fei played by Mr. Li Jingfei and Guan Yu played by Mr. Lu Shuming, they have all become models for young actors to learn.
With their rich experience and superb acting skills, they have created an eternal classic image, which is deeply imprinted in the hearts of the audience.
Nowadays, whether driven by nostalgia for the classics or pure curiosity, more and more new and old audiences are beginning to revisit the classic TV series "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".
When the image of Zhang Fei played by Mr. Li Jingfei jumped on the screen again, and when Mr. Lu Shuming's carefully portrayed Guan Yu's heroic fitness shadow appeared on the stage, the scene was full of warm applause and heartfelt praise.
Decades ago, at the expense of their youth, as well as their unwavering belief and pure passion for the arts, these actors brought classic characters back to modern audiences.
Even though they have been away from the filming set for many years, their performances are still haunting, as if they were recreated right in front of their eyes.
What is even more rare is that during the filming process, despite the difficult conditions and the lack of funds for the crew, from the director to the actors, everyone has a sincere heart and offers the most sincere dedication to the country and art in their own ways.
The actors at that time were paid a meager salary, and even the leading actor's salary was only 180 yuan per episode, which is in stark contrast to today's sky-high salary.
However, it is this persistent pursuit of career and unswerving determination to dream that has created countless classic laurels today.
The torrent of time has submerged many heroic bodies, and those glorious figures of the past can't resist the impact of the years after all, and are gradually aging. However, the fiery devout belief in art is an eternal and unchanging sublime flame that will never be extinguished!
This enthusiasm will continue to surge like a sweet spring, nourishing generations of lively and lovely young actors, and giving birth to more dazzling artistic treasures.
Artists such as Li Jingfei and Lu Shuming, with their lifelong energy and talent, have deeply imprinted those classic roles that are deeply rooted in the hearts of the audience. Their firm belief in their careers and fearless pursuit of their dreams will become eternal shining examples, inspiring future generations to move forward bravely and forge ahead.