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Text: Liuli said entertainment
Edited |
Preface
Life is like a play, and drama is like life.
How many people can stick to their original intentions and pursue themselves in the ups and downs of fate? Who can smile at the sky and take a curtain call calmly on the stage of joys and sorrows?
Li Baotian, a well-known name, an old actor in his old age.
He spent half his life performing a life drama intertwined with despair and glory.
However, when the audience's eyes gradually moved away from him, the former screen tough guy chose to retire indifferently.
What kind of ups and downs has he experienced in his life? What kind of tenderness is hidden in his heart? Let's step into the world of Li Baotian and explore his untold story.
A Childhood of Suffering: A Joke of Fate
Li Baotian's childhood was not as carefree as other children.
In the 1950s, China was in a period of ruin.
The hardships of life and the poverty of his family made the young Li Baotian experience the sadness of the world prematurely.
When he was in elementary school, the naughty Li Baotian was often punished by the teacher for various "pranks".
He didn't understand why he was always isolated by his classmates and scolded by his teachers.
He is sensitive in his heart, longing to be understood and accepted, but reality has shattered his hopes again and again.
Finally, at the age of 13, Li Baotian chose to run away from home.
He wants to escape from the place that hurt him, and he wants to find his own world.
The young Li Baotian, with his love for opera, defected to an opera troupe.
He naively thought that as long as he worked hard to learn art, he would be able to find a home in the world of opera.
However, fate played a big joke on him.
The arduous road of learning and art: between life and death
After entering the troupe, Li Baotian really understood what it meant to "endure hardship".
In the 1950s-1960s, severe famine was experienced throughout the country.
As an apprentice of the troupe, Li Baotian not only had to endure the torment of hunger, but also endured intense training.
The masters are never soft on their apprentices.
The slightest discomfort is a severe beating.
It is common to get injured and faint while practicing.
Even if you are unconscious, you will be used as an excuse to be lazy and will be beaten again.
It was in such an environment that Li Baotian struggled on the line of life and death again and again.
The most dangerous one was in 1964.
At that time, Li Baotian suffered from typhoid fever due to long-term malnutrition.
High fever constantly, confusion.
If it weren't for a kind cadre who sent him back to the troupe in time, perhaps no one would have known about the boy's death.
However, Li Baotian, who returned to the troupe, had no one to take care of him.
He had to endure the pain of illness alone on a simple bed.
It wasn't until his mother arrived that the lost son was able to recover gradually under the care of his mother's love.
Tragic life experience: tears of guilt
Although he picked up a life from the hands of death, Li Baotian's heart could no longer stretch.
When he didn't know it, he was already estranged from his family.
His father, in particular, was even more disappointed in this "unconscious" son.
Li Baotian chose to return to the troupe, and he wanted to prove his worth by acting.
However, in the days when he was practicing hard, his father died.
Knowing that the bad time was time, Li Baotian, who was performing in other places, didn't even make it to his father's funeral.
He can only turn his grief into heart-rending cries and heart-wrenching performances.
Since then, guilt has become an eternal pain in Li Baotian's heart.
He hated his own willfulness at the beginning, and hated himself for failing to honor his father properly.
This guilt has become the regret of his life, and it has also become the background color of his acting skills, so that every role he creates carries a kind of desolation and pathos.
Late bloomer: The reward of hard work
At the age of 37, for many actors, it is not too young.
But for Li Baotian, his acting career has just begun.
In the 1980s, Li Baotian began to get into film and television acting.
With his role as "Zhang Letian" in "Breaking the Rivers and Lakes", more directors have seen his potential.
Since then, he has starred in many excellent films such as "Human Ghost Love" and "Ju Dou", among which "Human Ghost Love" won him the Golden Rooster Award for Best Supporting Actor.
At the age of 44, Li Baotian took over the role of "Yang Tianqing" in "Ju Dou".
The image of this teenager is undoubtedly a huge challenge for him who has reached middle age.
But with his superb acting skills, Li Baotian vividly portrayed the innocence and tragedy of the young Tianqing.
Although the audience's attention at that time was almost attracted by Ju Dou played by Gong Li, director Zhang Yimou was impressed by Li Baotian as if he had discovered a treasure.
Since then, Zhang Yimou has collaborated with Li Baotian on many masterpieces such as "Shake, Shake, Shake to Grandma's Bridge" and "Have Something to Say".
Li Baotian used his unique performance to interpret a plump and three-dimensional screen image, which won a reputation in the film and television industry.
However, what really made him a household name was because of the TV series that was popular all over the country.
"Prime Minister Liu Luoguo": Peak and Turn
In the 90s of the 20th century, "Prime Minister Liu Luoguo" swept the country.
This costume comedy with Qianlong, He Shen, and Liu Yong fighting wits and courage as the main line makes "Liu Yong" played by Li Baotian deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
In the play, Li Baotian's wonderful rivalry with Zhang Guoli and Wang Gang adds a lot to this work.
The success of Prime Minister Liu Luoguo not only gave Li Baotian a taste of popularity, but also laid the groundwork for his future acting career.
The crew originally planned to shoot a sequel and invited Li Baotian to join.
However, surprisingly, Li Baotian refused.
In Li Baotian's view, Liu Yong's image is already very plump in the original play.
Remaking a sequel is not only easy to repeat the original character creation, but also not conducive to the development of actors.
Although Zhang Guoli and Wang Gang disagree with this decision, they can only respect it.
Later, Zhang Guoli and Wang Gang starred in "Kangxi Weifu Private Interview" and "Iron Tooth Bronze Tooth Ji Xiaolan", continuing the boom of costume comedy.
And Li Baotian slowly faded out of the audience's sight.
Drifting Away: Searching for Yourself
After "Prime Minister Liu Luoguo", most of the roles played by Li Baotian are positive images in costume dramas.
"Divine Doctor Xilaile", "Daqincha", "Righteous Dao", ...... These works, although they allowed him to continue to maintain exposure, also made him feel a kind of burnout.
On the one hand, the audience is always looking forward to another costume drama for him.
On the other hand, he himself is eager to break through and challenge different roles.
This contradiction made Li Baotian gradually lose interest in acting.
The role of "Qin Zhaotong" in "Righteous Dao" became Li Baotian's last TV series role.
Since then, he has only made guest appearances in a few movies before completely fading out of the screen.
Some people say that he was eliminated by the times.
But more people believe that he took the initiative to choose to retire.
Away from the spotlight, Li Baotian regained his freedom and happiness in life.
He began to learn to draw, practice calligraphy, and make life rich and fulfilling.
Although his son Li Yu also entered the showbiz, Li Baotian had no plans to pave the way for his son.
In his opinion, everyone has to go their own way and experience their own life.
epilogue
Looking back at Li Baotian's life, he always seems to be out of step with the mainstream.
He is unwilling to go with the flow and bow to fate.
In his own way, he performed a life drama of his own.
Today, Li Baotian, who is in his 80s, is enjoying his old age in his hometown in Shandong.
He and his wife lived a peaceful and comfortable life.
Whenever someone asks him about his current situation, he always smiles and says, "I'm doing well now, and I'm improving every day." "
Yes, life is like a play, full of highs and lows.
But as long as we can be like Li Baotian, have faith in our hearts and face it calmly, then no matter when the curtain falls, we can smile and bow to life.
Li Baotian's story is not only a story of an actor, but also a story about pursuit and perseverance.
He used his own life to tell us: instead of singing harmony in other people's scripts, it is better to act in your own big play.
Isn't this a revelation to each of us?