1. Destined to embark on an artistic journey
Time flies, and the 55-year-old Lu Peng is working hard to prepare his long-awaited new film, "Jungle Jungle". The film's exposure will undoubtedly be a major comeback after years of hibernation.
Looking back on his life journey, it seems that everything was arranged by fate, which led him to this artistic path full of challenges and opportunities.
Lu Peng, who has had excellent imitation skills since childhood, was honored to be the goalkeeper of his alma mater's football team with his outstanding athletic talent in college. Whenever his tall and mighty body struggled to save on the green field, it would always cause warm applause and cheers from the audience.
He is born with a strong sense of competition and a desire to show himself, which makes him unable to rest on his laurels.
In his junior year, Ke Yan, a renowned reportage writer, was invited to give a lecture at the school. Hundreds of students enthusiastically asked questions, but Lu Peng boldly stood up and asked Ke Yan questions in his unique way.
The person in charge of the Nanguo Drama Club was deeply attracted by his calm and confident temperament, so he took the initiative to invite this football player to join the drama rehearsal. At first, he was only interested out of curiosity, but it became a major turning point in his life.
During his days at the Nanguo Drama Society, Lu Peng experienced the infinite charm of drama for the first time, and successfully starred in classic plays such as "The Yellow Handkerchief of Happiness" and "Guitar Forever". In the transition between roles on and off stage, he gradually developed a strong interest in acting and poured all his passion into it.
The drama teacher was amazed by his talent on stage and firmly believed that his future was immeasurable.
In 1997, this valuable experience during his studies at Nanjing Normal University was like a shot in the arm, inspiring Lu Peng to pursue his dreams bravely. Despite the twists and turns of the road ahead, he is full of hope and courage for the future.
Second, the road to study in the north
In 1999, after Lu Peng returned to Xuzhou Institute of Education as a teacher, his deep desire to become an excellent actor became stronger. This year, he resolutely decided to apply for the graduate degree of the acting department of Beijing Film Academy, although he knew that his conditions still needed to be improved, but in order to better understand the examination process, he still did not hesitate to fill in the registration form.
During the entire interview process, from the cultural course assessment of the initial examination to the interview performance of the re-examination, Lu Peng was engrossed in it and experienced every detail in depth. Although he was not accepted in the end, this experience gave him a deeper understanding and expectation of the profession of actor.
When he left the examination venue, Lu Peng's heart was full of memories and nostalgia for the past years, when he was in his youth, and he was full of passion to participate in the rehearsal of the drama in the Nanguo Drama Society.
In order to realize his ideals, he firmly decided that in the next two years, he would devote himself wholeheartedly to preparing for the war and vowed to be admitted to the Beijing Film Academy.
Since then, Lu Peng has worked tirelessly to improve his acting skills while working tirelessly as a teacher at the Xuzhou Institute of Education. His wife was deeply impressed by his persistent pursuit, and although she did not fully understand her husband's decision, she did not hesitate to choose to fully support him.
She began to cut back on food and clothing, regularly sending money to Lu Peng, who was in a different place, and took on the burden of the whole family alone.
Time flies, and in a blink of an eye, in 2002, Lu Peng has entered the middle-aged stage of 34 years old, but he successfully obtained the master's degree of the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy with the first place, which undoubtedly opened a new chapter for his drama career.
A man who has already started a family and has children can imagine the bitterness and pain of embarking on the road to study again at such an age, however, his wife has always had no complaints about his choice, just silently giving, patiently waiting, and giving him endless support.
After entering the Beijing Film Academy, Lu Peng not only devoted a lot of energy to professional courses, but also actively submitted his resume, hoping to seize any possible opportunity.
However, the reality is cruel, and failure after failure makes him begin to question whether his original choice was correct, however, just when he is in a daze, the god of fate finally opens a dawn for him.
3. "Bright Sword" leads a new life
In 2004, the crew of the TV series "Bright Sword", which was recruiting talents, accidentally discovered the resume submitted by Lu Peng. After layers of screening and strict interviews, Lu Peng finally stood out from many outstanding actors and won a precious opportunity to play the role of "Yamamoto Kazuki", a Japanese general.
In this fierce competition, Lu Peng successfully surpassed all competitors with his 1.85-meter tall body, cold and resolute image, and fluent and pure Japanese.
In the play, he is in stark contrast to Li Youbin, Zhang Guangbei and other leading actors, and his resolute and resolute temperament fits perfectly with the role.
In 2005, the 30-episode war masterpiece "Bright Sword" was broadcast in prime time, with an average rating of 1.123%, which made many leading actors famous overnight, and Lu Peng, as a supporting role, also attracted much attention.
It is particularly worth mentioning that he personally performed Japanese lines throughout the play, without the assistance of voice actors, and instantly became a "devil professional" in the eyes of the audience.
The image of "Yamamoto Kazuki" in the play is undoubtedly extremely threatening, cunning and insidious, and with extreme self-confidence. So, how exactly does an actor like Lu Peng interpret this role to life? First of all, he focused on the operational aspect, and the mature military demeanor is reflected in every detail; Then, he delves into the depths of the character's heart to find the source of the cold-blooded ruthlessness.
Whenever "Yamamoto Kazuki" shows his determination to cut through the ground, Lu Peng will exude a chilling cold breath; In private, however, he exudes a deep sense of anxiety.
His every expression is just right, which makes people feel creepy, and there is no doubt that Lu Peng's interpretation of this role has reached the point of perfection and is completely integrated into this role.
As soon as the TV series "Bright Sword" was broadcast, it immediately caused a sensational response, and it was rebroadcast as many as 3,000 times on major TV stations across the country! Lu Peng was also praised as a "devil professional" by the audience, and his acting career soared.
Fourth, the extensive drama in the anti-Japanese war drama
Since "Bright Sword", Lu Peng no longer needs to personally submit his resume to the crew to seek opportunities, but the major crews have taken the initiative to invite him to participate. It is precisely because of the role of "Yamamoto Kazuki" that people are extremely impressed, so that in the next few years, he was almost invited to play the role of a Japanese officer.
He played the Japanese soldier "Yano Takeshi" in "The Big Knife Cuts Off the Devil's Head", transformed into "Itagaki Seiro" in "Prairie Spring Comes Early", and successfully interpreted the wisdom and courage of General "Heimuts" in "Meritorious".
For each character, Lu Peng will go all out to explore the uniqueness of their personalities.
Sometimes, he even needs to figure out the human nature in some extreme situations, such as why is the "Masao Kawaguchi" he played in "On the Songhua River" so brutal? And what kind of motivation and psychology are they based on? Only by finding these answers will he be able to navigate the role more precisely.
Although this unique performance style has won Lu Peng recognition in the industry, it has also brought him a certain degree of limitations. Every time he receives a new script, he will repeatedly study and analyze it, trying to find out the details that distinguish him from his previous roles.
In his acting career, it's not just the issues of character creation that are holding him back. There was a time when some people were jealous that he could still earn extra income by filming during the winter and summer vacations, so they deliberately caused trouble for him on the set.
Well, Lu Peng's loyal fans, let's look forward to his wonderful performances in the future!
Although the road of acting is often tied to the stereotype of "devil professional", Lu Peng has never had the slightest sense of decadence. For him, every image is a new challenge, and it is the sharpening and tempering of superb acting skills.
His movements, intonation, and expressions are carefully crafted day after day, and he is able to bring out those annoying yet vivid villains.
Fifth, overcome obstacles and gain abundant knowledge
With the gradual rise of his career, Lu Peng was not satisfied with this. In 2005, he successfully graduated from Beijing Film Academy with a master's degree, and then stepped into the School of Arts and Media of Beijing Normal University, where he devoted himself to a doctorate degree.
During his studies at Nortel, Lu Peng always remained busy, and at the same time, he did not forget to participate in the filming of many film and television works in his spare time. After entering Beijing Normal University, his life went hand in hand with his studies and performance tasks.
Fortunately, his wife has always been silently behind him, taking on the responsibility of the family and the care of the children.
In 2008, Lu Peng finally won a doctorate and became the most educated actor in Chinese mainland at that time. For him, this degree is not only an affirmation of his hard work in the past, but also a new starting point for the pursuit of a higher level in the future.
In the same year, Lu Peng decided to devote himself to the Shanghai Film Academy of Shanghai University as a professor of acting courses. At first, his tall and powerful figure and sharp and cold eyes made many students feel awe.
However, it didn't take long for Lu Peng's approachable personality and patient and meticulous teaching methods to win the respect and affection of every student present.
He never allowed his students to call him "teacher", but affectionately called him "master". When a student is distracted in class, instead of harshly criticizing, he humorously says, "Look at you, is the pressure too much?" Such light-hearted words skillfully defused the tense atmosphere.
Lu Peng's sense of humor and strong aura quickly made him a popular teacher in the college. In 2011, Lu Peng bid farewell to Shanghai and returned to the School of Media, Film and Television of Jiangsu Normal University to continue his education work.
He is mainly responsible for teaching core courses such as "Face-to-Face Expression" and "Fundamentals of Film and Television Performance" for undergraduates.
As an actor-turned-teacher, Lu Peng has been praised by teachers and students for his rich practical experience and vivid and interesting ways to impart knowledge.
Although he is in a busy entertainment industry and is full of many performance invitations, Lu Peng has never been in a dilemma between his education position and his career as an actor. Teaching and educating people is his sacred mission, and his acting career is the deep foundation that makes him always stick to his original intention.
The two complement each other, and he has devoted himself to it without hesitation, and he has been doing it for several years along the way.
6. Family is the deepest concern in my heart
Lu Peng's hard work comes from his deep love for his family. When he decided to apply for the graduate school of Beijing Film Academy, his wife did not hesitate to give her full support; During his days of studying in a foreign country, his family was always by his side.
Since Lu Peng was successfully admitted to Nortel in 2002, his wife began to cut back on food and clothing, and regularly sent money to him in the capital for daily necessities. Since then, the family has been separated for several years, and the wife has shouldered the responsibility of the family alone.
It wasn't until 2011 that the family of three was finally reunited at Jiangsu Normal University. However, Lu Peng's invitation to perform has not diminished due to family reunions, and he is still on the go for many years, and the time he spends with his family is still numbered.
Therefore, in the rare moment of reunion, Lu Peng cherishes it even more. He would cook the dishes himself; will take full responsibility for all household chores, so that the wife can completely relax; He will also take the initiative to accompany his wife home to visit relatives.
In a sense, he is more committed than ever to running this cozy little home.
The wife saw it in her eyes, and she had mixed tastes. She knew that her husband had to work harder than she could, and that he was on the move day and night just to make ends meet.
In his wife's heart, being able to spend her life hand in hand with Lu Peng is undoubtedly her greatest blessing and glory.
In the early years, with the popularity of anti-Japanese TV dramas, there was an endless stream of performance invitations in the hands of Lu Peng, a "devil professional". However, in recent years, due to many factors, his performance opportunities have decreased significantly, and his income has also been affected accordingly.
However, in 2023, the film "Secret Battle Jungle" starring Lu Peng has officially started filming and successfully completed post-production. This work may bring him new opportunities and lead him to embark on a new journey in life again.
No matter where the future goes, his wife will unswervingly support Lu Peng, just as he did back then, and fully support her to pursue her dreams. The former football player has now become a legendary "devil professional".