A scene sets off the emperor Hu Ge as a young newcomer, this is You Benchang.
In the TV series "Flowers", a poor boy named Po is so ambitious that he finds his grandfather's good friend, his uncle, and asks him for advice. But his uncle did not teach him immediately. Instead, he set up many obstacles for him to test his character and ability.
Audiences who have watched the play may not have expected that the 90-year-old Yau Ben-chang plays the role of a philistine businessman who speaks in a strong voice and lives in the vanity fair.
After all, in everyone's impression, they are used to seeing You Benchang playing eminent monks and outsiders, but the public has ignored that he has never been a special actor. Gods, eminent monks, pedantic scholars and even villains are all at his fingertips.
Some viewers said that Uncle Ye’s advice to Ah Bao to buy stocks gave him a sense of familiarity with Jigong’s advice to Song Dengge to enter an official career. But if you think carefully, you will find that Jigong has great love, but his uncle does not have such a compassionate heart.
Po spent all his money to rent a room in the Peace Hotel, which was his first test. Borrowing 6,000 yuan in one day was the second test. Losing half of your principal when buying stocks is the third test. Buying stocks again and making big profits without running away is the fourth test.
Po seems to be getting help from his uncle, but in fact he is stepping into his uncle's trap step by step. As long as A Bao's popularity and character are not up to standard, his uncle will abandon him without hesitation, and A Bao will lose all his money.
The complexity of the role of Uncle Grandpa does not lie in his planning, but in that he has been in the Vanity Fair for many years, and the calculation of interests has long been integrated into his bones. However, both the audience and Po will only be grateful to him.
Abao changed his appearance and put on a suit. When his uncle looked at him, his eyes were full of memories and emotions. One shot seemed to let the audience watch a person's life. He is obviously a philistine businessman, but he gives people a sense of compassion. This kind of look can only be performed by You Benchang.
At this moment, my uncle saw in A Bao his high-spirited self when he was young. It was also at this moment that his uncle decided to seriously teach this poor boy how to do business.
can have such acting skills, it has to remind people of You Benchang's real-life experience.
Perhaps it was destiny that You Benchang became associated with Buddha very early. At the age of 6, You Benchang, who was born in Jiangsu, was sent by his parents to become a disciple at Fazang Temple in Shanghai. From then on, Buddha had a different meaning in his heart.
When he grew up, You Benchang was engaged in the acting career. He first entered the Nanjing Art Troupe and then went to the theater to study. However, his career was very bumpy. He worked hard for 30 years and played 79 supporting roles, but he was still unknown.
In the troupe, You Benchang never actively fights for roles. Other actors pick the remaining roles, which are You Benchang's. This kind of non-competition and non-competition character has made him steady on the road to acting, and also caused him to lose many opportunities to become famous.
When he was young, he had thick eyebrows and big eyes, which was in line with the aesthetics of that era. If he had been more proactive, he might have become a popular niche long ago. But if You Benchang takes fame and fortune too seriously, he might lose a classic role.
In 1985, news of the casting of the TV series "Ji Gong" came, and You Benchang was very excited. He had heard countless storytelling about Jigong and admired this living Buddha who helped the poor and those in need, and wanted to star in it.
But the news in the newspaper that Yan Shun was starring as Jigong made him retreat. You Benchang has an easy-going personality and does not want to compete with others, let alone compete with students for roles.
It wasn't until director Zhang Ge came to invite him personally that You Benchang knew that Yan Shun was starring in a different version, so he cleared up his grudge and accepted the role. The most classic Jigong in the history of Chinese TV dramas was born.
You Benchang combined historical materials and storytelling to perfectly interpret the crazy and loving Jigong. But many people don't know that in the first two episodes broadcast, the audience did not approve of Jigong played by You Benchang and thought he was not crazy enough.
You Benchang thought for a long time about how to express Jigong's madness. Until one day, after getting up at four o'clock to put on makeup, You Benchang fell asleep in a daze, and the director suddenly wanted to start filming.
You Benchang didn't have time to put on his shoes, so he ran out slovenly. As he ran, he realized.The suspended footsteps and blurred eyes, isn't this the crazy Jigong? Since then, Jigong played by You Benchang has become a classic on the screen.
After the Li Mansion was burned down, the half-crying, half-laughing look on Jigong's face not only became a teaching material for acting schools, but also made countless viewers shed tears. At that moment, You Benchang was Jigong, and he was completely integrated into the character.
Countless actors have played Jigong, but the one most recognized by the audience is always You Benchang. But after he became famous, he fell silent for a long time and did not appear in front of the screen. Why is this?
In 1991, his wife Yang Huihua was diagnosed with cancer. At this time, You Benchang, who was still preparing "Ji Gong's Travels", thought carefully about it and decisively gave up his career and chose to return to his family to take care of his wife.
Huang Tian paid off. Four years later, his wife successfully fought cancer, and You Benchang was able to concentrate on his acting career again.
But no one expected that You Benchang, who had an indissoluble bond with "Jigong", would eventually become a monk at the age of 76, and his legal name was Dingchang. This is unexpected and reasonable.
Now 90 years old, You Benchang has limited legs and feet and needs to use a wheelchair when traveling. However, he is still active in the entertainment industry, always practicing the concept of "leading people's hearts through literature and art" and always serving the audience.
Regarding acting, he did his best regardless of his physical discomfort. He set an example for the younger generation and explained how a good actor should act.
When filming "Flowers", he was so emotional that he couldn't act for a long time and couldn't control his tears; in "Young Song Xing", he changed the line "temporarily" to "for a while" and "the rest of the way" to "The road ahead" impressed the on-site staff; despite his advanced age, he still insisted on moving and tried his best to cooperate with the filming.
Such a simple and dedicated attitude is worth learning from today's impetuous entertainment industry. We refer to those dedicated actors as capable and veteran actors, but Mr. You Benchang is an artist who truly lives for acting.
When You Benchang took the stage to receive the award in the "2023 TV Series Quality Ceremony", everyone from celebrities to employees stood up to express their respect. The 90-year-old actor, who has worked hard for acting all his life, was cleanly dressed, stood upright on the stage regardless of his body, and regarded glory as a burden.
For other celebrities, winning awards is a kind of recognition, but for You Benchang, the recognition from the audience and the industry makes him have higher requirements for himself.
As a performing artist, he uses the role of "Jigong" to educate the world, always adheres to the artistic ethics of an actor, and is worthy of the name of an artist.
