The entertainment industry in 2024 is really turbulent. You see, the 90-year-old Mr. You Benchang, in the hit drama "Flowers" directed by Wong Kar-wai, his acting skills, figure, and dialogue are simply the "three uniques"! Netizens gave him overwhelming praise, saying that this is the true "old artist style".
Think about it, if Liu Xiaolingtong was not so greedy, maybe we can see his wonderful performance in this drama. But what about reality? It can only be said that Liu Xiaolingtong chose another path, and Teacher You Benchang used his strength to give everyone a good "acting lesson".
Looking at You Benchang's grace on the screen, many viewers were muttering in their hearts: Liu Xiaolingtong, Liu Xiaolingtong, if you could learn half of what Teacher You did, you wouldn't be like this now, right? It's a pity that there are no ifs in life, only results.
From a bit player to an honorary artist, You Benchang’s acting career
In the ocean of acting, You Benchang is like a ship that keeps moving forward. After going through wind and waves, it finally sails to the other side of honor. At the age of 90, he is still active on the screen. Every time he appears, it seems to be a perfect interpretation of the character, which directly touches people's hearts.
Audiences have been flooded with praise for You Benchang, but they may not know that this veteran artist's acting career has not been smooth sailing.
You Benchang was admitted to the Shanghai Theater Academy when he was young, with his love and dream for an acting career. He studied hard in college and his grades were always among the best.
After graduation, he was assigned to work at the Central Experimental Theater. He thought he would be able to flourish here, but because his personality was too Buddhist, he was unwilling to compete with others for resources, let alone curry favor with the leaders, which led to him being stuck in the theater. Not reused.
However, You Benchang did not give up. He firmly believes that as long as he creates a character with care, he will be seen one day. Therefore, during his 29-year supporting career, he worked quietly and carefully created 79 small characters. These characters may only have a brief scene on the screen, but each one embodies the hard work and sweat of You Benchang.
Finally one day, You Benchang’s persistence and hard work paid off. He won the China TV Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor for his superb acting skills in the TV series "Ji Gong".
Since then, his acting career has been advancing rapidly. Not only has he achieved remarkable results in the field of film and television, but he has also won the title of "Lifetime Honorary Artist" from the National Theater of China in the field of drama.
The king of pantomime on the Spring Festival Gala, the legend of Jigong on the screen
Do you still remember You Benchang, who made the audience laugh with just 4 minutes of pantomime performance on the Spring Festival Gala in 1984? His performance was like a bolt of lightning that cut through the silent night sky, making people's eyes bright. Later, he became a household name with his movie "Ji Gong".
The eight months of filming "Ji Gong" were both challenges and hardships for You Benchang. At that time, he would get up before dawn every morning, put on Jigong's outfit, and prepare to start the day's shooting.
In days like this, many people may have given up long ago, but You Benchang persisted. He said: "I love acting and art. As long as there is a camera pointed at me, I will have endless energy."
During the filming of "Ji Gong", You Benchang's professionalism was even more awe-inspiring. There was a scene where he was required to eat meat, but the weather was too hot and the meat spoiled quickly.
In order not to delay the filming progress, You Benchang picked up the smelly meat and gnawed it without hesitation, pretending to enjoy it. As soon as the shot was finished, he quickly ran to the side to vomit. There are countless such examples in You Benchang's shooting career.
Another time, when filming the scene where "Ji Gong" was hit with a board in the Yamen, in order to get the extras into the mood and achieve realistic effects, the 52-year-old You Benchang actually asked for a real beating.
As a result, this scene took 12 takes to complete, and You Benchang was beaten so hard that he couldn't even stand up.But he said with a smile: "As long as the audience can see the most realistic picture, it is worth it no matter how hard it is." You Benchang is such a person. He uses his actions to explain what a real actor is.
The delicate balance between artistic pursuit and role
You Benchang An old pine with deep roots in the soil. No matter how windy or rainy it is, I will remain unmoved. He never regards his status as an actor as a tool to make money, and he even disdains using his fame to make quick money. Because deep down in You Benchang’s heart, art is life, faith, and a sacred pursuit for which one can sacrifice everything.
However, You Benchang also has his own uniqueness. In the role, he devoted himself wholeheartedly and created one vivid character after another; but outside the role, he was able to quickly withdraw from the role and was not trapped by any image. He often said: "I can devote myself to art, but I can never fall in love with myself in art." These words are like a mirror, reflecting the inner swings and struggles of many of his colleagues.
Among them, six-year-old children are a clear example. He became a household name for his role as "Monkey King" in the 1987 version of "Journey to the West", and his superb acting skills are still talked about by the audience today. But after becoming famous, the six-year-old boy seemed to be gradually tied to the role of "Sun Wukong" and found it difficult to let go.
Of course, the artistic achievements of six-year-old children are also obvious to all. He was born into a family of monkey opera, and he has been exposed to monkey opera since he was a child. Family tradition and personal efforts have allowed him to reach the pinnacle of monkey opera. After joining the Kunqu Opera Troupe, he felt at home like a fish in water. It wasn't until he met Yang Jie, the director of "Journey to the West", that his life trajectory changed dramatically.
During the six years of filming "Journey to the West", the six-year-old children became integrated with the characters and experienced countless hardships and challenges. But when the filming is over, how should he say goodbye to "Monkey King"? This seems to be a problem. Because for six-year-olds, "Sun Wukong" is not just a character, but also a part of his life.
The life and death battle behind Wukong: the indissoluble bond between the six-year-old boy and the character
The filming conditions for "Journey to the West" back then were extremely difficult, with limited technology and tight funding. In such an environment, every time a six-year-old boy fights in the sky or on the ground, he is fighting with his life.
The fur on his body is thick, and he is sweating profusely in the hot summer; in the cold wind of winter, he grits his teeth and persists. And all of this is just to present the smart and true Monkey King style of "Sun Wukong".
The "monkey" nature of martial arts movements requires children under the age of six to not only look similar in appearance, but also look similar in spirit. Every roll and every jump must be completed by him personally, because what the camera captures is his irreplaceable smart eyes and unique temperament. Such a request made Liu Xiaolingtong suffer a lot during the filming process, but he never complained.
However, the real test of life and death was in the scene with the "Red Boy". In order to restore the plot in the original work, the six-year-old boy needs to be burned by the shamisen fire. The crew painted the outside of his armor with napalm and lined it with asbestos clothing for protection. But such protective measures seem so crude and dangerous today.
When the shooting started, the flames instantly swallowed up the six-year-old child. His good looks and eyelashes disappeared in the firelight, and his screams of pain echoed around the set.
At that moment, everyone was sweating for him. Fortunately, the rescue was timely and he regained his life from the hands of death. But this experience has become an eternal pain in his heart.
The efforts of the six-year-old children were not in vain. After "Journey to the West" was broadcast, the image of "Sun Wukong" became deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and became an unsurpassed classic.
But at the same time, Liu Xiaolingtong seems to be integrated with this character, making it difficult to separate. His life is filled with the shadow of "Sun Wukong", as if this character has become a part of his life.
From "Monkey King" to "Lone Walker": Different Life Paths
When the spotlight goes out, in reality, six-year-old children gradually embark on a path different from what everyone expects.
Perhaps being carried away by the applause and expectations of the audience, the six-year-old boy began to regard himself as the incarnation of Sun Wukong and scorned other versions of "Sun Wukong". Does the "Monkey King" in Stephen Chow's "Westward Journey" fall in love? That is simply "not distinguishing between men and monsters, and confusing right and wrong." Not only did he angrily criticize this image in public, he even asked Stephen Chow to apologize to the people of the country.
Six-year-old children's "Sun Wukong" complex seems to be getting deeper and deeper. He held thousands of "Classics on Campus" events, using Stephen Chow's "Monkey King" as a negative teaching material; when a game company launched a game with the theme of Monkey King, he angrily took it to court, believing that it insulted "Monkey King" "image of.
But all this is not enough. Liu Xiaolingtong even started with the original work of "Journey to the West", deleted it, revised it and published it as a book. His photo is printed on the cover of the book.
Netizens joked: "For those who don't know, I thought "Journey to the West" was written by a six-year-old boy." What's even more outrageous is that he actually erected his own sculpture in the former residence of Wu Cheng'en, the author of "Journey to the West". This act attracted widespread attention from society and was criticized by CCTV.
Unlike Liu Xiaolingtong, after You Benchang created the classic "Jigong" role, he chose to withdraw from the role and try more possibilities. He maintains a humble attitude. Even when asked about the role of "Jigong" when participating in the show, he is always cautious, fearing that his body shape changes will desecrate the role.
The two artists’ different attitudes towards the classic characters they created also determine the polarization of their reputations. You Benchang has become an old artist with both virtue and art. At the age of 90, he can still cooperate with famous directors like Wong Kar-Wai. However, as a six-year-old boy, his reputation has suffered due to being too involved in the drama and being stubborn, and he has cooperated with very few directors. Not much.
Both Virtue and Art and Troubles in His Late Years
In the starry sky of performing arts, You Benchang and Liu Xiaolingtong were once the brightest stars, and the characters they created have become unsurpassed classics. But they have completely different life situations.
Teacher You Benchang, just like the aged wine, the more you taste it, the more flavorful it becomes. Not only is he superb in acting, he is also highly respected. In the entertainment industry, he is a breath of fresh air, always so humble and low-key. Whenever he is mentioned, people will give a thumbs up and praise: "This is the real artist!" And his artistic career, like his person, will last forever.
On the other hand, teacher Liu Xiaolingtong, well, it’s hard to describe in one sentence. He was once very prosperous, but in his later years he was in constant turmoil. Some say he is too high-profile, others say he is not broad-minded enough. Controversy was like a dark cloud hanging over his head, making his later life a little more heavy.
The different endings of these two actors are really disappointing. At the same time, it also sounded a wake-up call to the entertainment industry. You see, in the actor's profession, acting skills alone are not enough, you must also have virtue. If your moral character is not up to par and your mind is not broad enough, you are destined to not go far.
