In the splendid acting career of movie star Pan Hong, who is nearly 70 years old, she has only performed in a handful of dramas. The last time she played Fanyi was in the star version of the drama "Thunderstorm" 20 years ago. This time, in the second season of the drama "Flowers" written by Wen Fangyi and directed by Ma Junfeng, she played the role of Mr. Li, who is blind in his twilight years, and can be called the most amazing role in the play. In a scene of only twenty minutes, her vivid and coherent performance not only played out the life of a woman, but also the background of a city and the desolation of an era.
I originally thought that Pan Hong, who has played many aloof and temperamental characters, would be relatively aloof in life. Unexpectedly, she was very calm, humble, and approachable. During an exclusive interview, she spoke freely, revealing her deep feelings for the character, art, and the audience.
Stills of "Flowers 2"
Teacher Li is a rare animal
At the hour and a half of each performance of the second season of the drama "Flowers", an old bed with a shabby embroidered curtain will appear on the dimly lit stage. Sitting next to her is an old lady with gray hair wearing gray clothes and a plain shawl. She is Pan Hong, the actor who plays Teacher Li. The powerful aura of the character deeply attracts every audience.
Teacher Li is a blind old woman who lives alone in an old French-style apartment on Fuxing Middle Road. The bad weather and shabby tents in the house silently tell of her downfall. She has experienced too many joys and sorrows. Her husband was an underground worker but died before "dawn". She is alone, and her biggest wish is to be reunited with her husband and friend Mr. Ouyang in the underworld after her death, wandering on the road and drinking sweet wine, just like before. The "good news" Abao brought her was that "Mr. Ouyang is not dead", which plunged her into deeper helplessness and despair. Facing the last audience in her life, Abao, she lamented in Wu Nong's soft language: "How embarrassing it is to be a human being! Who will continue the phoenix flute when the peach blossoms are there?"
Pan Hong's 20-minute long monologue is extremely full of emotion and layered. It is delicate and rich, and the emotional parts have the rhythm of Yue opera singing, which is shocking. At the end, she shouted "Abao~ Goodbye!" When she left the stage, the audience burst into warm and touching applause. This time, applause was given not only to Pan Hong, but also to her character, Teacher Li.
"Every time I hear applause, I feel an indescribable gratitude in my heart. In this space, I walk into them again and again and communicate with them." Pan Hong was still full of emotions when being interviewed by reporters. Said: "Teacher Li told Ah Bao about his life, and I regarded the audience as Ah Bao. We are each other's listeners, and we both want to be each other. The audience gave me all the confidence, and this is A new life, a new understanding. "
"Flowers 2" stills
When most people think of Pan Hong, they think of her big talking eyes, but director Ma Junfeng wrote this in the novel "Flowers". When Teacher Li's white hair trembled, he suddenly thought of asking Pan Hong to play the blind woman. In Pan Hong's view, this "trembling white hair" is actually a symbol of a generation. "They have gone from youth to old age, and then to the end of life. They have no children, and what is left is only their noble souls." and the remaining memories."
Pan Hong has a "noble temperament" that is not overwhelmed by any era, and she often gives this rare quality to the roles she plays. Even though the character Teacher Li is blind, has difficulty moving, and is lonely, he still has the character of a spiritual aristocrat. She said: "I think Teacher Li is a rare animal, also like a big tree, with rings after rings, filled with all the hardships and experiences in life, as well as her happiness and youth. Age is very important for For her, it is something that can be shown off. I even think that she has never aged. She is immortal, and the thickness of this city is recorded in her. "And Pan Hong himself is not such a person who can use age as a symbol. A "rare animal" to show off.
I was lucky to meet director Ma Junfeng
In fact, at first, Pan Hong refused to star in the second season of the drama "Flowers".She had read the original novel a long time ago and felt that it was very full of fireworks. The various characters, scenes, dialogues and details were all written with great quality. "I like the cultural atmosphere and context in this novel, because I am from Shanghai and I deeply love this land, so when I see many memories of my youth recorded in it, I am very excited and feel particularly cordial. "But Pan Hong also believes that "Flowers" is difficult to adapt into a stage play because it is too complicated! There are more than 100 characters, which are fragments of all living beings. Moreover, "silence" is the real protagonist of this work. How to perform it on the stage? Therefore, when director Ma Junfeng sent Pan Hong an invitation, she did not agree.
However, Pan Hong is also very curious about how Ma Junfeng will put "Flowers" on the theatrical stage. So, she secretly bought a ticket and went to watch the first season of the drama "Flowers". "After watching it, I was a little dumbfounded. I was completely shocked by its form! I think it is difficult for a director to dominate such a complex space, but Director Ma did it. It is so rare! He made every move on stage possible. The actors have dug a "channel" to let their lives and emotions flow out naturally in the transition between the 1970s and the 1990s. I think this is the talent of the young director, which gives me great confidence. "
After watching the performance that night, Pan Hong and director Ma Junfeng chatted in the VIP room of the theater until two o'clock in the morning, but she still had not decided to star in the second season of "Flowers". Pan Hong said frankly that in the first season of "Flowers", they had basically eaten up all the "hard dishes" in the original work. In the second season, only "tangtangshuishui" was left. How to meet the audience's expectations? The character of Teacher Li has very little space in the book and is just a foil. Even if it is deleted, it will not affect the plot, so Pan Hong still resists: "At my age, there is no need to take risks and do things that are not worth it."
Ma Junfeng did not avoid any of the questions raised by Pan Hong, but had an in-depth discussion with her in a very sincere and frank manner, and finally impressed the very cautious Pan Hong. "His sincerity and talent impressed me and won my trust." In Pan Hong's view, Teacher Li's monologue can also be processed into a shouting or accusation. "But the director has always asked me to break my own framework. You need to be stronger on the inside and softer on the outside, so that the audience can feel it." Director Ma Junfeng also asked Pan Hong to try to speak certain lines in a "broken voice" way to achieve a stronger appeal.
Director Ma Junfeng (left) and Pan Hong (right) in the rehearsal hall
Every time they rehearse, Ma Junfeng will constantly communicate with Pan Hong about the details of the performance. During formal performances, Ma Junfeng would stand by the side curtain and watch Pan Hong every time she took the stage. When Pan Hong finished his performance, he would immediately look for Ma Junfeng's eyes. "When I saw the director nodding at me to express his satisfaction, I felt at ease. Because he understands me and I understand him. This kind of tacit understanding is so rare!" Pan Hong said with a smile: "But the director has never let me go, or the role of Teacher Li. Until now, he is still fine-tuning my performance after every performance. He feels that there is still progress." Space.”
When she is not acting, Pan Hong leads a very regular life. Get up at around 7 o'clock every day, eat three vegetarian meals on time, do not watch TV dramas or play with mobile phones, read books, and go to bed at around 10 o'clock in the evening. But during the period of acting in plays, she would go to the theater at four or five o'clock in the afternoon, change her clothes and put on makeup. At 9 p.m., it was time for her to go on stage. During this time, she would sometimes wander outside the backstage door to breathe fresh air, and sometimes walk to the side curtains of the stage to watch the performances of other actors. "There are several scenes that I like very much. I really admire Director Ma Junfeng's talent and skill. He has a good sense of the proportions of each character."
As long as the heart is strong, you can be happy every day
The end of each performance Afterwards, Pan Hong returned to the dressing room backstage, took off her silver hair cover, tied her black hair back casually, put on a light casual outfit, and put on a baseball cap. She didn't look like a senior at all. A person in his seventies.There were many fans around the door of the backstage. She patiently signed autographs for each of them in the drizzle and greeted everyone like an old friend. She had no airs of being a celebrity at all.
Many of these fans have been following Pan Hong for many years, and the parents of some young viewers are also fans of Pan Hong. They came from all over the country, and some even bought tickets to watch many shows. Pan Hong was particularly touched: "A generation of audiences will eliminate a generation of actors, but fortunately, these audiences will never leave me, just like family." ." She felt sorry for the fans who spent too much money to buy tickets for many shows, and also paid for some audience members to watch the show. "They are all ordinary migrant workers who live very frugally, but they spend the money they save to see you, an old lady on stage. How can you not treat them from the bottom of your heart?"
"Flowers 2" stills
Graduation Pan Hong, who studied at the Shanghai Theater Academy, has a strong preference for stage performances. Whether it is a drama or an opera, she often goes to see it: "As long as it is a stage, I like it. I would like to be a loyal audience in the theater."
Compared with the different roles she has played in movies, Pan Hong admitted that in recent years, TV dramas have mostly approached her with the same roles as mother-in-law and mother, and she was a little helpless about this: "Every family's trivial matters are different, but this There are some similarities in the creation of similar themes, and there are many restrictions. I have yet to see an elderly character who is particularly novel and can completely empathize with the audience. "
Pan Hong doesn't take many roles now, and he is very selective in his scripts. In a unique state. She said: "Every choice in life cannot be without cost. In other words, your life experience is destined to be determined by your life status. I don't think I have to obey many things, and I don't need to care about others. Admit it or not, as long as you live confidently and have a strong heart, you can be happy every day." She said that she is very happy now.
Photo courtesy of the crew
