When it comes to actor Ju Xingmao, many people shake their heads and say they don’t recognize him.
But when it comes to the dice in the hit drama "Tie Lihua", viewers who like period dramas will say "acted really well" .
can be mentioned as the director of the online drama series "Soul Ferry" and the fifth son in the drama, Taotie.
I am afraid that people who have been online will exclaim "It turns out to be him" !
From his first filming to becoming a director of blockbuster dramas, it has been a journey of 24 years.
After successfully transforming into a director, he still kept a low profile. He earned hundreds of millions in 7 years, married a beautiful young wife who was 15 years younger, and gave birth to a son to complete his family.
In the bustling entertainment industry, Ju Xingmao can be said to be "obscure".
It was only when I suddenly looked back that I realized that from a poor boy, who was still extremely ugly, to now, the journey has been bumpy but has been paved with flowers everywhere.
What has he experienced in these years?
01 A child star made his debut and went to Beijing alone and experienced hardships
In 1981, Ju Xingmao was born in an ordinary family in Zuoquan County, Jinzhong City, Shaanxi Province.
Ju Xingmao, like most boys, was fair and tender when he was young, with a tiger-like head and a tiger-like brain. His appearance was in line with the traditional Chinese aesthetic of "big fat boy".
After he entered elementary school, God played a joke.
Not only has the man become thinner and his skin darker, his chin has also become shorter just as his teeth are changing, and the new teeth are uneven when they grow out.
, especially his two front teeth are extremely protruding. Friends around him often laugh at him, and even say that he looks like a mouse .
Maybe God also thinks the joke is too much.
So when Ju Xingmao was 9 years old, he gave him a special gift.
In 1990, the movie "Bloody Morning" directed by Li Shaohong went to Zuoquan County, Shanxi Province for filming.
At that time, there was still a child to play the leading role of the student named "Satisfaction", so Li Shaohong decided to look for it on the spot.
This character doesn’t have many roles, but his unintentional prank is the key to promoting the development of the plot.
Ju Xingmao, who is a "crooked melon and cracked jujube", stood among the children, especially eye-catching.
At that time, he was wearing shabby clothes and looked rustic, but his small round eyes were clear and innocent, full of cleverness and mischief.
Director Li Shaohong immediately decided to cast him in the role of "Satisfaction".
Ju Xingmao almost acted in his true colors, the filming was successfully completed, and he was praised by everyone on the crew.
A child who was used to being ridiculed received so much praise all of a sudden. Coupled with the novel experience brought by making a movie, the seeds of becoming an actor were planted in Ju Xingmao's heart.
Three years later, the film crew of "Bombing Two Lanterns" directed by He Ping came to Shanxi, forty or fifty kilometers away from Zuoquan County, Ju Xingmao's hometown.
After hearing the news, Ju Xingmao was extremely excited and ran to the crew to recommend himself, hoping to get another chance to perform.
It happened that the crew was recruiting extras. Ju Xingmao's initiative and acting experience won him the second film and television role in his life, "Brother Dou".
Two successful experiences strengthened Ju Xingmao's determination to become an actor.
He heard that there were more acting opportunities in Beijing, so after graduating from junior high school, he went to Beijing alone with his courage.
However, God did not favor him this time.
Ju Xingmao, like countless Beipiao, goes to the crew for interviews every day, hoping to get a chance to play a small role.
The difference is that because of his ugly appearance, he received more rejections than others.
In desperation, Ju Xingmao began to pay attention to Harlequin’s information.
Although he doesn’t like to be criticized for his appearance, he has to bow his head for the sake of his livelihood.
After all, there are very few film and television dramas that require clowns. Seeing that this road was not going to work, Ju Xingmao began to look for another way.
dreams of being an actor but has no scenes to film. His growling stomach reminds him every day that survival is the top priority.
Later, Ju Xingmao figured out a curved path to save the country that combined ideals and reality: went to the film crew to apply for a handyman job.
In this way, you can not only get lunch from the crew, but also get close contact with the career you long for.
Ju Xingmao, who was good at things and willing to endure hardships, began to stay on the crew permanently, and gradually became a familiar face on the crew, and occasionally got some roles.
Opportunities often come quietly in the struggle of never giving up.
02Meet a noble person, and emerge in film and television dramas
In 2000, Huang Jianzhong's version of "The Swordsman" started filming, and Ju Xingmao got his first important role in his life - Peach Shixian, the sixth brother of the Six Immortals of Peach Valley.
Although Ju Xingmao is middle-aged in the play, he is dressed as a child: a sky-high braid tied by a red hair rope, a pair of eye-catching buck teeth like a rabbit, and round little eyes that always turn around. .
He speaks in a shrill voice with a slight stutter. He always picks up on his brothers' comments and is often teased by them for no apparent reason. He is almost always funny.
Ju Xingmao not only had a lot of lines and a lot of scenes in the play, but he also met Guo Jingyu, a nobleman in his acting career, outside the play.
Around 2000, Guo Jingyu was still a small assistant next to a great director. Perhaps it was his similar experience of being a North Drifter that made him particularly interested in Ju Xingmao.
In 2004, Guo Jingyu directed the TV series "I'm Not a Hero". He arranged for Ju Xingmao to play the role of "Lai Zi", who makes a living by picking up scraps.
is also a small supporting role. This time Ju Xingmao plays almost the entire movie alone opposite protagonist Sun Honglei .
Sun Honglei had already become a first-line star with hit dramas such as "Like Fog, Like Rain and Like Wind" and "Conquer".
Ju Xingmao acted in front of Sun Honglei, but he didn't show any timidity at all.
The two met for the first time at a garbage recycling yard. Lai Zi, played by Ju Xingmao, heard that the policeman played by Sun Honglei came to see him. He thought he had made some mistake and hid like a mouse seeing a cat.
The moment he was caught by Sun Honglei, Ju Xingmao felt guilty and cowardly, and was trembling with fear. When he heard that he was just assisting in the investigation, he suddenly became arrogant.
Later, he helped the police search for clues, and became brothers with Sun Honglei, showing his closeness. The different states of
's character when he appeared several times were perfectly handled by Ju Xingmao, and his solid acting skills made director Guo Jing feel completely at ease with him.
From then on, Ju Xingmao continued to play supporting roles in Guo Jingyu's dramas, and his roles became more and more important.
In 2010, the TV series "Tie Li Hua" hit the airwaves, and Ju Xingmao also ushered in the most important role in his acting career - the guardian of the female lead Chen Shu and the elder of the beggar gang, "Xi Zi".
Sezi was impoverished, but he was affectionate, loyal, and resourceful. He became sworn brother to Tielihua when she was at her lowest, fought for her through life and death many times, and finally accompanied Tielihua into the wilderness. The passionate character design of
, coupled with the contrast between Ju Xingmao and Chen Shu, one black and one white, one ugly and one beautiful, added a lot of highlights to the TV series, and also made the audience remember this strange-looking "little follower" ".
As an actor, Ju Xingmao’s acting skills are simple and natural, down-to-earth and able to steal the show.
Guo Jingyu once gave many leading actors a "warning": "Don't underestimate Satisfaction (Ju Xingmao's stage name). He is so good at stealing scenes that many celebrities are helpless after working with him."
Actor Chen Shuye I have said that in the first scene with Ju Xingmao in "Tie Li Hua", he was "disrespected" during the performance.
In the play, after Tie Lihua and Se Zi met for the first time, Se Zi followed Tie Lihua all the way but was afraid of being discovered.
As soon as Tie Lihua turned around, the dice retreated to a tree behind her, pretending to be itching on the tree, as if nothing had happened.
This improvisation made the on-site filming crew burst out laughing, and was eventually included in the feature film.
"Tie Li Hua" triggered a ratings frenzy as soon as it was aired, with the highest ratings exceeding 14. It still maintains an 8.0 rating on Douban.
The role of "Size" finally made Ju Xingmao famous among TV drama viewers. When walking on the street, someone would call him: "Brother Size, come and take a photo with us.""
03 Starlight dimmed, but the transformation director broke into a new world
Ju Xingmao has worked hard for 20 years since his first appearance in the movie, and finally let the national audience see him.
The success of "Tie Lihua" made Ju Xingmao Mao tasted the sweetness of being famous and seemed to see the end of his acting career.
His appearance was like a shackle, trapping him in a supporting role, and he was destined to miss the leading role.
His appearance was given by his parents. , no one can change it.
But the path of acting is chosen by oneself. Where should he go next?
When he was confused, it was Guo Jingyu who pointed out another path for him: to transform into a director.
An actor cannot interpret a role well. It's easy, but it's even more difficult to guide more people to interpret the characters well and integrate them into a wonderful story.
Director is trying to challenge this difficult situation.
Faced with the sincere suggestions of the master, Ju Xingmao followed suit. Starting from scratch on the set with Guo Jingyu, he learned how to become a qualified director.
Behind-the-scenes work is complicated and hard, but in the eyes of Ju Xingmao, who has suffered enough in life, it is the best way to continue his acting dream. A way out.
He continued to accumulate directing experience in the crew, and also went to the Central Academy of Drama to study directing to make up for his shortcomings in cultural theory.
In 2012, a legendary drama of the era "Dog Stick" was born, Ju Xingmao's. His name appeared in the director's column for the first time, and he was nominated for the Magnolia Award for Best Director.
This time he is no longer a minor supporting actor in the cast list, but truly stands at the center of the stage.
Despite the ups and downs on the road to being an actor, Ju Xingmao's path as a director seems to be going extremely smoothly.
The online drama "Soul Ferry", which started airing in 2014, has no star support, a rough acting style, and a crude set.
Ju Xingmao is stunned. It was shot with the delicacy and texture of a big-budget drama. The online views of
in three seasons exceeded 4.5 billion. Ten years later, fans of the drama still left messages on the director’s social platform to urge for updates.
Ju Xingmao also won the first award.
He later switched to film and television dramas with the main theme, and his dramas such as "The Most Beautiful Youth" and "The Most Beautiful Retrograde" were popular on CCTV
Among them, "The Most Beautiful Youth" also won the award. Nominated for the "Feitian Award" for Best Director, as an official award in the film and television drama category, Ju Xingmao's directorial talents have received authoritative recognition.
Behind the shining honor, there are meticulous rigors and unbearable hardships for ordinary people.
At the beginning of the second season of "Soul Ferry", Zhao Li was knocked down by a mysterious force.
Ju Xingmao said that they found more than a dozen angles of the source of the mysterious power. The entire crew filmed repeatedly against the cold wind at the beach late at night, just to maximize the sense of suspense.
When filming "The Most Beautiful Youth", the crew went deep into deserts, snowy areas, plateaus and other places for filming.
That winter, the temperature in the Arctic was minus 28 degrees Celsius, and the temperature where the crew was located reached minus 30 degrees Celsius. For safety reasons, the producer of
’s exploration team suggested that some scenes could be shot in the studio first and then synthesized later.
As a director, Ju Xingmao adjusted the shooting plan according to the temperature changes and insisted on leading the crew to shoot on location.
’s ingenuity finally paid off with a satisfactory answer. This drama won the "Feitian Award" for Outstanding TV Drama.
With the rapid development of his career, Ju Xingmao also ushered in an emotional spring.
In August 2022, Ju Xingmao and his wife Meng Jiaxin held a wedding in their hometown of Shanxi. It is said that Meng Jiaxin is 15 years younger than Ju Xingmao.
Meng Jiaxin's facial features are exquisite, gentle and dignified. The huge contrast in appearance between the two has aroused many doubts from the outside world.
But the two were not afraid of rumors and lived a low-key life. The birth of their son made this small family perfect.
Under Meng Jiaxin’s maternity photos, a pregnancy and childbirth coach left a message:
“I can observe that the husband hides his love, care, and expectations in humorous ridicule and jokes.”
On Valentine’s Day this year, Meng Jiaxin was on social media A photo of him riding a white horse was posted on the platform, with the text "Riding a white horse will take you to meet the person you want to see" .
also specifically mentioned Ju Xingmao, which shows the warmth and sweetness between the two.
04
At the wedding scene of Ju Xingmao, his friend and famous actor Yang Zhigang came to the stage to deliver a speech.
Yang Zhigang said that Ju Xingmao did not have hundreds of millions in cash as uploaded on the Internet, but he did have a house, a car, a registered permanent residence in Beijing, and a group of brothers who were like family members.
In the star-studded entertainment circle, Ju Xingmao's achievements may not be dazzling.
But he worked hard quietly with his dreams in mind, dared to try and took the opportunities given by God, and he has reached a height that many people cannot reach.
Someone said: "The meaning of life is not to have a good hand, but to play a bad hand well."
Ju Xingmao has set an example with more than 40 years of life.
the end
pay attention and let’s maintain world peace together!
