Photo丨Wang Guangmei
Foreword
On October 21, 2006 at 9:00 am, the memorial service for Comrade Wang Guangmei was held at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery. When
paid tribute at the scene, Guo Fazeng had another scene of getting along with Wang Guangmei in his mind. Tears could not stop flowing down, and he said in a choked voice: During the filming of
in 2000, he took Wang Lao to sing karaoke. The old sonorous voice seemed to be echoing in his ears all the time.
Who played Liu Shaoqi, Wang Guangmei did not express his opinion
In 1984, Wang Baohua, director of Beijing TV Studio, received a letter.
said in the letter that the script about Comrade Liu Shaoqi has been written and the funds have been secured. I would like to ask you to come forward and work with the team to make this TV series.
Wang Baohua couldn't help laughing when he looked at Zheng Ming, the name of the person who wrote the letter. What's going on? It turns out that Zheng Ming is an entrepreneur. He once had a relationship with Wang Baohua. The two chatted happily and left each other's address and phone number!
In the spring of 1984, Wang Baohua traveled by train for work. On the train, I met Zheng Ming, an entrepreneur, who was very good at talking about mountains. From Tiannan to Dibei, Wang Baohua was willing to chat with him when he was bored. In the process of chatting, the two talked about the current film and television dramas.
Photo丨Gu Yue plays Chairman Mao's stills
Zheng Ming said: "In the TV series I have watched, there are Chairman Mao, Premier Zhou, Chen Yi, He Long, etc., but Liu Shaoqi is not seen. If you want to make a TV series, what conditions do you need? ?"
Wang Baohua told him after listening: "You have to have three sons, a book, a ticket, and a team. In the popular sense, the script, funds, and the film crew."
Zheng Ming nodded after hearing this: "Brother, you are doing What kind of work, how do you know so clearly?" After
learned that Wang Baohua was the director, Zheng Ming was very happy: "Please tell me your address and phone number, and if you have the opportunity, you can cooperate with me."
Wang Baohua didn't think too much. , and gave him his contact information.
Photo丨Wang Baohua
Originally, Wang Baohua thought that Zheng Ming said that the cooperation in the future was polite, but he did not expect that Zheng Ming would really put it into action.
Zheng Ming, after returning to Mudanjiang , asked someone to write a TV script: "Hurry up and write about Liu Shaoqi's early years in the Northeast, and I'll find money to make it into a TV series."
After the script was written, Zheng Ming Ming then found the leaders of and in Mudanjiang City and told them about his ideas. The city leaders also agreed with them, so they agreed to invest 100,000 yuan from the city. It was after all these preparations were made that the scene in the previous article appeared. After receiving the script sent by Zheng Ming, Wang Baohua of
carefully read it many times and revised it. Wang Baohua decided to make this script into a four-episode TV series, but the funds of 100,000 yuan were a little tight. When
faced the lack of funds, Zheng Ming said that I would try to find a way. Finally, they found Anshan Iron and Steel Company to pull investment. After learning of their intention, Anshan Iron and Steel Company was also very generous and gave them 250,000 yuan. shooting funds.
Photo丨Comrade Shaoqi in the Northeast Poster
That's it, the script is ready, the funds are prepared, and the shooting team is set up, but there is still a key problem that needs to be solved urgently: has not yet found the protagonist of Liu Shaoqi!
As a director, Wang Baohua is well aware of the importance of the protagonist, so he said to the two assistant directors: "One is in charge of finding actors who play other roles, and the other is looking for actors who are suitable for the role of "Liu Shaoqi". Let go. Look, you must find the most suitable one, even if this person is in the United States, you must bring him back!"
has exactly this order from the director. I searched all over, and I invited a dozen of them to look at them, but the director said that they were not satisfactory after reading them. There was no other way, the assistant director had to keep running to find the actors. On the other side of
, Wang Baohua was not idle, and asked his friends in the circle to see if he had any recommendations.Perhaps it was the emperor who paid off and let Wang Baohua find it. One day, Wang Baohua's friend called him and said: "When I was filming in Guangxi, I saw a person who looked like Liu Shaoqi and knew how to act. This person is Guo Fazeng, who seems to be from the Guangxi Repertory Theatre."
Figure 丨 Guo Fazeng
Wang Baohua was very excited after hearing the news, and he bought a plane ticket to Guangxi overnight. To make sure, Wang Baohua called his classmates in the Guangxi Repertory Theatre overnight to inquire about Guo Fazeng's situation. When
learned that the other party was filming in Beijing, Wang Baohua immediately notified the assistant director, and he would take the other party to the Beijing TV Studio.
Wang Baohua couldn't help sighing after seeing Guo Fazeng: "It's so similar!" However, Wang Baohua couldn't guarantee Guo Fazeng's ticket, this role must be played by you: " is an unusual role, I said it alone It doesn't count, you have to get the opinion of Comrade Wang Guangmei. There are five or six candidates in total, you are the most like one, wait for the final result."
Photo丨Guo Fa once played Liu Shaoqi stills
However, when Guo Fa was about to leave, Wang Baohua He said to him: "Comrade Liu Shaoqi was in difficult conditions in the Northeast, and he lost a lot of weight. If you really want to play this role, you need to lose weight." The most important opportunity in the world, after returning home, Guo Fazeng practiced hard. When Wang Baohua saw him again, he was taken aback: "How did you do it, so thin, you're not sick?"
Guo Fazeng replied: "No, you see my weight now matches the character in the play Image."
Wang Baohua nodded.
Although Guo Fazeng's actions moved Wang Baohua very much, it also changed the rules that he and other candidates would try to play in the arena and submit for trial. After Guo Fazeng auditioned, the videotape was sent up along with the other candidates, and they passed one level after another. In the end, Wang Baohua brought six videos to Comrade Wang Guangmei's house and asked her to review.
Wang Guangmei didn't say anything after watching the video of the six-person audition. But this made Wang Baohua so anxious that he couldn't help asking: "Look, who is more suitable for them to play Comrade Liu Shaoqi?" I have chosen several, and you must have your own ideas. Whichever you think is better, you can play it."
Wang Baohua blurted out: "The second one is better, Guo Fazeng has passed the test in both appearance and acting skills!"
Wang Guangmei was still noncommittal, He just said: "I believe you will find the most suitable one. To do the job of the unsuccessful candidates, they are very enthusiastic and come from other places."
Wang Baohua nodded, and finally confirmed Guo Fazeng.
Wang Guangmei: Fa Zeng can drink, bring wine
After Guo Fa Zeng came to the crew, Wang Baohua did not start filming immediately, but said to him: "If you want to play this role well, you must approach and understand him so that you can perform That kind of feeling!"
Guo Fazeng thought very much about Wang Baohua's statement, so he spent a few months to get to know Liu Shaoqi. He often stayed in the library or archives all day to read materials, or visited Zeng in the Comrade Liu Shaoqi has worked next to him.
Although Guo Fazeng looks very similar to Comrade Liu Shaoqi, he did not get to know him in detail. It was with the understanding of him in the past few months that Guo Fazeng also had a clearer understanding of Comrade Liu Shaoqi in his mind.
Photo丨Guo Fazeng as Liu Shaoqi Stills
Guo Fazeng himself is an actor from a professional college. In addition, he has deepened his understanding of Liu Shaoqi. After the filming started, he performed very well and basically did not encounter too many difficulties. During the filming of "Comrade Shaoqi in the Northeast", Guo Fa once met Wang Guangmei for the first time. As soon as they met, Wang Guangmei asked him: "I heard that I have lost a lot of weight on a diet, so be careful about your body!"
Guo Fa Zeng nodded and said It's okay, and by the way, let's talk about the situation of the crew. entireThe filming progress of the crew is very good, and it is expected that the filming of this TV series will be completed by the end of the year.
Sure enough, at the end of the year, the first Liu Shaoqi TV series was filmed. However, if this type of TV series wants to be released to a national audience, it needs to be reviewed by the relevant departments. For this reason, the Beijing TV Studio handed over the filmed TV series to the Municipal Party Committee for review. Therefore, there was a joint review of the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Radio and Television, and the Central Literature Research Office of . After watching this TV series, no one said a word, instead they were thinking about something. Finally, the staff of the Central Literature Research Office said: "We have seen this script before, and the content of the film is as true as the script." :
I've seen many movies and TV shows about underground workers. The underground party members in it go in and out of bars and dance halls, accompanied by beautiful women. What's the matter? The film "Comrade Shaoqi in the Northeast" shows the hardships and dangers of the underground struggle very accurately. After
commented on the film, he commented on the actor Guo Fa in the play: "The actor who plays Liu Shaoqi is lovable and credible, and it is rare!" audience friends. After the filming of
"Comrade Shaoqi in the Northeast", Guo Fazeng sent a set of videos to Wang Guangmei. In the future, Guo Fa once filmed Liu Shaoqi's TV series and Wang Guangmei's videotapes. So what is Wang Guangmei's attitude after Guo Fa once played Liu Shaoqi's debut?
recognized Guo Fazeng's Comrade Liu Shaoqi and Wang Guangmei, and the two became good friends. Sometimes, when Guo Fazeng went to visit Wang Guangmei, he happened to meet her home for dinner, and Guo Fazeng stayed there to "eat" the meal. Wang Guangmei was also very happy, so she said to the nanny: "Aunt Zhao, Fa Zeng is a drinker, bring the good wine that we keep in our house!" What is Guo Fazeng's attitude?
In the days that followed, Guo Fa was an actor, and it was hard to have time to spare. Many directors and TV stations approached him one after another and said, "We will also shoot Liu Shaoqi's film there, and we will definitely invite you to play it."
Indeed, Guo Fa has played Liu Shaoqi in dozens of films and TV later. Accumulated a lot of experience. However, among the special actors at that time, the most famous was not Guo Fazeng, but Wang Tiecheng , Gu Yue and others.
Of course, in terms of character shaping, Liu Shaoqi does not have Chen Yi's wit and forthrightness, nor Chairman Mao's humorous, unrestrained, and without the edges and corners of his character, it is difficult to act in a play. Many of Guo Fazeng's friends also saw this problem, so they said to him: "In the movies now, Liu Shaoqi is a supporting role who walks around holding a cigarette holder and inserts a few words. If you want to impress the masses, you must In order to have the emotional impact that can impress today's audience, you lack a good book and a good director."
Photo丨Guo Fazeng said in his later years
about his friends, Guo Fazeng recognized it in his heart, but this kind of thing is impossible to find, only I can deal with the work at hand first, and then think about other things. After years of honing
, Guo Fazeng's acting skills have become more and more superb. In 1992, a director named Zhang Jinbiao approached him, and the Xiaoxiang Film Studio wanted to shoot China's first movie "44 Days of Liu Shaoqi" with Liu Shaoqi as the protagonist, and asked him to star.
Guo Fa once saw the script and immediately decided that this was the script he was looking for, and agreed at that time.
In 1992, Guo Fazeng, a special actor who played Liu Shaoqi, in order to play "Liu Shaoqi's Forty-Four Days", in addition to consulting documents, he also asked Liu Shaoqi's wife Wang Guangmei to listen to her opinions. Wang Guangmei, who was still in fashion, later gave Guo Fazeng the clothes Liu Shaoqi wore during his lifetime.
picture丨Guo Fazeng's old photo
is Guo FaZeng's dedication made him show superb acting skills in the play, and this film has also become Guo Fazeng's representative work!