Text: Science Explorer
Editor|Popular Science Explorer
On the morning of June 25, in the East Auditorium of Beijing Babaoshan Funeral Home, the farewell ceremony of the body of the famous performing artist Wang Tiecheng was held. , an actor who is famous for playing "Premier Zhou", took a curtain call on the stage of his life at the age of 88, leaving countless memories and touches.
The scene was star-studded, and many celebrities in the literary and artistic circles came to bid farewell to this artist who was both virtuous and artistic. But the most striking thing is that Wang Tiecheng's family - his son Wang Weiping appeared hobbling with the help of others, and his wife Yan Lili cried into tears. This scene moved everyone present.
Wang Tiecheng's life is not only a wonderful history of acting, but also a touching family legend. Let's take a look back at the life trajectory of this great artist and his admirable fatherly love.
From playing tricks to playing Premier Zhou
Wang Tiecheng was born in Beijing in 1936 to a wealthy family. When he was a child, he lived in a hutong full of Peking Opera atmosphere, and he fell in love with theater. When he was 14 years old, he was taught by the famous Peking Opera artist Xi Xiaobo and studied Peking Opera for more than 3 years.
However, the turning point in his life came in 1961. That year, he was admitted to the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama. After graduating, 29-year-old Wang Tiecheng was assigned to the China Children's Art Theater. can imagine how embarrassing it is for adults to act in children's dramas, he can only play tricks, playing trees, telephone poles, and occasionally playing policemen without lines.
In his early years, Wang Tiecheng
Until 1977, 41-year-old Wang Tiecheng ushered in a turning point in his life. He played Zhou Enlai in the drama "Turning Point" and was successful. Subsequently, he played Premier Zhou in the movie "The River Flows". Since then, Wang Tiecheng has embarked on the road of playing Premier Zhou's special actor.
In film and television works such as "Li Siguang", "Jinling Night", "Xi'an Incident", "Zhongshan under the Wind and Rain", "Zhou Enlai" and other film and television works, the image of Premier Zhou created by Wang Tiecheng is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. In 1992, he won the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor and the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actor for the movie "Zhou Enlai", becoming a well-deserved "Prime Minister of Screen Week".
However, what few people know is that behind Wang Tiecheng's brilliant acting career, there is also a poignant family story.
Mentally handicapped son: Wang Tiecheng's lifelong concern
In 1967, 31-year-old Wang Tiecheng married Yan Lili, who was two years younger than him. Yan Lili was born in a scholarly family, and her father is the famous composer Yan Shushi. The marriage between the two seems to be happy, but fate plays a cruel joke on them.
In December 1970, their son Wang Weiping was born. However, it didn't take long for them to realize that something was wrong with the child. After a hospital examination, Wang Weiping was diagnosed with congenital intellectual disability.
In the face of this thunderbolt on a sunny day, many people persuaded Wang Tiecheng and his wife to give up the child. However, they chose to persevere. Wang Tiecheng said: "The child is the flesh and blood of Lily and me, and we have to raise him. Yan Lili also said: "A child is also a life, how can I bear to let him fend for himself?" "
In order to treat their son's illness, Wang Tiecheng and his wife exhausted their savings. However, there is no cure for congenital intellectual disability. The only thing they can do is to treat other diseases caused by the source of the disease and give more love to their son.
In order to take care of their son, Wang Tiecheng and Yan Lili paid unimaginable hard work. They taught their son to take care of himself, taught him to beat the gongs in Peking Opera, taught him to play the piano, and even taught him to ride a battery car. Wang Tiecheng also once introduced his son to play tricks in 3 TV series, allowing him to experience the life of an actor.
As he grew older, Wang Tiecheng became more and more worried about his son's future. He often shed tears and felt sorry for his son. At the end of his life, he was still telling his daughter to take care of her brother.
In his later years, Wang Tiecheng and his wife Yan Lili
Funeral scene: grief and respect coexist
At the funeral on June 25, an atmosphere of sadness enveloped the entire auditorium. At the entrance of the East Auditorium, there were already relatives and friends waiting to enter to mourn. Even people with inconvenient legs and feet came to the scene on crutches, which shows Wang Tiecheng's status in people's hearts.
The interior of the auditorium is solemn, and Wang Tiecheng's posthumous photo adopts his most well-known image. Wreaths sent by many celebrities were placed on both sides, including Liu Xiaolingtong, Tang Guoqiang, Liu Jin, Hou Yaohua, Pu Cunxin, Lu Qi, Han Meilin and others.
The most striking thing is the wreath sent by Wang Tiecheng's wife Yan Lili and son Wang Weiping. Yan Lili's elegiac couplet wrote: "Love is a companion in the same boat through thick and thin, and the two worlds are separated by Sauvignon Blanc, which makes you love your wife for a lifetime."
Wang Weiping's elegy is: "The grace of a loving father, the love is as deep as the sea, so that you can care about your son for a lifetime." These words of sincerity moved everyone present.
Wang Weiping appeared with the support of the two, hanging his head, looking very painful. Yan Lili had already cried into tears, and she seemed to be unable to help herself in the face of the comfort of relatives and friends. It is heartbreaking for this couple, who have been together all their lives, to be separated forever at this moment.
A number of friends in the circle came to see them off, including Ma Weidu, Pu Cunxin, Lu Qi, Shu Yaoxuan and others. In an interview with the media, they expressed their respect and condolences to Wang Tiecheng.
Ma Weidu mentioned in the interview that few people can do Wang Tiecheng's dedication to his family and patience with his son. He bluntly said that Wang Tiecheng's personality as a father is even greater than that of an actor.
Shu Yaoxuan mentioned that Wang Tiecheng was his mentor, and they had a teacher-student friendship of 50 years. He said frankly that without Wang Tiecheng, there would be no him today.
These words all reflect the dual greatness of Wang Tiecheng as an artist and a person.
Wang Tiecheng: A perfect interpretation of art and life
Looking back on Wang Tiecheng's life, we see not only an outstanding artist, but also a great father and husband.
As an actor, Wang Tiecheng has created an unforgettable image of "Prime Minister of the Screen Week" with his deep understanding of the role and superb acting skills. He once said: "If I don't play Premier Zhou, I'm nothing, and the greatest happiness in my life is that I play this role." This sentence expresses his love and awe for art.
However, Wang Tiecheng's greatness is not only reflected on the stage, but also in life. Faced with his son with congenital intellectual disability, he did not choose to give up, but took care of him with a lifetime of time and love. Even in the last moments of his life, he was most concerned about his son's future.
Wang Tiecheng's wife, Yan Lili, is also admirable. For the sake of her family, she went to Hong Kong to work for 6 years, enduring the pain of separation from her husband and children. After returning to China, she and her husband worked hard for their son unimaginable.
At Wang Tiecheng's funeral, we see not only a tribute to an artist, but also a nostalgia for a great father and husband. He spent his life interpreting what true art is and what true love is.
Forever "Premier Zhou", forever a good father
Wang Tiecheng's departure is not only a huge loss to the Chinese entertainment industry, but also an irreparable pain for his family. However, what he left behind is not only a classic image on the screen, but also a touching story of a father's selfless dedication.
He once said: "Act seriously and be innocent." He not only practiced this sentence on the stage, but also persisted in life for a lifetime.
Now, 88-year-old Wang Tiecheng has completed his life journey. In Heaven, he may have relieved himself of all his burdens and no longer has to worry about his son's future.
And we will always remember this eternal "Premier Zhou", this eternal good father.