On the red carpet of the Venice International Film Festival, there was a 73-year-old Chinese lady, who strolled gracefully, causing a frenzy of many media shoots. Lu Zhong was nominated for Best Actress for her outstanding performance in the movie "The Intruder".
What is amazing is that this actor, who stands on the international stage, did not officially embark on the road of film and television until he was 47 years old.
However, what is even more remarkable is that Lu Zhong's family can be called the "art kingdom" of the entertainment industry: her husband is a performing artist who has played Zhenyuan Daxian, her son is a talented director, her daughter-in-law is a shining actress on the screen, and she herself is an old actor who has won the title of national first-class actor.
How did this seemingly ordinary old lady write such a legendary artistic life in the second half of her life?
In 1987, 47-year-old Lu Zhong was faced with a life choice. She has accumulated a wealth of acting experience on the drama stage, but in the face of the ever-changing film and television industry, her heart is full of unease. "Can I really shine on screen?" This question often crossed her mind.
However, years of portraying various characters on stage gave her courage, and eventually she decided to take the brave step.
Lu Zhong's acting skills were quickly recognized by the industry. In the TV series "Who Are You Defending For", she played the heroine who left a deep impression on the audience. Those eyes that have experienced wind and frost but still shine with wisdom, as if they can see through the secrets of people's hearts.
She won the Feitian Award for Outstanding Actress for this role, which is undoubtedly a great encouragement for a newcomer in the film and television industry.
Next, Lu Zhong's performance in the biographical drama "Deng Yingchao and Her Mother" was once again highly praised by the audience and judges. She perfectly blended Deng Yingchao's tenacity and gentleness to create a three-dimensional and real character.
This role won her another Feitian Award for Outstanding Actress, once again proving her strength in the field of film and television.
In 2003, the 63-year-old Lu Zhong ushered in another turning point in her career. In a popular historical drama, she bravely challenged and successfully played the role of Wu Zetian. With his unique aura and delicate acting skills, Lu Zhong successfully interpreted Wu Zetian's "no anger and self-authority" vividly, and won the deep love of the audience.
For a time, Lu Zhong also became a well-known and powerful actor. From the age of 47 to 63, it took Lu Zhong 16 years to gradually grow from an "old newcomer" to a powerful actor loved by the audience. This experience touched her deeply: "As long as you have dreams and passions, age is never an obstacle. "
Her success is not only a personal victory, but also a role model for many middle-aged and elderly people, proving that the excitement of life can bloom at any stage.
Looking back on this hard-won glory, Lu Zhong often sighs: "Although I stepped into the film and television industry later than others, this makes me cherish each character more and work harder to shape each character." ”
Her experience tells us that as long as we persevere and keep our love, we will always have the opportunity to shine on the stage of life.
Lu Zhong was born in 1940 in Baoji, Shaanxi Province, to an ordinary working family. Although the family's economic conditions are not very good, her parents attach great importance to education. At that time, many children had to interrupt their studies due to family financial difficulties, but Lu Zhong's parents insisted on supporting her to continue her education.
What's even more admirable is that they not only encouraged their daughter to pursue knowledge, but also supported her love of acting, which laid the foundation for her later artistic path.
When Lu Zhong was nine years old, the gears of fate turned, and she settled in Beijing with her parents. This ancient capital, full of heritage, is like a living textbook, opening a door to the world of art for Lu Zhong.
Here, she loves to read and has developed a strong interest in acting, painting, sculpture and many other art forms.
As a child, Lu Zhong greedily absorbed the cultural nutrients around her like a sponge, and she was not only diligent in her studies, but also actively participated in the school's literary and artistic activities. Every time she performs on stage, she is excited.
This experience laid a solid foundation for her future acting career.
In 1958, 18-year-old Lu Zhong stood at another turning point in his life. After graduating from high school, she did not hesitate to choose to enter the actor training class of Hebei Drama Theater. Here, she eagerly learns acting skills and lays the foundation for her future acting career.
Lu Zhong recalled: "At that time, we were immersed in the world of performance every day, tired and tired, but our hearts were full of happiness."
After the training, Lu Zhong successfully entered the Hebei Drama Theater with excellent grades and began her career. However, fate favored her again. In order to reunite with Wu Guiling, who eventually became her husband, she was transferred to the Beijing People's Art Theater and became a professional drama actor.
This transfer undoubtedly opened up a broader artistic stage for her.
From Shaanxi to Beijing, Lu Zhong's artistic journey from an ordinary student to a professional actor is full of turning points and opportunities. She often mentioned: "Every step seems to be accidental, but in fact it is the arrangement of fate, and everything has a certainty."
This experience not only exercised her will, but also laid the foundation for her future success in the film and television industry, Lu Zhong's story tells us that as long as we have dreams and maintain love, we can perform wonderful on the stage of life.
The years at the Beijing People's Art Theater were the most valuable accumulation period in Lu Zhong's artistic career. Here, she met the best Chinese theater talents, and honed her acting skills in one drama after another.
She often figured out the characters again and again, and delved into the inner world of the characters, this kind of focus and persistence laid a solid foundation for her future success in the film and television industry.
Lu Zhong once recalled: "In Beijing Renyi, every day is a challenge and a growth. We have to not only act well, but also understand the play, and every rehearsal here is a vivid acting lesson."
In 2000, Lu Zhong, who was over 60 years old, officially retired from Beijing Renyi, but for her, this is not the end, but a new starting point. Devoting himself to the film and television career as if to make up for the lost time in the past.
Lu Zhong said frankly: "Although I am older, I feel that my acting skills are more proficient, and every role is a new attempt, and I want to seize every opportunity."
In "The Right Way in the World is the Vicissitudes of Life", the elderly Premier Zhou Enlai played by Lu Zhong shows the image of a great man full of wisdom, calm and human brilliance. The vicissitudes and perseverance revealed in her eyes are moving.
Lu Zhong said: "Playing such a historical figure requires us to put in more effort, not only to reproduce history, but also to convey the spirit of the characters."
Lu Zhong often said: "The stage gave me the foundation, and the screen gave me wings." This sentence expresses the true meaning of her artistic career. From drama to film and television, she has always maintained her love and dedication to acting.
Even after the age of sixties, she can still inject new life into each character. With the accumulation of works, Lu Zhong has gradually become an "old drama bone" in the minds of the audience. Every time she appears, she can add a lot of points to her work. People often say: "If there is a play in Lu Zhong, it will not be bad." This recognition is the best reward for her years of perseverance.
Lu Zhong's experience tells us that the road of art is never-ending. Regardless of age, as long as you maintain a passion and an attitude to learn, you can continue to move forward on this path and create amazing works.
Behind Lu Zhong's brilliant acting career, he also has a happy family that is the envy of Europe and the United States. Her husband, Wu Guiling, is also a performance artist who is loved by the audience.
In the well-known CCTV version of "Journey to the West", Wu Guiling played the role of the director full of majesty Zhenyuan Daxian, and his mighty figure is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
At the same time, he also successfully interpreted Huang Gai in the epic masterpiece "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and his acting skills were unanimously praised by the audience, the couple's common pursuit of art, adding a unique color to their relationship.
It is very interesting that the fate of Lu Zhong and Wu Guiling can be traced back to their childhood. They were classmates in elementary school, but separated after graduation. The ingenious arrangement of fate makes them meet again in a theatrical performance many years later.
They knew each other because of their common artistic pursuits, and finally walked into the palace of marriage hand in hand, Lu Zhongchang sighed: "It is the greatest happiness in life to be able to spend a life with someone who understands you and supports you, we are not only husband and wife, but also each other's bosom friends and partners."
The artist couple's excellent genes seem to have been passed on to their children as well. The next generation of Wu Bing is not only a talented director, screenwriter, and producer, but also has made his mark in academia as an associate professor at the university.
Wu Bing inherited his parents' love for art and made great achievements in the field of film and television, and his mother, Lu Zhong, always had pride in her eyes when she talked about her son: "I am very pleased to see him continue to explore the path of art, he not only inherited our career, but also sowed the seeds of art in the field of education."
What's even more surprising is that Lu Zhong's daughter-in-law He Lin is a well-known and actress-level actor in the circle. He Lin has won many film and television awards with many excellent works, and has been highly praised, and is really a leader among the new generation of actors.
Lu Zhong often sighed: "Seeing my daughter-in-law's performance on the screen, I seem to see myself when I was young, and her success has made our art family more complete."
However, the Lu family's life did not revolve solely around art. Her daughter chose a different path and chose to become a researcher. This pride in her professional achievements makes Lu Zhong very gratified, and she often says: "Everyone should follow their hearts and find their own stage in life."
Although my daughter did not choose art, I am equally proud of her achievements in the field of science."
The family is like a small "art kingdom", and the whole family environment is full of art. Families are supportive, energetic and motivated, each striving for excellence in their own fields.
Lu Zhong often sighed: "It is my greatest happiness to be able to move forward on the road of art with my family, we are not only my family, but also each other's audience and critics, and this relationship has gained more inspiration and growth through art and life."
In 2022, at the age of 82, Lu Zhong won the Lifetime Achievement TV Artist Award from the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles on the podium of the Golden Eagle Award, which is the highest praise for her outstanding achievements in her artistic career and an affirmation of her unremitting pursuit of art over the years.
Standing in the spotlight, Lu Zhong looked back on his 82-year life journey and couldn't help but have mixed feelings. She has grown from an unknown drama actor to a well-known film and television star; From the 47-year-old actor known as the "old newcomer", he has grown into an international movie star who stood on the red carpet of the Venice Film Festival at the age of 73.
Along the way, there were laughter and tears, but more importantly, there was perseverance and love for art.
Lu Zhong's husband, Wu Guiling, passed away in 2016 due to illness, leaving her deeply saddened. However, in the company of her children and her love for art, she gradually came out of the haze. Today, although Lu Zhong no longer appears frequently on the screen, she still maintains her love for life and art.
She actively participates in public welfare activities, providing guidance to young actors, and passing on her own experience.
Looking back on the past years, Lu Zhong often said with deep satisfaction: "Life is like a wonderful drama with ups and downs and laughter and tears." The most valuable thing is that I have always held on to my dream and I have been lucky enough to make it a reality."
The 82-year-old artist has used his life to confirm the true meaning of the famous saying "live to be old, learn to be old", and at the same time show the infinite charm of art and the value of life. Her legendary experience will undoubtedly inspire more people to pursue their dreams and continue to shine in the Chinese film and television industry.