From the up-and-coming pantomime "Shower", to the world-famous "Jigong", to the popular period drama "Flowers", performance artist You Benchang has always been able to create characters with distinctive characteristics of the times, and has become popular for almost half a century.
But behind this, it is a normal heart that advocates "laughing at life", which makes You Benchang the "longest river" in the entertainment industry.
His performance is like a cup of aged bamboo leaf green tea, and its taste becomes more mellow with time.
You Benchang's acting career is a true portrayal of ordinary heart.
Before playing "Jigong", he was 52 years old and played 79 small roles in the Central Experimental Theater, which is equivalent to running for almost 30 years.
It was certainly an arduous journey, he said.
But he has always maintained his love for art, interpreting each role with a high level of professionalism, and has accumulated rich performance experience and the ability to deeply understand the role in the process.
This kind of cultivation that maintains a normal mind between ups and downs actually began to accompany You Benchang very early.
In the early stages of his acting career, he knew that he was not a very popular "Gao Daquan" type of actor at the time, so he derided himself as a "condiment actor" - not a delicacies such as big fish and meat, but he could also find his own place through "condiment" roles such as green onions, coriander, and star anise.
Every role, he completes it with heart and polishes it carefully.
This made him gradually improve his acting skills in an era when many people were swarming to chase fame and fortune. For example, in the drama "One Servant and Two Masters", he plays two roles by himself, and it is a tragedy and a comedy.
's early dull acting career, although it did not pave a Avenue of Stars for You Benchang, it also quietly opened another window for him.
His pantomime began to make its mark.
In the 80s of the last century, You Benchang participated in the CCTV Spring Festival Gala three times, and attracted the attention of the entertainment industry because of his wonderful performance in the pantomime "Shower".
The classic role of "Jigong" was finally played by him.
This drama has triggered the effect of thousands of empty alleys. You Benchang almost starred in his true colors, and interpreted Jigong's free and easy image vividly.
As Jigong, he became famous all over the world, but You Benchang's ordinary heart has not changed.
He said in the large-scale cultural talk show "On the Ordinary Heart" jointly launched by Bamboo Leaf Green Tea and Xinhuanet that it is necessary to look at the present from the scale of a lifetime, "the scenery should be long-term", and continue to move forward towards the future, which is an important attitude towards life.
In the 20 years since "Jigong", You Benchang's selection of various film contracts or roles has been rather lacking than excessive.
Because he has always believed that art can touch people's hearts, stimulate people's emotions, and guide people's thoughts, he wants to "guide people's hearts with literature and art".
This also made him return to the "ordinary" from the limelight.
The gap is not easy for everyone to deal with.
Especially for a performing artist like him, who regards the stage as the love of his life, the days without performances and the ups and downs in it are even more indescribable.
But the more moments like this, the kind of insight and ordinary heart that You Benchang is full of in his heart can help him cross one artistic mountain after another.
He said in "On the Ordinary Heart": "It is normal to have difficulties, which successful person has not encountered difficulties? ”
So during the period after playing "Jigong", he did not let himself be idle, but went to appreciate various art forms such as opera and opera, and used his studies to accumulate strength.
He even took his family to Sarah Brightman's concert.
This is an artist's attitude towards learning.
He said: "In this life, you have to live and learn and work until you are old, and you will definitely be happy in the end." ”
This makes his life more chic than Jigong, and it is a real "big hidden in the city".
The new stage also kept beckoning to him.
At the age of 77, he also filmed "Sword Laughter" and "Sword Rain".
At the age of 90, through the play "Prosperous", he has become an all-knowing "uncle" who can always play a key role at critical moments that young people want now.
This sweeping monk-like soul character makes You Benchang shine in the whole play.
In You Benchang's view, taking over the play "Prosperous" itself is a kind of "Taoism and Nature".
At the beginning, the crew of "Flowers" wanted to invite You Benchang to play the role of uncle, and the kind of professional attitude engraved in his bones made the whole process of cooperation between the two sides seem to be a matter of course.
Normally, as a performing artist, You Benchang usually posts a video for auditions.
But You Benchang attaches great importance to this drama and wants to communicate face-to-face.
He was ready to spend his own money and make a special trip to Shanghai to exchange scripts and characters.
Coincidentally, an organization just invited You Benchang to Shanghai to participate in an event at this time.
You Benchang said that this is the opportunity, this is the fate. "God bless the good, let it be, and it will be able to reach it."
In the face of the popularity of "Prosperous", You Benchang is still the same ordinary heart and the same transparency.
At the age of 90, he met "Prosperous" and Wong Kar-wai, but You Benchang said that he had never met late.
"What's the use of hating late? It's never too late."
When Wong Kar-wai praised him for "acting in the back of his head", he also felt how happy he was when he heard it, "I am always in the middle of the play".
Therefore, he believes that art can touch people's hearts, stimulate people's emotions, and guide people's thoughts.
His career and life are a perfect interpretation of the concept of "guiding people's hearts with literature and art".
This also allows him to convey culture and values through art.
You Benchang believes that good literary and artistic works can meet people's different needs, they can be the peak of a tome, or they can be short, flat and fast, and the common point is that they must have the characteristics of sincerity, sincerity, kindness, goodwill, beauty and beauty.
So in his eyes, there is no such thing as a so-called "dragon set".
Among the dozens of "dragon suit" roles played by You Benchang, many characters have neither names nor lines.
For example, one of the Russian serf characters, his role is only a dozen seconds, but he read 19 translations for this purpose, and completely understands Russian serfdom.
And he also firmly believes that literary and artistic works should be made for the sake of doing things and making up for the world. "Preferably 'milk' that [provides] nutrients, or at least 'plain water' that quenches thirst."
This is the background color of You Benchang as a performing artist - he is not only strategic, but also knows the subtleties, and can switch freely between entering and being born with a normal heart.
The countless classic roles he has created on the stage are also like the flavors of tea, long and timeless.
In countless moments when "there is no end in sight", he embraces every bump in life and every magnificent wave with a normal heart.
"Ordinary heart" is also one of the essences of tea culture. As Tang Xianhong, chairman of Zhuye Green Tea Industry, said: "Ordinary heart, like tea buds, whether in the mountains or between cups, there is the resilience and patience of ups and downs." ”
Have a normal heart and do extraordinary things - this is You Benchang.
As the third guest of the large-scale cultural interview "On the Ordinary Heart" jointly launched by Zhuye Qingcha and Xinhuanet, You Benchang used seventy or eighty roles he interpreted to show a philosophy of life that reaches the view of nature - the heart is not old, and people are not old. People are not old, and they are happy.