Twenty-three-year-old Yang Haoyu stands at the crossroads of his life, holding a seemingly decent job in his hand - responsible for the electrical maintenance of the subway from the new bus station to the People's Square, with a monthly salary of 4,000 yuan.
This income was excellent at the time, 20 times more than the average person. However, watching the trains come and go every day, the daily routine of the masters either drinking tea or reading the newspaper made him feel unwilling to burn a flame in his heart.
"Is this all I have to do in my life?" This question is like a seed that takes root in Yang Haoyu's heart. His gaze inadvertently swept over an advertisement for an acting training class, as if he saw the guidance of fate.
Without thinking, he signed up for a training class of 300 yuan per class with three classes per week, and Yang Haoyu tasted the joy of interpreting other people's lives for the first time. This newfound love made him determined to become a real actor.
However, this decision was strongly opposed by the parents. Faced with the threat of "severing relations", Yang Haoyu resolutely resigned from his stable job and began a long road to exams.
For the first time, he lost in a culture class. The second time, the score in the cultural class was enough, but I fell short in the interview session. But these setbacks did not wear down Yang Haoyu's fighting spirit, but inspired his obsession of "vowing not to give up if he is not admitted to the drama".
On his third attempt, he stayed at a relative's house and worked part-time to make ends meet while struggling to prepare for exams. Finally, after making great efforts, Yang Haoyu was admitted to the Shanghai Theater Academy as he wished, and became classmates with Feng Shaofeng, Tong Dawei, Yan Yikuan, Yang Rong and others.
However, 23-year-old Yang Haoyu is much more mature than his classmates. While the parents of other classmates were still helping to clean up the beds, he was mistaken for the student's parent because of the perennial exposure to the wind and sun.
This unusual maturity became an unexpected obstacle in his path. As he put it: "I am always in an awkward and not embarrassing situation, because I have worked in society and am a person who has been painted, but the teachers prefer their students to be a blank sheet of paper, and what they draw is what they are."
Despite this, Yang Haoyu did not give up on his dream. He firmly believes that as long as he works hard, he will eventually have his own stage. After graduation, Yang Haoyu did not become an instant hit like his classmates.
Feng Shaofeng sits firmly in the position of the male number one with the reputation of "the first student of period dramas", Tong Dawei won the "Most Popular Actor by the Audience" award for "Jade Guanyin", and Yan Yikuan is among the "Four Beauties of the World" list.
Yang Haoyu, on the other hand, can only start from the most basic tricks, with a salary of only 20 yuan a day. However, even a few short steps of footage made his blood boil. Yang Haoyu still clearly remembers how he felt when he first became a trick: "In just a few steps, I walked sweating all over my body, and my blood was boiling.
That time, he played a passerby passing by in the play starring Zhang Fengyi, and he didn't even have a chance to show his whole face, but the excitement just made his blood boil just by thinking about it.
Faced with the doubts and quips of old friends, "How good it would be if I didn't change jobs, now I know how much loss it will be if I don't listen to the old man, right?" Yang Haoyu always maintained an indifferent smile.
What outsiders can't see is that his inner satisfaction and joy are the driving force that supports him to keep moving forward. In the days when there was no drama appointment, Yang Haoyu chose a different path - immersed in the drama stage.
Although some people say that no matter how amazing the stage is, the audience you see is limited, and the performance fee is not high, which is far less cost-effective than showing your face on the big screen. But he firmly believes that this is the best way to polish his acting skills.
"After all, when the opportunity comes, it's really too late to think about working hard." He said. In this way, Yang Haoyu walked step by step from the edge of the stage to the center, became the pillar of the repertory troupe, and won the reputation of "Xiao Geyou" in the drama industry.
His persistence was not in vain, and soon, he was selected by the Art Center for performing a skit to encourage the Chinese women's football team. In 2011, Yang Haoyu ushered in an important turning point in his career.
With the work "I Love Peach Blossoms", he won the Magnolia Award for Best Supporting Actor. This is the most important award in his ten years in the industry, and it also marks that he has finally gained a firm foothold in the entertainment industry.
This award is not only an affirmation of his ten-year perseverance, but also an important milestone in his acting career. The moment he stood on the podium, Yang Haoyu's eyes flashed with tears of relief, he knew that the path he adhered to was right, and this was just a new beginning.
After winning the Magnolia Award, Yang Haoyu's talent was finally seen by more people. In a drama performance, his performance attracted screenwriter Ning Caishen, who was looking for an actor in "Dragon Gate Dart Game".
After the performance, Ning Caishen went directly to the backstage to find Yang Haoyu, and after a brief discussion, Yang Haoyu agreed to play the role of "Uncle Gong". This opportunity became an important turning point in his career, officially opening his path to supporting roles.
Since then, Yang Haoyu has begun to emerge in many well-known works. In "White Deer Plain", he played the role of Mr. Leng, whose surname is colder; In "The Wandering Earth", he interprets a seemingly greedy and fearful of death, but in fact a brave hero He Lianke; In "The Sun Accompanies Me", he became an impressive father of Sheng Yang; In "The Happy Affair of the Lan Boudoir", he created a generation of famous doctors with high morality.
For every role, Yang Haoyu has poured all his heart and soul into it. In "Settle Home", in order to better shape the role, he interned at a real estate agency a few months in advance, striving to perform the role to the fullest.
This serious attitude and excellent performance even made some viewers mistakenly think that he was stealing the limelight from the protagonist. However, Yang Haoyu does not care about these misunderstandings. He has always firmly believed: "There are only small roles, no small actors."
This phrase became his motto and inspired him to give it his all in every role. He knows very well that there is only one male lead in each play, and the camera and lighting will only give priority to the male lead.
But what he can do is focus on his performance, it's not that he can't support the protagonist, but he just lacks a chance to perform. With the wonderful supporting roles presented in front of the audience, Yang Haoyu has gradually become the "golden supporting role" in the hearts of the audience.
This title is reminiscent of Liu Qingyun, Wu Mengda, Yuan Qiongdan, Lin Zicong and others in the Hong Kong entertainment industry, who are also praised for their outstanding supporting performances. Despite Yang's growing fame, he remains low-key.
He doesn't want to create any characters, he doesn't want to be hot, he just wants to stick to his love. This attitude of focusing on the performance itself makes him particularly precious in the impetuous entertainment industry.
Although many times the audience can't call his name, the characters he created are deeply engraved in people's memories, which may be the charm of a truly good actor.
In the entertainment industry, Yang Haoyu is a maverick existence. He doesn't participate in variety shows, doesn't consume popularity, and isn't keen on social media marketing. In an era where traffic speaks, he chose an unusual path - focusing on acting itself.
This low-key attitude allows Yang Haoyu to maintain a unique sense of presence in the hearts of the audience. People often recognize his face, but they can't call his name. Yang Haoyu didn't care about this.
He once told it in a joking tone, with a smile on his face, but attentive viewers could read a trace of sadness in his eyes. However, this sadness did not shake Yang Haoyu's love and persistence in acting.
He knows very well that there is only one male lead in each play, and the camera and lighting always give priority to the protagonist. But that doesn't affect his devotion to each role. He often said: "All I can do is focus on my performance, it's not that I can't support the leading role, it's just that I lack a chance to perform."
This kind of focus and dedication brings each of Yang Haoyu's roles to life. Even if it is a small supporting role, he can leave a deep impression on the audience under his interpretation. His acting style is known as the mainland version of the "golden supporting role", comparable to Hong Kong actors Liu Qingyun, Wu Mengda and others.
However, Yang Haoyu never deliberately created any "treasure actor" character. If he had changed to an agent who could operate and had the means, he would have been labeled as a treasure actor long ago.
But Yang Haoyu chose to silently stick to his love and interpret every role with his heart. In his opinion, a real actor does not need to rely on gimmicks to get attention, but should speak with his work.
This kind of craftsmanship makes Yang Haoyu particularly precious in the impetuous entertainment industry. He used practical actions to interpret what a real actor is, and also set an example for the younger generation.
Although he is not as famous as some traffic stars, Yang Haoyu's acting skills and professionalism have won the universal respect of the industry and the audience. At the age of 47, Yang Haoyu ushered in another peak in his career.
With the role of Tang Zhijun in "Cosmic Exploration Editorial Department", Yang Haoyu was nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Rooster Awards. This nomination is the best praise for his persistence for more than 20 years.
The moment he stood on the podium, Yang Haoyu's eyes flashed with tears. He remembered the anxiety when he gave up his job as an electrician, the countless days of waiting on the set, and the time when he sweated on the drama stage.
All the persistence and dedication paid off in this moment. Although he failed to win the award in the end, Yang Haoyu was already very pleased with this nomination. In this regard, he said indifferently: "It doesn't matter to me here, because every scene I play requires myself according to the standards of that award."
Someday, this effort will be seen. This indifferent attitude makes people see the true colors of an actor who really loves acting. Yang Haoyu doesn't care about the evaluation of the outside world, he only cares about whether he did his best.
This attitude has also earned him wide respect in the entertainment industry. With this nomination, more and more people began to pay attention to Yang Haoyu. His name is no longer a mystery, and his talent is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
Some viewers even think that the entertainment industry owes Yang Haoyu an actor trophy. But in this regard, Yang Haoyu still maintains a humble attitude. He believes that as long as he persists, he will one day get the recognition he deserves.
This belated affirmation has ushered in a new peak in Yang Haoyu's acting career. From the role to the supporting role, and then to the nomination for the actor, Yang Haoyu used his own experience to interpret what is a real acting school.
His story tells us that as long as we stick to our love and keep working hard, there will be a day when we will shine. The nomination of the Golden Rooster Award is not only an affirmation of Yang Haoyu personally, but also an encouragement to all actors who work silently.
It proves that in this entertainment industry, true strength and persistence will eventually be recognized. Today's Yang Haoyu, although he is 47 years old, his enthusiasm for acting has not diminished at all.
With the growth of fame, he has more than 20 years of acting experience, and he is gradually seen and recognized by more people. However, he still maintains a serious attitude towards each role, constantly challenging himself and pushing the boundaries of his acting skills.
Although there are still many viewers who only recognize his face and can't call his name, Yang Haoyu doesn't care about these. He firmly believes that as long as he continues to work hard, more people will eventually recognize the real Yang Haoyu.
As he puts it: "I am always in a situation of embarrassment and non-embarrassment. But it doesn't matter, the important thing is that I love acting and I'm going to keep doing it. On the road ahead, Yang Haoyu will continue his acting journey.
Whether it's the lead or the supporting role, he puts his heart and soul into it. He looked forward to the day when he walked down the street, passers-by would point at him and say, "Look, that's actor Yang Haoyu!" From an electrician to a "golden supporting actor", Yang Haoyu has spent more than 20 years proving that his choice is correct.
His story tells us that as long as we stick to our passions, there will be a day when they will shine. As he said in an interview, this award will be given to you one day, and it doesn't matter if you miss it, because every scene he plays requires himself according to the standards of that award, and one day it will be seen.
I believe that in the near future, Yang Haoyu's name will be known by more people, and his talent will be appreciated by more people. And he will continue to use his own way to interpret what a real actor is and contribute to the Chinese film and television industry.