In a corner of a small city, in a humble braised meat shop, a middle-aged man is busy serving customers. His eyes are tired, his face is wrinkled, and he speaks of the vicissitudes of time.
However, what is surprising is that this unknown hawker turned out to be Wang Bozhao, the actor of "White Dragon Horse" who once made the national audience fall in love with him.
In the past, his outstanding performance in "Journey to the West" made him famous overnight, and the scenery was infinite. Today, however, the former screen darling is living on the streets. From the peak of his acting career to this, what thrilling changes has Wang Bozhao's life experienced? What is the reason why this "white dragon horse", who was once dominant in the entertainment industry, was finally lost in the fog of reality?
In 2004, for 44-year-old Wang Bozhao, it should have been the beginning of the second spring of his career. However, fate played a cruel joke on him this year. On the filming site of the TV series "Little Fish and Flowers", an unexpected conflict completely changed the trajectory of his life.
On that day, the atmosphere on the set was unusually dreary. Wang Bozhao and young actors Nicholas Tse and Zhang Weijian are filming a fight scene full of strong gunpowder. Perhaps because of the age difference, or perhaps some unknown contradiction, the relationship between the three has always been in a subtle state of tension.
Suddenly, the fight in the play turned into a real beating, Nicholas Tse and Zhang Weijian seemed to lose control, and their fists and kicks rained down on the unsuspecting Wang Bozhao, knocking him to the ground.
The incident deteriorated dramatically, and Wang Bozhao was scarred and had to be taken to the hospital. This incident caused an uproar in the entertainment industry, and rumors spread everywhere. Some people speculate that Wang Bozhao's misbehavior angered the young people, while others believe that Nicholas Tse and Zhang Weijian bullied the weak.
No matter what the truth is, this turmoil has brought a lingering shadow to Wang Bozhao's acting career.
In the following year or so, the lawsuit dragged on and public opinion flew out. Although the three finally reached a settlement, Nicholas Tse and Zhang Weijian also went to the hospital with condolences to visit, but how can the embarrassment and pain be smoothed out by the superficial reconciliation?
This accident brought a major turning point in Wang Bozhao's acting career. Since then, he has received fewer and fewer invitations to play, and those former glories seem to have become an unattainable dream.
The conflict not only took a toll on his body, but also deeply stabbed his self-esteem and confidence.
Wang Bozhao began to question his place and future in the industry. He has to face a cruel reality: in this fast-changing entertainment industry, an accident can ruin the reputation and status accumulated over the years.
As time passed, the shadow of this incident always hung over him, becoming a psychological burden that he could not get rid of, and it also became the beginning of his career to a low point.
When recalling the time that had passed, a complicated look flashed in Wang Bozhao's eyes. At the age of 21, with his love for acting, he was admitted to the Performance Department of Shanghai Theater Academy with excellent results.
At that time, he was in his prime, peerless, like a strong horse, eager to try, looking forward to galloping in the vast world of acting career.
After graduating from university, Wang Bozhao soon ushered in his first major opportunity. He starred in his first work "Love in the Pen", although this play did not make him famous in one fell swoop, but it strengthened his determination to continue to pursue his acting dream.
The role that really made him famous in one fell swoop was the one he was reluctant to accept for the first time - the "White Dragon Horse" in "Journey to the West".
In 1986, preparations for "Journey to the West" were in full swing. Director Yang Jie tried his best to let Wang Bozhao play the role of "White Dragon Horse". She visited her many times, and even invited her with a lot of money.
In the face of the director's sincerity and enthusiasm, Wang Bozhao finally accepted this challenge, but he did not expect that this decision completely changed the trajectory of his life.
"Journey to the West" was first released and immediately set off a craze across the country. Wang Bozhao's "White Dragon Horse" has a dusty temperament, graceful and gentle, and the charm of his gestures makes the audience fascinated, and it quickly became popular in an instant.
Since then, his name has spread all over the country, and during the time he became a household name, wherever he went, he caused a commotion, and the enthusiasm of his fans made him both excited and a little overwhelmed.
However, when his career was in full swing, Wang Bozhao made an unexpected decision - to leave the screen and study in the United States with his wife Yin Xin. In a foreign country, the former star had to face a very different life.
In order to make ends meet, he had to work as a cleaner and dishwasher, and during those days, he often thought alone in the middle of the night, reminiscing about the glory days of the country and thinking about the direction of the future.
Fortunately, God did not abandon him, and Wang Bozhao won the favor of the famous director Ang Lee with his superb acting skills. He had the privilege of participating in Ang Lee's film "Pushing Hands", which made him famous in the American film industry and gave him the motivation to continue chasing his acting dreams.
When looking back on that experience, Wang Bozhao has both nostalgia for the past glory and emotion for the ups and downs of life. At that time, he probably never imagined that he would experience such ups and downs in his life.
From obscurity to overnight fame to struggling to survive in a foreign land, each step has become an indispensable experience in his life's journey, shaping his character, enriching his experience, and planting the seeds for his future setbacks.
Wang Bozhao's love life is as full of twists and turns as his acting career. His first marriage originated from a chance encounter with Yin Xin. After the two met on set, they quickly fell in love and got married and started a family.
However, the sweetness of the newlywed Yan'er did not last long, and the contradiction between career and family gradually emerged.
In the following years, such situations were repeated between Yin Xin and Wang Bozhao. Yin Xin experienced several more pregnancies, and each time Wang Bozhao was full of expectations, looking forward to the arrival of a new life, but Yin Xin always refused on the grounds of career and insisted on putting his career first.
It wasn't until the sixth pregnancy that the two finally agreed to welcome a new life, however, fate played tricks on them again, and the child had to give up because it was underdeveloped.
The blow caused great damage to both husband and wife. What's worse is that Yin Xin's body was severely damaged due to multiple miscarriages, and it will be difficult to get pregnant again in the future. This blow became the last straw that broke their marriage, and the two eventually chose to part ways.
The disappointment and regret in Wang Bozhao's heart became deeper with the end of the marriage.
Following the end of his first marriage, Wang Bozhao met his second wife, a successful female boss. In order to maintain this marriage, he had to make huge sacrifices, and even had to give up his cherished acting career to live the life of a full-time husband at home.
However, this change in lifestyle did not bring harmony to the marriage, but deepened the contradictions, the identity gap and the change of lifestyle, which made Wang Bozhao feel lost and frustrated, and in the end, this marriage also ended in failure.
Fate favored him again, and the failure of two marriages hit Wang Bozhao a huge blow. He begins to doubt himself, to doubt love, and even to have doubts about the meaning of life. However, when he hit a low point, an empathetic female friend appeared in his life and gave him great comfort and encouragement.
With her explanation and companionship, Wang Bozhao gradually walked out of the haze and regained the courage to live.
A few years later, this female friend became Wang Bozhao's third wife. They decided to live a plain and down-to-earth life, no longer pursuing fame and career pressure, but supporting each other and running a small braised meat shop together.
Although life is ordinary, they feel warm and happy.
Wang Bozhao reviewed his three marriages and was full of emotion. From the beginning of the passion, to the later plain like water, he deeply realized that true happiness is not a momentary vigor, but in mutual understanding and support.
These emotional experiences have taught him to cherish the people in front of him, and also allowed him to have a deeper understanding of the true meaning of life.
After experiencing two failed marriages, Wang Bozhao, who was 40 years old at the time, stood at a fork in the road in life. He began to reflect deeply: should he be content with the status quo, or challenge the entertainment industry again?
Recalling the glory of the past, Wang Bozhao is still full of enthusiasm for the performance. This passion overcame the constraints of reality, and he decided to return to the screen, hoping to regain the glory of his youth.
However, the reality is cruel, the once handsome idol is now entering middle age, the wrinkles in front of the camera ruthlessly reveal the passage of time, and what makes him even more frustrating is that the audience's aesthetic and market needs have changed, and his once popular image now seems to be outdated.
In the face of repeated encounters and rejections, Wang Bozhao began to doubt himself. He had to face a cruel reality: in this young people-dominated entertainment industry, the 40-year-old has lost his footing.
Every failed audition was like a hammer hammer that hit his fragile self-esteem.
However, when he was about to give up, the opportunity crept in. In 2004, he received an invitation to participate in "Little Fish and Flowers". Wang Bozhao was full of expectations, thinking that this would be the beginning of the second spring of his career.
He threw himself into the role, hoping to regain the audience's affection through his superb acting skills.
However, he didn't expect that what awaited him was a nightmare that completely changed the trajectory of his life, and this opportunity not only failed to help him return to the top, but became the biggest turning point in his acting career.
Wang Bozhao sighed: "Life is sometimes so unpredictable, opportunities and challenges often come at the same time."
After the ups and downs of his career, the twists and turns of his feelings, Wang Bozhao finally found his own happy harbor in the ordinary. Knowing his third wife made him feel the beauty and sweetness of life again.
This relationship was not easy to come by, and it also made him cherish the peaceful life in front of him even more.
Wang Bozhao will also take on some cameo roles in film and television dramas in his spare time, which gives him the opportunity to continue to keep in touch with the acting career he loves, and also adds some color to his ordinary life.
Although he is no longer the protagonist, he can still feel that familiar passion every time he stands in front of the camera.
Although Wang Bozhao's life is ordinary, it allows him to experience unprecedented steadfastness and tranquility. He began to understand that the meaning of life is not about fame and status, but about inner satisfaction and happiness.
The glory and applause that were once pursued now seem to be nothing more than floating clouds.
Looking back on the past, Wang Bozhao's eyes flashed with a hint of understanding. The glory of the past and the frustration of the past have now become the precious wealth of life. He understands that it is these ups and downs that have shaped who he is today.
Every failure brings growth, and every setback is an experience.
At a new starting point in life, Wang Bozhao welcomes every ordinary day with a smile. He understands that true happiness is often hidden in these seemingly inconspicuous everyday situations. This gift is perhaps the most precious thing life has given him.
Pursuing happiness in the ordinary and feeling happiness in the ordinary, this is the true meaning of life that Wang Bozhao finally realized.