In 1972, 17-year-old Zhou Lijing stood at the crossroads of his life. After graduating from high school, he did not continue his studies with mediocre grades, but chose an unusual path - joined the repertory troupe and started his acting career.
Although the young Zhou Lijing is inexperienced, he has a unique appearance. Sword eyebrows, starry eyes, tall figure, with a tough guy temperament in his gestures. Such conditions made him stand out quickly on the stage, whether it was literary drama or martial arts, he could control it freely.
However, his six-year stage career did not satisfy Zhou Lijing's desire for performing arts. His eyes gradually turned to the wider world of the silver screen. In 1978, 23-year-old Zhou Lijing made a bold decision - to apply for the Beijing Film Academy.
"Are you crazy?" When Zhou Lijing revealed this idea to his friends, he was greeted with a wave of skepticism. They feel that Zhou Lijing's age has exceeded Nortel's enrollment standards, and he has no experience in film and television performances, which is simply whimsical.
But the stubborn Zhou Lijing was not deterred by these voices. He was convinced of his choice and took the exam with the determination to break the boat. The results surprised everyone.
With his outstanding image and solid stage skills, Zhou Lijing was not only exceptionally admitted, but also became the only two students in the history of Beijing Film to get a full score for image. This legend soon spread among the students and became a good story of Beiying.
In this way, Zhou Lijing embarked on the road of transformation from the stage to the screen, laying a solid foundation for him to become the "first brother" of film and television in the future. Stepping into the door of Beijing Film Academy, it seems to open a new world for Zhou Lijing.
With his excellent appearance and diligent and diligent learning attitude, he quickly won the favor of many directors. Before graduating, the script flew like snowflakes, and works such as "Young Friends" and "Night Shanghai" gave him his first taste of the screen.
In 1980, Zhou Lijing officially stepped into the film and television industry. Since then, he seems to have started the "model worker" mode, and at least one work is presented to the audience every year. However, Zhou Lijing did not indiscriminately fill up the number for the sake of brushing up his presence, but dominated by high-quality products.
In 1983, "Garland Under the Mountain" exploded in the hearts of the audience like a thunderclap. "Zhao Mengsheng" played by Zhou Lijing is popular all over the country, even after many years, when the audience mentions this role, the first thing that comes to mind is his version.
This role won him the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor, and also established his status as "the first brother in film and television". In the following "Life", Zhou Lijing once again showed superb acting skills.
He plays Gao Garin, who seems to be honest and honest, but in fact, his inner struggle is complicated. Zhou Lijing interpreted the simplicity and forbearance of this role very well, which moved countless audiences.
In "Artillery Major", Zhou Lijing was praised by the audience for "acting in his true colors". The tough guy image he created is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and the classic stills are still talked about by fans today.
From 1980 to 2011, Zhou Lijing's works adorned the night sky like stars. He used his own strength to interpret what it means to "one minute on stage, ten years off the stage".
The audience sees a glamorous star, but few people know about his hard work and sweat. However, just when Zhou Lijing's acting career was in full swing, fate played a cruel joke on him.
In 1994, a sudden change not only changed the trajectory of his life, but also made this radiant star gradually fade out of the public eye. Behind Zhou Lijing's brilliant star journey, there is also a little-known emotional story.
In 1974, 19-year-old Zhou Lijing met Fu Chunying, who was two years younger than him, through a friend's introduction. At that time, Fu Chunying was a talented dancer who performed in the Great Hall of the People and received foreign heads of state and distinguished guests.
Fu Chunying's dancing was beautiful and moving, and she quickly captured Zhou Lijing's heart. Although the two are often separated from each other because of their respective careers, Zhou Lijing has always insisted on maintaining correspondence with her, conveying fiery love with pen and ink.
This relationship, like a slow and affectionate waltz, slowly unfolded in the course of ten years. In 1983, the two finally entered the palace of marriage hand in hand. Soon after, they welcomed their lovely daughter.
This year's Zhou Lijing can be described as a spring breeze, with a bumper harvest in career and love. However, married life is not fairytale-like. As an actor, Zhou Lijing is on the go all year round, and all the big and small affairs at home fall on Fu Chunying's shoulders.
The once lively and agile dancers have gradually been smoothed out by the trivial matters of firewood, rice, oil and salt. Contradictions between the two also arose, and quarrels and cold wars occurred from time to time. Zhou Lijing knew in his heart that he owed his wife too much.
However, when he tried to make amends, he found that it was too late. In 1994, before leaving home for filming, the two had an argument again. Zhou Lijing's heart was on fire, so he simply lived in the crew, wanting to wait for the anger to subside before going home.
However, he never expected that this parting would become an eternal secret. Recalling the bits and pieces with Fu Chunying, Zhou Lijing's eyes were filled with tears. Those unspoken apologies, those promises that were too late to keep, have turned into the deepest regrets in my heart.
If he could turn back the clock, he would definitely say to his wife, "I'm sorry, I love you." In 1994, Zhou Lijing, who was at the peak of his career, ushered in the darkest day of his life.
That day, while he was still filming on the set, he suddenly received a heartbreaking phone call - his wife Fu Chunying died unexpectedly. Zhou Lijing froze in place, incredulous. He hurried home and learned the whole story.
It turned out that their young daughter, Kim Jin, came home from school and opened the door to find her mother lying in a pool of blood with a fatal knife wound to her neck. After the police investigation, it was believed that this was a burglary case, and Fu Chunying was unfortunately killed.
Facing his wife's body, Zhou Lijing was full of remorse. If I hadn't left home in anger, if I could have spent more time with her... These "ifs" are like a sharp knife, slashing at his heart.
Even after many years, whenever he recalls this past, Zhou Lijing still can't let go. The death of his wife brought a huge blow to Zhou Lijing. He can no longer devote himself to acting, and he is full of guilt when he sees his daughter.
The once high-spirited "film and television brother" began to gradually reduce the output of his works and faded out of the public's sight. However, life goes on. In order to take care of her young daughter and give her a complete home, Zhou Lijing later met Zhang Wei.
Zhang Wei is a girl who came out of the army with a simple and kind personality. After getting the approval of his daughter Jin Jin, Zhou Lijing and Zhang Wei got married in a low-key manner and formed a new family. However, even with a new life, Zhou Lijing always had a wound in his heart that could not be healed.
In an interview with the host Lu Yu, when asked about the most unrelieved thing, he once again mentioned this deep-seated regret. This change not only changed Zhou Lijing's personal life, but also affected his career.
The image of a tough guy who was once active on the screen gradually faded, and was replaced by a silent and introverted middle-aged man who focused on education. Zhou Lijing's story is like a tragic symphony, falling from the glorious climax to the trough, and finding a new meaning of life in the silence.
This experience has become the most difficult and unforgettable chapter in his life. After experiencing the trough of his life, Zhou Lijing was not defeated. Instead, he chose a new way to reinvent his life values – devoting himself to education and public welfare.
As a lecturer at the Beijing Film Academy, Zhou Lijing has taught his years of acting experience to train a new generation of actors. His teaching style is straightforward and sometimes even argues with other teachers in class, but students can feel his good intentions.
In 2007, Zhou Lijing participated in the filming of a public welfare film called "Hope". In the film, he plays a mountain teacher full of social responsibility, who works tirelessly over mountains and mountains to teach from house to house in order to allow children in the mountains to receive education.
This shooting experience deeply touched Zhou Lijing. He witnessed the scarcity of educational resources in the mountainous areas and felt the thirst for knowledge among the children there. As an educator, this empathy made him determined to do his part to change the situation.
After the filming, Zhou Lijing made an admirable decision - he donated all his salary for the filming to the children in the mountainous areas, and sent "hope" to them with practical actions.
Not only that, but he also publicly stated that if there is a similar public welfare film invitation in the future, he is willing to continue to participate for free and make his own contribution to the society. Since then, Zhou Lijing has devoted more energy to education and public welfare.
His figure no longer appears frequently on the screen, but more often on the podium and public welfare activities. , the former "first brother" of film and television, used his own actions to interpret what is a real sense of social responsibility, and also found a new value in life.
Today, at the age of 70, Zhou Lijing still sticks to the three-foot podium of the Beijing Film Academy, devoting himself to cultivating the next generation of actors. His life has become simple and plain, and he is like the much-anticipated film and television "first brother" back then.
On campus, students often see Zhou Lijing queuing up to eat or riding a bicycle to and from work. This former big star now lives a life no different from that of an ordinary teacher, low-key and down-to-earth.
His indifferent attitude towards fame and fortune also infects everyone around him. Although he faded out of the film and television industry, Zhou Lijing did not completely say goodbye to acting. In 2021, he made a special appearance in a romantic movie called "The Poet".
Although there are not many scenes, his appearance still evokes the memories of countless audiences, reminiscent of his youthful demeanor. In the face of the glory of the past, Zhou Lijing has always maintained a humble attitude.
He once said: "I have been high all my life, I don't hype and have no scandals, but I am sorry for my wife who has been dead for 30 years." This sentence not only expresses his attitude towards life, but also reveals the deep pain in his heart that will never heal.
In the twilight of his life, Zhou Lijing chose a quiet and meaningful lifestyle. He uses his actions to interpret what it means to "not forget the original intention", and continues to contribute his own strength to China's film and television education.