In the Chinese film and television industry, the title of "national first-class actor" carries supreme glory. It not only represents the pinnacle of acting, but also symbolizes outstanding contributions to the country's cultural undertakings.
However, this honor was not an easy task. It requires actors not only to have excellent acting skills, but also to have a number of good works, and more importantly, to have noble artistic virtues.
However, in the tide of globalization, some veteran actors who were or should have become national first-class actors chose to change their nationality for various reasons. This not only deprived them of this honor, but also raised questions about their patriotism.
This article will focus on the stories of Jet Li, Gong Li, Zheng Peipei, Siqin Gaowa and Zhang Tielin. They were all once leaders in the Chinese film industry, but they chose to change their nationality at the peak of their careers.
What are the considerations behind this decision? How did it affect their lives? The experiences of these actors reflect the changes of the times and the difficulties of personal choices.
Their stories are not only emotional, but also provoke us to think deeply about art, responsibility and belonging. How do you balance your responsibilities to your home country while pursuing your personal development? In the face of the temptation of profit, how to stick to your cultural identity? Let's walk into the world of these five veteran actors, feel their inner struggles and helplessness, and maybe find some answers or trigger more thinking.
Jet Li's life is like a kung fu blockbuster with ups and downs. This Beijing native has shown extraordinary talent for martial arts since he was a child. At the age of 9, he performed martial arts at the opening ceremony of the "Pan-Asian, African and Latin American Table Tennis Championships", and was even received by Premier Zhou, which can be described as a promising future.
However, fate is always full of drama. Years of old injuries forced Jet Li to quit the martial arts circle, but by chance, he participated in the filming of "Shaolin Temple" and embarked on the road of acting.
From the "Shaolin" series to "Fang Shiyu", to "Huang Feihong", "Huo Yuanjia" and other roles, Jet Li's fame is getting bigger and bigger, and he has won many important awards such as the Golden Horse Award, the Hundred Flowers Award, and the Golden Image Award, and gradually stepped onto the international stage.
However, Jet Li's change of nationality did not stop there. After entering Hollywood, he renounced his American citizenship and became a Singaporean citizen. It is said that this is because Singapore has lower taxes.
This frequent change of nationality raises questions about his lack of national identity. In his love life, Jet Li also showed a similar determination. For the sake of his new love and wisdom, he resolutely divorced his ex-wife.
Although he frankly admits that he has changed his mind and is willing to bear the infamy, this behavior also raises questions about his character. Today, Jet Li, who is 60 years old, has repeatedly reported that he wants to rejoin his Chinese nationality.
However, it was easy to go out and difficult to get in, and he never got what he wanted. This former kung fu superstar, although he has achieved great success in his acting career, has lost the honor of "national first-class actor" because of nationality.
It is worth mentioning that despite the controversy caused by the change of nationality, Jet Li has always been keen on public welfare, which has also won him a lot of goodwill. Perhaps in his heart, the true home is not limited to a certain country, but exists in everyone who needs help.
Jet Li's story tells us that success lies not only in the brilliance of his career, but also in his inner sense of belonging and identification with the motherland. While pursuing personal development, we should not forget our roots.
Gong Li's name shines like a star in the Chinese film industry. As the "first generation of Mou Girl", the starting point of her acting career stood at a height that many people could not reach in their lives. In 1987, Gong Li made a stunning appearance in "Red Sorghum" directed by Zhang Yimou, winning many international awards in one fell swoop, establishing her status in the film industry.
Subsequently, the cooperation between Gong Li and Zhang Yimou was in full swing. "Ju Dou", "The Red Lantern Hangs High", "Farewell My Concubine" and other masterpieces came out one after another, Gong Li's acting skills became more and more exquisite, and the reputation of "Empress Gong" spread far and wide.
At the same time, she and Zhang Yimou fell in love because of the play, and their relationship became the focus of the entertainment industry at that time. However, this high-profile relationship eventually ended in a breakup. Surprisingly, Gong Li then married a wealthy Singaporean businessman.
According to the saying "marry a chicken with a chicken, marry a dog with a dog", Gong Li also changed his nationality to Singapore. This decision caused quite a stir at the time. Despite changing her nationality, Gong Li still emphasizes in public that she is a Chinese actor.
This contradictory identity has made her controversial. Some questioned her patriotism, while others believed that she renounced her Chinese nationality for personal gain. The change of nationality has had a great impact on Gong Li's acting career.
She used to appear frequently on the big screen in China, but gradually faded out of the sight of domestic audiences. It has become extremely difficult for her to return to the Chinese film industry. It is worth mentioning that when she later remarried a French man, Gong Li seemed to have learned her lesson and did not change her nationality again.
This may reflect a certain insistence on her own identity. Recently, Gong Li has once again attracted attention for accompanying French President Emmanuel Macron on his visit to China. This makes people feel that the former "national goddess" has now reappeared in the public eye with a special identity.
Gong Li's story tells us that love is important, but it should not be the only reason to change one's roots. Nationality is not only a piece of paper, but also a manifestation of a person's cultural identity and spiritual belonging.
When making major life decisions, we need to weigh the pros and cons and consider the long-term implications. At the same time, Gong Li's experience also reflects the identity dilemma faced by artists in the era of globalization.
How to find a balance between internationalization and local identity is a question that every artist who goes to the world stage needs to think about. Zheng Peipei's life is like a martial arts novel with ups and downs, full of dramatic twists.
A native of Shanghai, she moved to Hong Kong with her family when she was 15 years old. As a coincidence, she was discovered by talent scouts at the age of 17, and thus stepped into Hong Kong's booming film and television industry.
Zheng Peipei's acting career can be described as smooth sailing. In less than five years, she has gained a firm foothold in the film industry and has been praised as a "martial arts actress" by the Hong Kong media. However, just when she should have pursued the victory, Zheng Peipei made a surprising decision - to retire for love.
This retirement lasted for 20 years. During this time, Zheng Peipei chose to give up her Chinese nationality and became an American citizen. When she reappeared in the public eye, she was over half a hundred years old, and fans almost forgot about her.
However, Zheng Peipei's comeback can be called lucky. Her first comeback work is Stephen Chow's "Tang Bohu Dots Autumn Fragrance", playing the role of "Mrs. Hua". The popularity of this movie made Zheng Peipei regain attention.
Subsequently, she participated in many well-known works such as "Young Hero Fang Shiyu", "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "The Legend of Sword and Fairy", "Yangmen Female General", and won the audience's love again.
In recent years, Zheng Peipei has also participated in Mango Channel's "Flowers and Youth" program, reappearing in front of the public as an old actor. What is less well known, however, is that she and her family have long since settled in the United States.
Several of her children are studying and working in the United States, and there was recent news on the Internet that her children were celebrating her birthday in the United States. For Ms. Cheng, nationality no longer seems to matter.
She is more interested in whether the whole family can live happily together. This choice may make some people regretful, but it also reflects the importance she attaches to her family.
Zheng Peipei's story teaches us that life choices often need to be weighed between different values, and everyone's choices deserve to be respected. Siqin Gaowa's life trajectory is full of dramatic turns.
Born in a military family, she was selected into the Inner Mongolia Song and Dance Troupe for a "cup dance" at an early age, which started her artistic career. The favor of fate made her fall in love with the film studio and embarked on the road of an actress.
With her excellent appearance and natural acting talent, Siqin Gaowa soon made a name for herself in the film industry and began to play the female number one. "Camel Xiangzi" and "Like Water Flowing Years" are Siqin Gaowa's early masterpieces, which established her status in the film industry.
And later "Mansion Gate" won the CCTV annual ratings championship in one fell swoop, pushing her to the peak of her career. During the filming process, Siqin Gaowa had a love affair with an actor and got married because of the play, but as her fame grew, the marriage eventually ended in a peaceful breakup.
In 1986, Siqin Gaowa's life ushered in a major turning point. She married a Swiss-Chinese and subsequently changed her nationality. However, just two years later, homesickness and love for acting made it difficult for her to hold on.
She resolutely returned to the Chinese film industry and continued her acting career. Although the change of nationality made Siqin Gaowa lose her qualification as a "national first-class actor", she is still active in the mainland film industry.
Her decision has sparked a lot of controversy, with some questioning her patriotism and others understanding her choices for love. Siqin Gaowa's story tells us that even if we are in a foreign land, our feelings for our homeland will never change.
Her efforts to find a balance between career and family reflect the common challenges faced by many people in transnational marriages. Although the change of nationality has had some impact on her career, she still persists in her acting career, and this persistence and love deserves our respect.
Zhang Tielin's acting career can be described as tortuous. Graduated from Beijing Film Academy, he was selected as the leading actor by CCTV in his sophomore year, starring in "There is a Youth", and his starting point is not high.
However, in order to improve his acting skills, he chose to study in the United Kingdom, where he spent a full 7 years. During his time in the UK, Zhang Tielin not only studied directing, but also stayed at the school to teach because of his excellent grades.
This experience not only enriched his experience, but also laid a solid foundation for his future acting career. During this period, he also married a Polish beauty and had children, but because he wanted to return to China for development, the two eventually divorced.
After returning to China, Zhang Tielin became an instant hit with the role of "Huang Ama" in "Huanzhu Gege" and became a well-known "emperor professional household". However, just when his career was booming, Zhang Tielin made a surprising decision - to give up his Chinese nationality and join the British nationality.
When the reporter asked the reason, Zhang Tielin vaguely said that it was for the convenience of work and life. The decision sparked widespread controversy, especially his later remarks.
Zhang Tielin has publicly stated that Chinese museums display their own things, while the British Museum displays the world's things. This remark showed his ignorance of history and caused a strong public dissatisfaction.
You know, many of the exhibits in the British Museum are actually Chinese national treasures looted during the invasion of Beijing by the Eight-Nation Alliance. As a highly educated talent, Zhang Tielin's remarks that ignore history are not only disappointing, but also provoke deep reflection on cultural identity.
His story reminds us that a change of nationality should not be a reason to forget cultural roots. No matter where we are, we should maintain respect and love for our culture.