On June 8, Lantian Ye, the recipient of the "July 1st Medal" and a performance artist, passed away suddenly in Beijing at the age of 95. In newspapers, magazines, and social media, people miss the old artist and call him "a god". However, many people don't know that the identity he cares most about is "actor", and the praise he cares most about is audience recognition.
Everyone has to set the rules for themselves in their hearts. In the world of Lantianye, the rule is, I am an actor, "The hard work of an actor to play a role does not start from the day he accepts the role, but from the day he decides to become an actor."

Blue sky. The picture comes from the official website of Beijing Renyi

All long hours are confrontations before the confrontation with life. If you can persuade yourself, you can persevere. For Lan Lanye, being an actor is like being a real actor. Where vinegar is sour and salt is salty, it is worth pondering over and over again. Many legends about Lantianye's acting have confirmed this. For example, playing the role of Zeng Wenqing in "Beijing People", because Zeng Wenqing can draw, write poetry, and also raise pigeons, Lantian Ye specially went to ask for advice, how to hold the pigeon in his hand, not only to make it move, but also to make it comfortable; When performing the scene of "Thunderstorm" reading a poem, Lan Lanye felt that the actor was holding a blank piece of paper in his hand, which was different from holding a piece of paper with a poem actually written on it, so he hurriedly wrote it with a brush before going on stage Poetry.
If you can persuade yourself, you can balance gains and losses. Some so-called stars only stare at the halo, staring at fame and fortune, eager for success, impetuous mentality, unwilling to work hard to temper. Heavy on the outside, clumsy on the inside. In Lan Lanye's long life, there are few pursuits for fame and fortune, but the audience's evaluation always makes him care. In the previous performance of "Tea House", an audience member once said: "After watching your play, I know why the revolution happened." Lan Lanye remembered this sentence: "This is more than complimenting our performance. The audience is happier. I can think about it after watching the play, which makes me feel that the profession of an actor is meaningful. Letting the audience be moved and thought-provoking is the highest compliment."
If you can persuade yourself, you can persevere. In the years of fighting and confrontation with the performing arts, Lan Lanye's advantage is "I am still alive, and I can still go on stage". This is not an easy task, driven by fame and fortune, and eventually exhausted. Only by learning to look down on the outcome of things can you be fully committed. Therefore, Lan Lanye starred in Ba Jin's "Home" at the age of 84 as the villain Feng Leshan, fell on the stage and fractured, and still appeared at the rehearsal scene the next day in order not to affect the progress of the rehearsal; at the age of 94, he directed the drama "Wu Wang Jin Ge Yue Wang Sword" again. , arrived at the earliest during the rehearsal and performance, taught the actors the basic skills of the sound stage, stared at the scene until late at night, and left the theater after the show was over. Lan Lanye's long artistic "standby" is not something ordinary people can do.
But he is just an ordinary person. Because being an ordinary person is also a compulsory course for actors. "Real creation does not depend on empty skills, but a solid life." This is a simple creed that Lan Lanye keeps in mind both on and off the stage, on and off the stage. He is an out-and-out "stray animal protector". When students see stray cats and dogs, they can send them to them without saying hello. The most beloved stray dog in the family is named "Big Wrist". The tenderness and banter here deserve applause.
Lan Lanye's life can be regarded as a sample of an excellent actor. He is simple, simple, single-minded, and persistent. He adheres to some fundamental qualities of the respectable profession of an actor, and has used his nearly 80-year career to concretize it. Even in the past 80 years, the evaluation standards for actors have changed a lot, and Lantian has used his life to explain where the standards and bottom lines that actors should have.
Lan Lanye once wrote an article "Hello, Audience", saying that he "just wanted to say hello to the audience"; and now, it's time to say "Goodbye, audience". We will always remember you and miss you.
(Author: Zhang Yan. This article was originally published in the second edition of "Guangming Daily" on June 13, 2022)