| Bao Guo'an | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese name | 鮑國安 (Traditional) | ||
| Chinese name | 鲍国安 (Simplified) | ||
| Pinyin | Bào Guó-ān (Mandarin) | ||
| Ancestry | Laizhou, Shandong, China | ||
| Born | June 1946 (age 65) Tianjin, China |
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| Other name(s) | Bao Guoan, Bao Guo An, Bao Guo-an | ||
| Occupation | Actor, professor | ||
| Years active | 1983 - present | ||
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Bao Guo'an (born June 1946) is a Chinese actor and professor in the Central Academy of Drama. Best known for his role as Cao Cao in the 1994 television series Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Bao won two Best Actor awards at the 1995 Golden Eagle Awards and Flying Goddess Awards (中国电视剧飞天奖).[1][2][3] Bao was also a delegate in the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in 2003.[1]
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Bao has been fascinated with acting and drama since he was a child. He attended a primary school in Tianjin where most of his schoolmates were from affluent backgrounds while Bao himself was not from a wealthy family. On weekends his schoolmates liked to watch movies at the cinemas. Bao did not join them initially but he later did when he felt left out, and became addicted to movies. At that time Tianjin's cinemas were divided into three classes (A, B and C), with A screening the latest movies but having the priciest tickets. Bao could only afford to watch movies in the B and C class theatres, but he saved the allowance his parents gave him for buying snacks, and spent it at the cinema every weekend. Bao recalled watching many Soviet films at that time, including Chapaev and Lenin in 1918, and he especially enjoyed movies about heroes.
In 1960, at the age of 13, Bao gained an opportunity to appear on screen. At that time a performing arts group in Tianjin was making a film about young revolutionary martyr Liu Wenxue (刘文学) and Bao was chosen as an actor. In 1964, when the Fourth Agricultural Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) came to Tianjin to recruit cadres, Bao insisted that they let him join their performing arts group. Bao recalled his experience in the XPCC: "Even though I spent only five years in the Fourth Agricultural Division, I learnt a lot of things. Without this experience, I would not have been able to enter the Central Academy of Drama. Life in the military helped me develop the qualities of diligence, perseverance and courage. They have a great impact on shaping my character and personal beliefs, and on my acting career."[4] Five years later in 1969, Bao was transferred to another group in Zhumadian, Henan, where he worked as an actor and director.
In 1978 Bao was accepted into the Central Academy of Drama and due to excellent performance he was asked to remain and teach there after graduation. Around that time the Pearl River Film Company (珠江电影制片公司) was holding auditions in Beijing for the film The Mountain Below is Home (山下是故乡). By chance, Bao was acting in a stage play in Beijing when he was noticed by director Liu Hongming (刘洪铭) and selected to play the lead character Chang Mao. Although Bao has watched movies since childhood, he had no clue to the process behind acting in a film. He requested to be given a chance to personally experience rural life so that he can prepare better for his role. A month before shooting began, the producers sent Bao to the countryside in You County, Hunan, where he lived among villagers and did menial labour. Bao recalled that when he returned home after working on the film for more than half a year, his appearance had changed so much that his son could not recognise him.
In 1997 Bao was cast as Lin Zexu in Xie Jin's historical epic film The Opium War, which won the 1997 Golden Rooster and 1998 Hundred Flowers Awards for Best Picture. To prepare for the role, Bao travelled to Lin Zexu's hometown of Fuzhou to experience life there. Apart from that, every morning when he woke up, he would imagine himself as Lin Zexu and try to adjust his thoughts and personality to fit his character's.
In 2001 Bao played the lead role in Zhen Xin (真心), a biographical film about Wu Dengyun (吴登云; b. 1939), a medical doctor known for helping to improve healthcare in Ulugqat County, Xinjiang.[5] Bao commented, "If Lin Zexu is an example of a firm and assertive hero, then Wu Dengyun is a kind and tender hero."[6] Zhen Xin was shot in the Pamir Mountains at an altitude of 5,000m. Bao suffered from severe high blood pressure and during the descent he had to carried, wearing an oxygen mask and on IV drip. Recalling this incident, he said, "I almost lost my life in making this movie."[7] As Bao was very absorbed into his role, he would feel like crying each time he sees Wu Dengyun, with whom he has developed a close friendship, and when he is reminded of Wu's daughter. He said, "After Wu Dengyun's daughter died, her body was transferred to the morgue in the hospital Wu Dengyun was working in. Every night he would light a lamp and go to the morgue to see his daughter. This is the "tender" side of the hero Wu Dengyun! Until today it still moves me deeply."[8]
Although Bao has portrayed heroes and protagonists many times on screen, his most well known role to date, however, is the antagonist Cao Cao in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a 1994 television series based on the classical novel of the same title. Before shooting started, Bao told the producers that he wanted his portrayal of the character to be "answerable to his family and audiences". He was very focused and diligent in preparing for his role, doing extensive research and spending long periods of time pondering over his character. Bao decided not to limit himself to the traditional image of Cao Cao as a villain, so he based his Cao Cao on his personal interpretation of the character in the novel and the Cao Cao described in historical texts. Bao's performance in Romance of the Three Kingdoms propelled him to fame and earned him two Best Actor awards at the 1995 Golden Eagle Awards and Flying Goddess Awards (中国电视剧飞天奖).[1][2][3] After Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Bao promised himself never to act in historical-themed productions again, but ironically he found himself receiving and accepting more offers to take up roles of historical figures in films and television. He commented on this, "Cao Cao got me overwhelmed!".[9]
In 2005 Bao played the tyrannical Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty in the television series Kaichuang Shengshi (开创盛世).[10] He wanted to reject the offer for the role but found it hard because the director and producers were his old friends. In one scene the emperor is shown shedding tears when sending off his daughter to a distant land to marry a Tujue leader. Bao recalled that he had never been so emotional in any of his previous projects except for Zhen Xin. Bao commented, "He was an emperor but he was also a person! No matter how bad he was, he was still flesh and blood."[11] Bao later revealed that he had imagined Emperor Yang's daughter as his young granddaughter, so he could not hold back his tears at the thought of his granddaughter leaving him. Bao also explained that he wanted to present a complete, three-dimensional, vivid, and historically accurate portrayal of Emperor Yang, which boils down to his flamboyant costumes, as the emperor was known for his extravagance.
Apart from teaching at the Central Academy of Drama as a professor, Bao continues to remain active in the entertainment industry although he hardly plays lead roles now. Bao mentioned that as he grew older he felt that he has become more mature in his career. He once said that an actor should take precautions not to "slip" as age catches up with him, because if he "slips" he would lose his "explosive power" in acting.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Mountain Below is Home 山下是故乡 |
Chang Mao | |
| 1986 | Juece 决策 |
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| 1997 | The Opium War 鸦片战争 |
Lin Zexu | |
| 1999 | Lingdian Xingdong 零点行动 |
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| 2001 | Zhen Xin 真心 |
Wu Dengyun | |
| 2004 | Jing Zhi Lian 警之恋 |
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| 2004 | Hai Dian Tie Jun 核电铁军 |
Li Zihua | |
| 2010 | Sacrifice 赵氏孤儿 |
Zhao Dun / Zhao Xuanzi | |
| 2011 | Shandong Xiongdi 山东兄弟 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Shui Hu Zhuan 水浒传 |
Song Jiang | |
| 1991 | Da Tang Ming Xiang 大唐名相 |
Wei Zheng | |
| 1994 | Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三国演义 |
Cao Cao | |
| 1995 | Wu Zetian 武则天 |
Emperor Taizong of Tang | |
| 1997 | Sun Wu 孙武 |
King Liao of Wu | |
| 1998 | Renjian Zhengdao 人间正道 |
Wu Mingxiong | |
| 1998 | Shuangfeng Qi'an 双凤奇案 |
Du Hanzhang | |
| 2000 | Di Shi Liu Bowen 帝师刘伯温 |
Liu Bowen | |
| 2000 | Nü Qiu 女囚 |
Mr. Liang | |
| 2001 | Luanshi Taohua 乱世桃花 |
Li Yuan | |
| 2001 | Bao Gong Shengsi Jie 包公生死劫 |
Bao Zheng | |
| 2002 | Fengyu Qiankun 风雨乾坤 |
Sima Minwang | |
| 2002 | Ren Da Zhuren 人大主任 |
Qi Hengshou | |
| 2002 | Zhengjiu Shaonian Fan 拯救少年犯 |
Bao Wentong | |
| 2003 | Da Ming Tianzi 大明天子 |
Zhu Yuanzhang | |
| 2003 | Dou E Yuan 窦娥冤 |
Dou Tianzhang | |
| 2003 | Jiangshan Fengyu Qing 江山风雨情 |
Hong Chengchou | |
| 2003 | Quanli 2 Luo Xue 权利2裸雪 |
Cao Zhong | |
| 2003 | Tiexue Changping 铁血长平 |
King Zhaoxiang of Qin | |
| 2004 | Ruci Duojiao 如此多娇 |
Lin Ran | |
| 2004 | Xinke Zhuangyuan 新科状元 |
Bao Zheng | |
| 2004 | Wu Jian Guang Ying 无间光影 |
Xu Nuo | |
| 2004 | Da Han Bei Ge 大汉悲歌 |
Xiao He | |
| 2005 | Jujue Chengshu 拒绝成熟 |
Scribe | |
| 2005 | Guojia Jimi 国家机密 |
Mr. Xiao | |
| 2005 | The Rebirth of a King 越王勾践 |
Wu Zixu | |
| 2005 | Kaichuang Shengshi 开创盛世 |
Emperor Yang of Sui | |
| 2005 | Ren Changxia 任长霞 |
(guest star) | |
| 2006 | Chuan Zheng Fengyun 船政风云 |
Zuo Zongtang | |
| 2006 | Shu Fengliu Renwu 数风流人物 |
Lin Ran | |
| 2006 | Da Huaishu 大槐树 |
Zhu Yuanzhang | |
| 2006 | A Legend of Shaolin Temple 少林寺传奇 |
Shaolin abbot | |
| 2007 | Chuang Ye 创业 |
Mayor Ye | |
| 2007 | Da An Zu 大案组 |
Mr. Zhang | |
| 2008 | Chuang Guandong 闯关东 |
Tan Yongqing | |
| 2008 | Guojia Jimi 2 国家机密2 |
Mr. Guan | |
| 2008 | Canghai 沧海 |
Naval officer | |
| 2008 | The Peacocks Fly to the Southeast 孔雀东南飞 |
Liu's father | |
| 2008 | Aomen Dang'an 澳门档案 |
Fang Tianting | |
| 2008 | Cangtian Houshi 苍天厚土 |
Shi Xinyuan | |
| 2009 | Wuliang Tian 无量天 |
Liu Keqian | |
| 2010 | Bing Shi Shuizhao De Shui 冰是睡着的水 |
Feng Yunshan | |
| 2010 | Liu San Jie 刘三姐 |
Liu Zhiyuan | |
| 2010 | A Legend of Shaolin Temple 2 少林寺传奇2 |
Shaolin abbot | |
| 2010 | Chunqiu Ji 春秋祭 |
Duke Xian of Jin | |
| 2010 | Xialu Xiongdi 狭路兄弟 |
Huang Sidie | |
| 2011 | Yue Jing 越境 |
Eighth Route Army commander | |
| 2011 | Feng He Ri Li 风和日丽 |
Yin Zegui | |
| 2011 | Bai Yutang Zhi Ju Wai Ju 白玉堂之局外局 |
Bao Zheng | |
| 2011 | Mi Zhan E Mei 密战峨眉 |
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| 2011 | Jipin Mama 极品妈妈 |
An Yuan | |
| 2011 | Wu Zetian Yu Longmen 武则天与龙门 |
Emperor Taizong of Tang | |
| 2011 | Chuanqi 传奇 |
King Huiwen of Qin |