From drama stage to film and television drama, from participating in IP works to doing “green leaves” for young actors
Hu Jun act well and don’t compete with the market
Before the interview, Hu Jun and I had a meal.
It was a dinner after he repeatedly declined unsuccessfully. In the fire brigade where he filmed the propaganda film, we sat together with the firefighters on duty. Hu Jun wore a military coat and carried a bowl of spiky white rice, including the most homemade mushrooms, rapeseed and shrimp tofu. Are working hard. “This Hu spicy soup is really good!” “Where are all the people (who are recruited) from this year?” Even if you are just silently watching, he will take care of it with enthusiasm, “Eat! Eat shrimp, eat tofu, it doesn’t grow meat!”
There is no need to be nervous to chat with Hu Jun. He never shy away from answering any questions. Authenticity, the simplest but most powerful adjective, is the life narrative that comes from Hu Jun. But how can a person still retain this truth for a long time in the face of mixed and impetuous environmental changes in the face of more than 30 years of hard work? We tried to find the answer from this brief conversation, about the superior childhood, about the original intention of performing, and the current era that he could not understand but had to adapt to.
From disdain to love
The bond with performance is destined
In Beijing, there is a saying that the children living in the army compound are all “heaven’s favored sons”, and their speech and behavior, from the inside out, reveal two words: superior.
But that doesn’t seem very accurate. The first twenty years of Hu Jun’s life were all based on “rules”.
Hu Jun’s father, Hu Baoshan, and his uncle, Hu Songhua, were both famous singers and soldiers. Living in the two environments of an artistic family and descendants of the army, “rules” and “superiority” have grown in his bones almost at the same time. In an interview with the media, he recalled that he was very naughty when he was a child. He was punished by his father to kneel on the washboard, and was beaten by military belts, fire chopsticks, and brooms. Hu Jun’s whole family is an authentic old Beijinger, but his father would never allow his son to speak the so-called Beijing dialect. As soon as he heard it, he slapped his face with a slap: “Speak well! Only rascals talk like that!”
The father’s strict requirements and the son’s rebellious confrontation made the tense father-son relationship continue until the son went to college. Before the college entrance examination, Hu Jun didn’t even tell his father what major he wanted to apply for, “Don’t think about it at Tsinghua University and Peking University. What I wanted most at the time was the Journalism Department of the National People’s Congress. Being a reporter, walking around with a camera on my shoulders, how awesome!”
Taking the Central Academy of Drama was one of Hu Jun’s “playful” choices at that time. Before the test, he only told his mother about it, because his mother wanted to prepare new clothes for him. The father and uncle were only known after he was notified of the admission. The father did not show whether he was happy or not. He just said something that made Hu Jun uncomfortable for a long time, “Just go to school.” But Hu Jun felt that “(At that time he was) quite good.” Father’s entrance examination is another kind of “conflict”, rather, the “rules” flowing in his blood make him never want to rely on his parents.
But in fact, Hu Jun doesn’t like acting. At that time, if someone told him that you could become an actor in the future, he would definitely disdain to refute, “Don’t make trouble!” Until after half a month of class, this art full of emotional display and life experience deeply impressed Hu Jun. absorb. In the performance, he seeks the freest expression and can touch different life experiences; even if this character and these lives are fake, he still finds it extremely interesting.
Now that decades have passed, actor Hu Jun is more willing to believe that his bond with acting is destined. “It would be ungrateful to say that my family has no influence on me at all. Their influence on me is not direct, but subtle. Fate tells you to do it, sooner or later. You block it or block it. Can’t stop.”
From drama to film
Before you “dedicate yourself” to art, you must live first
In the 1970s and 1980s, under the background of reform and opening up, the creation of dramas representing the emancipation of the mind was unprecedentedly active. Classic plays such as “In a Silent Place” and “God’s Nirvana” were born in that era. Actors from most professional colleges and universities are all headed into the stage of drama, such as Hu Jun’s mentor Jiang Wen, Ni Dahong, Wang Zhifei, etc.
As the monitor of the performance department that year, Hu Jun’s file was transferred to the Beijing People’s Art Theater two months before graduation. From the male lead in the big drama after graduation from the Chinese opera, to the small role on the stage of the drama with only a few words at the beginning, he has lived in the drama for nearly ten years. He is also willing to hide his inner superiority and self-confidence behind the role for the stage. Hu Jun once described in an interview that at that time he was still looking forward to the “spirit of drama”, with some idealistic light.
But in the 1990s, the drama gradually changed into another situation: that was the decade known as the first golden age of TV drama. The popularization of television and cinema has changed the consumption habits of the common people; at the same time, a series of excellent film and television works continue to keep the public in the living room and in the theater. Fewer people walked into the theater. Hu Jun once revealed in an interview that he hardly asked for remuneration at that time, but he still lost money every game. Moreover, more and more people began to pursue things other than drama, such as fame and fortune. All these make the drama no longer pure.
Hu Jun loves the stage, but he has to face it. Jumping on one leg will make the road narrower and narrower; if he does not act in film and television works, even life is difficult. Just like now, many actors who have been replaced by filmmakers, so-called actors who have no market and traffic, may be good actors who can act. But the status quo is like this, so that now that dramas are picking up, it is difficult to become the only livelihood for the actors.
Facing the huge gap between film and television and stage performance, Hu Jun still “bluntly” transformed himself into a film and television actor. “I am totally devoted to art. I believe there are such people, but not many. You still have to eat. Unless one person is full and the whole family is not hungry, then don’t talk about girlfriends? Don’t get married? You don’t need all social needs. Impossible.” Hu Jun said frankly.
From competition to adaptation
It is necessary to recognize the reality, existence is reasonable, even if it is short-lived
Hu Jun has been in the arts for more than 30 years and has appeared in dozens of film and television works. He recalled his favorite roles. He talked about Zhu Yuanzhang in the TV series “Zhu Yuanzhang” and Yan Xiaoguo in the movie “October Siege”. They all made Hu Jun feel “to the fullest”.
Take Yan Xiaoguo as an example. As the supreme commander sent by the Empress Dowager Cixi to assassinate Sun Yat-sen in the film, he is the only villain in the film. But Hu Jun had a lot of discussions with the director, and he hoped to give the character richer character traits and dramatic logic based on the script, making him “bad” more reasonable.
Therefore, all choices made by Yan Xiaoguo under Hu Jun’s interpretation were actually loyal to his beliefs, and he was heartbroken because the great country was bullied by foreigners, so he chose the method of brutal killing to pacify the civil strife. It is a pity that the direction he identified is contrary to historical development. “From the point of view of the character, this character is too good. So it is very vivid, and all my thoughts are expressed. Whether it is acting or acting, I think it makes me particularly satisfied.”
But now when it comes to Hu Jun, most of the outside world only remembers Chen Handong in the movie “Lan Yu” and Qiao Feng in the TV series “Dragon Babu”. At present, very few people are willing to stand in the perspective of performance and find their due value coordinates for an actor.
However, this is not the reason why Hu Jun is really tired and lost in this industry. For a while, he admitted that he was in a bad state of mind. He was tired of acting for the first time. It was no longer fun, and he didn’t want to do it anymore. In 2015, Hu Jun entered the topic of conversation through the third season of the variety show “Where Are We Going, Dad”. In those years, he only acted in the TV series “Little Lover”, “Hidden Before Dawn” and the movie “God of War”. “I took a break at home for a while.” Hu Jun recalled. It was not until 2018 that he played “Wu Erbai”, a cameo role in “Tomb Notes Restart: Extreme Sea Tinglei”.
But then the conversation changed, “It’s really uncomfortable, I still want to act. So (I) is still born to eat this bowl of rice.”
He said, it can only be adapted and adjusted. Good content should be praised, this is the correct law of value; but since this theory does not necessarily apply to the audience, nor does it represent market demand, no matter how hard the actors are, no matter how hard they are, they must recognize the reality. “Existence is reasonable”, this concept runs through Hu Jun’s expression. “I always thought, they are also called acting? But then I suddenly realized that the audience likes these things so much, it is the value of its own existence. Even if (these values) are short-lived, even if it is only a stage, you have to recognize this stage.”
Hu Jun still chooses roles and interprets them according to his own understanding of performance: how to act and how to act, whether to memorize lines or lines, to study the play with the director, and continue to study… With the persistence of the actors, he also encountered A lot of good works have arrived, such as the movie “Changjin Lake”, the TV series “Jianye”, “Knives in the Snow”, “Beyond”… Even though most of him are not absolute protagonists, there is no shortage of “green leaves” for young actors. But Hu Jun didn’t take it seriously: “For example, I played Xiahou in “Jianye”, the descendant of the demon sect, the hero of iron blood, there is a big change in character before and after. I think this role is ok, and can show some other For example, Xu Xiao in “The Swordsman in the Snow”, I can also use the good things in my performance, why can’t I (act)?”
Today, Hu Jun’s “idealism” has been given a new meaning by “pragmatism”: he does not cater to chaos, nor does he join forces with it, but he needs to adapt and save himself in his own way. “If it’s IP, you don’t do anything, and you don’t eat? Unless you don’t do it. Think practical.”
From questioning to understanding
Minecraft looks outdated, but it doesn’t affect filming
Hu Jun’s role as Xu Xiao in “The Swordsman in the Snow” seems to have come out of the book – no one will be convinced by Hu Jun’s interpretation of the general and hero.
This existing impression can be traced back to 2003. Qiao Feng in the TV series “Dragon and Babu” brought Hu Jun to a new career peak, and also established his absolute influence as a “tough guy” inside and outside the circle. After that, Xiang Yu in the TV series “Chu and Han Fengyun”, Zhu Yuanzhang in the TV series “Zhu Yuanzhang”, Zhao Yun in the movie “Red Cliff”, and even the hero of the Volunteer Army in the TV series “Golden Marriage Wind and Rain”, are all consolidating this label step by step.
At that time, Hu Jun’s attitude towards a large number of invitations of the same kind ranged from “will not refuse” to “deliberately avoid”. He needs more interesting characters to stimulate his creative energy. “I never wanted to get rid of[the tough guy label]. That’s a good thing. It’s earned through the work, so why throw it away? But beyond that, I can try other things.”
For example, “Lei Gong” in “Changjin Lake”, in Hu Jun’s view, is not a tough guy who is “masked”, but has a very soft part in his heart. “Why do tough guys have to charge into battle, not afraid of bullets? These are too good to play. But you have to do the opposite and play a soft tough guy who is afraid of death. It seems more realistic.” Hu Jun said frankly.
Hu Jun’s continuation of “tough guy” also stems from his belief that no matter how good an actor is, he has limitations, just like he can’t interpret idol dramas, and he can’t let himself paint his eyebrows and pretend to be a woman. “I can’t get past my own level. Every actor has his own bottom line.”
In 2015, at the invitation of his younger brother Huang Zhizhong, Hu Jun participated in the recording of the variety show “Grade 1 · University Season”, and gave a line class to the students of the Performance Department of Shanghai Theater Academy at that time. Classes have started, but the boys are late because of makeup problems. Hu Jun disregarded the camera, dragged a one-meter-long hammer from the corner and smashed the boys’ cosmetics. “(Thinking about it now) is actually quite wrong. But at the time, I really felt that if a man went on like this, it would be really ‘bad’.”
This is how Hu Jun was taught by his parents in the past: a man looks in the mirror and strokes his hair, even if he is finished. At most, the weather in Beijing is dry, and if you rub some clam oil, it will not taste too fragrant. Even if the eyebrows are messed up and pulled out with small needle-nose pliers, it is inevitable to be “taunted”. But now, it’s impossible to pull it off. Sometimes, the brokerage team will also persuade Hu Jun to put on a mask, or to give him a smooth skin for his usual work to make it whiter. But Hu Jun always had an indifferent attitude. In his opinion, the traces of the years represent the real, and there is nothing to be embellished.
But in recent years, he has often reflected on himself, has he fallen behind? “I don’t actually think that the past era must be the best. The current era is too jumpy. Everyone’s living habits and social self-awareness are different.”
In 2021, Hu Jun participated in the variety show “Only Three Days Visible”, which was his first official contact with a talk show. Most of the audience around were young people, and everyone laughed while listening, but Hu Jun didn’t understand many of the stalks. “I want to laugh with them, and I’m a little sorry for myself, why should I be happy if I’m not happy?” But he also took a new interest from it. It is not so much that Hu Jun is eager to catch up with young people, it is better to say that he just wants to better adapt to this era. “I’m not saying I can’t catch up, it’s not necessary to catch up. They have their world, and I have my world. My world seems a little outdated, but it doesn’t affect my filming or my life. So I understand (this era) ) will do.”
【dialogue】
A son has an “old soul”
Beijing News: Do you have a generation gap with your son Kangkang?
Hu Jun: There must be now, but we often talk. And I think my son has an “old soul” inside. For example, he likes World War II, all the battles during World War II, including the names of the officers, German, American… recited, how the battle was fought, why they lost. These are all things that he learned spontaneously, that he was interested in, searched for information, and bought books by himself.
The Beijing News: Now, do you feel that when Kangkang grows up, he is more and more like you in some respects?
Hu Jun: The personality is different, he will definitely be better than me in the future. He is a very persistent person. From the age of four or five, he said that he wanted to be a captain. When he grew up, he wanted to fly an A380. Now that he is 13 years old, if you ask him about his ideals, he is still a captain and has not changed. The only thing I guided him was to study hard if he wanted to be a captain, so he planned his study very well.
B always mentions that “Lan Yu” is sometimes “annoying”
The Beijing News: Most of the interviews in recent years have repeatedly mentioned the movie “Lan Yu”. Do you feel a little helpless?
Hu Jun: Sometimes it’s actually “annoying”, but it’s here again (laughs)! But after thinking about it, you should be lucky. What does it mean to be mentioned by others? Many netizens are still mentioning, why? Because my performance impresses everyone, everyone can’t let go of everything about this movie. You make a play, that’s the best result.
Beijing News: Last year, you and Liu Ye collaborated again in the movie “Wang Dao”, and many audiences were very much looking forward to it.
Hu Jun: I just went to make soy sauce for others. Help. Of course, they (the audience) must think about (“Lan Yu”), and if they want to go, you can still stop it, right? But I’m not going to be complacent about this, it’s boring. It is because everyone likes it that they remember the movie “Lan Yu”. I think it is very gratifying.
Written by Zhang He, reporter of Beijing News
Editor: Giabun