Gu Yue () (December 26, 1937 – July 2, 2005), originally named Hu Shixue (胡诗学), was a Chinese actor. Noted for his uncanny resemblance to Mao Zedong, with whom he shares a birthday, he played the former Chinese leader 84 times from 1978 until his death. He won the Best Actor titles at China's Hundred Flowers Awards in 1990 and again in 1993.
Personal life Feng Mu, a cultural leader, found Gu at an orphanage after the liberation of Nanning, Guangxi. Feng trained Gu to become a member of an army theater troupe as a teenager. The two ultimately lost contact for a period of 40 years, reconnecting after Feng wrote an article praising Gu's performance as Mao in the 1983 film Crossing the Chishui River Four Times (based on Battle of Chishui River), not realizing that the performer was the boy he had rescued from an orphanage.
Gu and his wife Zhang Yan had a son.
Gu's personal life was low-profile.
Career Marshal Ye Jianying chose Gu to portray Mao in the August First Film Studio's 1983 film Crossing the Chishui River Four Times. Gu had extensive training to internalize Mao's accent, gestures, and comportment.
Gu played the role of Mao in The Song of the Chinese Revolution.
Gu only performed the role of Mao in his career.
The Chinese Communist Party did not generally permit Gu to do product endorsements. He was permitted to appear at a charity concert, but was criticized by the public for the amount of money he made for the appearance and the perception that his appearance had harmed the dignity and mystique of Mao Zedong. In a newspaper interview, Gu stated, "To play a leader, you have to be prepared to make some sacrifices."
Death On July 2, 2005, while staying in southern China, Gu suffered a heart attack shortly after bathing in a sauna and was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:09 pm.
Filmography
Film Year English title Original title Role 1981 The Xi'an Incident 西安事变Mao Zedong 1982 四渡赤水 1988 彭大将军 1989 The Birth of New China 开国大典1991 Decisive Engagement: The Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign 大决战：辽沈战役 大决战：淮海战役 大决战：平津战役 决战之后 1992 重庆谈判1993 中国出了个毛泽东 The Story of Mao Zedong 毛泽东的故事 1995 金戈铁马1996 The Great Military March Forward: Engulf the Southwest 大转折--鏖战鲁西南 大转折--挺进大别山 The Great Military March Forward: Liberate the Northwest 大进军--解放大西北1997 The Great Military March Forward: Pursue and Wipe Out in the South 大进军--南线大追歼 旭日惊雷1999 The Great Military March Forward: Fight for Nanjing, Shanghai and Hangzhou 大战宁沪杭 Sworn Brothers 肝胆相照 2000 毛泽东与斯诺 2001 走出西柏坡 2002 Uncle Kurban Visits Beijing 库尔班大叔上北京 2005 风起云涌
Television Year English title Original title Role Note 1987 古城情恨Mao Zedong 1991 南阳大会战 七战七捷 1993 豫东之战 1997 西藏风云1998 上海沧桑 中国命运的决战 抗美援朝 Unreleased 2001 向前,向前! 2002 彭真 2008 Ren Bishi (TV series) 任弼时 Posthumous release
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 1990 13th Hundred Flowers Awards Best actor The Birth of New China 1993 16th Hundred Flowers Awards Best actor The Story of Mao Zedong
References
External links