李沁:從薛寶釵到楊開慧

出生在江蘇昆曲名門之家

1990年9月27日，李沁出生江蘇省昆山市巴城鎮。她的家庭稱得上一個昆曲名門之家。整個家族的人幾乎都是從事昆劇藝術表演或者是昆曲愛好者。

發源于14世紀江蘇昆山的昆曲，至今已有600多年的歷史。昆劇是中國戲曲史上具有最完整表演體系的劇種。2001年5月18日，聯合國教科文組織在巴黎宣布第一批“人類口頭和非物質遺產代表作”名單，共有19個申報項目入選，其中包括中國的昆曲藝術。李沁在拍戲前，已被業內稱為該項非物質文化遺產的傳人。

在家人的影響下，李沁從小就愛好并開始學習昆曲藝術。上小學后，她所在的小鎮學校，恰好有一個熱愛戲曲的校長，校長成立了一個興趣班，從蘇州請來師傅，教學生們學唱昆曲等家鄉小戲。所以從小學三年級開始，李沁就開始練童子功。正是在蘇州老師的指導下，她13歲時就憑借表演昆曲《牡丹亭·游園》，獲得了第七屆中國少兒戲曲小梅花薈萃活動金花獎，這為她以后走上表演藝術之路打好了基礎。

在李沁即將上初中時，正巧上海戲劇學院附屬的上海戲劇學校老師到昆山招戲劇學員，李沁很快便被選上了，她就幸運地成了上海戲劇學校昆曲五班的學生。根據學校的安排，她所在的昆五班是上海昆劇團的定向班，學制10年，從初中、高中讀到本科，畢業后就分配到上海昆劇團當演員。這種定向班10年招生1次，為的是讓上海昆劇團老中青演員配比合理，李沁是上海戲劇學校重點培養的昆曲苗子，老師們認為她是30年一遇的“閨門旦”。

被李少紅導演選定演薛寶釵

2008年5月，由著名導演李小紅執導的新版《紅樓夢》經過緊張的籌備，正式開機拍攝，李沁有幸被李導選中，在劇中扮演薛寶釵。李沁入選這一角色，中間曾歷經幾番周折。

原來，李少紅導演在拍攝前，就到上海戲劇學院附屬的上海戲劇學校選演員。她先派副導演到上海戲劇學校打探，經過在眾多學員中海選，初選了幾位合適的小演員，將她們拍好照片，填寫好資料，結果當李沁的照片放在李少紅導演面前一擺，她就認定李沁就是演薛寶釵的人選，并開始與上海戲劇學校商量，把李沁借出來試鏡。

最初，上海戲劇學校的老師并不反對李沁參選，因為他們認為前一陣子《紅樓夢》劇組在全國各地選演員，要求非常高，參選的人員有數萬之多，很多人都沒有被選上，有些好不容易選上了，后來又被淘汰。李沁雖然是學校的“尖子生”，但也不一定能選上，就讓她去試試。李沁的家人最初也沒想到過這般幸運會落到孩子的頭上，就沒有反對。結果，李導初見李沁時，見她未施粉黛，精致的五官就這樣干凈而直白地呈現在眼前；贊揚她美麗，她卻只嬌羞地報以莞爾一笑，以示謝意，頗有江南女子含蓄內斂的韻味。李導就一錘定音，選定李沁演少年薛寶釵！不料，隨后李導就聽說李沁當時是上海初三的學生，李家人怕孩子拍戲要影響學業，到時既畢業不了，又接不了昆曲的班，所以一時拿不定主意。李導二話沒說就驅車趕到昆山李沁家中，做李沁父母的工作。在李導的開導下，李沁全家人在一起開了個史無前例的家族會議，經十幾人一起討論、表決后，同意讓李沁去拍戲。

然而當李沁前往北京進入《紅樓夢》劇組參加拍戲前的特訓時，上海戲劇學校的領導卻焦急了，因為李沁是為上海昆劇團定向培養的學生，她這一走說不定將來拍戲不斷，一時就回不來了，到時不好跟上海昆劇團交代，所以就派人進京向李少紅導演要人。情急之中，與李沁住一個房間演林黛玉的演員蔣夢婕把李沁鎖在衛生間里，并火速給制作人、副導演發短信搬救兵，李沁才沒被“捉拿”回校。與此同時，李沁的父母聞訊后就對上海戲劇學校展開持久攻勢，全家人表示：不管學校采取什么措施，一定要讓李沁去演《紅樓夢》。因為李家人問過李沁的老師、同學、朋友，他們每人都這樣說：“這么好的機會，誰不抓住，誰就是傻子。”由于家人的態度堅定，上海戲劇學校也就沒再去要人了。

李沁在新版《紅樓夢》中飾演薛寶釵這個人物獲得了成功，在江南地區長大的她性格沉穩、安靜、淡定，與《紅樓夢》原著小說中描寫的薛寶釵非常接近，而且因為在昆曲這種高貴優雅藝術的熏陶下，李沁舉手投足之間都自然地散發著優雅古典風范。該劇的美術指導葉錦添在點評李沁演技時說：“她的戲曲底子自然成為很大的助力，一直以來我對《紅樓夢》中薛寶釵這個角色都有好奇，為何曹雪芹要在賈寶玉與林黛玉的世界里加入一個薛寶釵？她代表了他們要反抗的體制抑或是一種穩定的力量？李沁的面相清秀，五官精美，苗條的身材，反過來倒有一點纖柔之氣。她來演薛寶釵能使觀眾產生一種不一樣的感受，我認為她演得很好。”

兩度出演毛澤東妻子楊開慧

在中國電影集團拍攝的《建黨偉業》獻禮影片中，除了展示大量的歷史事件外，毛澤東和楊開慧的感情戲被當做一條重要線索貫穿全片之中，成為一個精彩亮點。在拍攝該片之前選演員時，曾看過新版《紅樓夢》的《建黨偉業》導演黃建新便選定由李沁來出演楊開慧。李沁到劇組經過試鏡后，化妝師便給她設計了一個楊開慧的人物造型。李沁的定妝造型一出來，《紅樓夢》中的云鬢釵髻修成了清爽的童花頭，寬袖上衣，外罩長褂，簡單的白圍巾，微微的笑意，顯得既文靜又賢惠，被譽為一個“青純版的楊開慧”。

影片拍攝中，有一場毛澤東與楊開慧的新婚之夜的戲，這對90后的李沁來說是個不小的挑戰。為了表現出新娘的嬌羞，李沁幾乎沒什么臺詞，這更加考驗她的演技。開拍之前李沁做足了功課，設想過各種狀態情境，而到了現場實拍，導演要求她沉浸在自己的精神情感當中，靜心聆聽毛澤東的話語，最后輕輕地說出“我愿意”，堅定中滿含深情。剛開始試了幾遍，李沁的狀態有了，只是第一次演新娘的她太害羞，說“我愿意”之后依靠在毛澤東身上的一個動作始終不能過關，最后還是導演把她叫到監視器前給她看回放，耐心指導，才順利拍完這個鏡頭。因此，青年演員劉燁、李沁在《建黨偉業》中表演的毛澤東和楊開慧的形象有別于觀眾以往見到的印象，特別是他倆表演的毛澤東在下雪天肩扛著楊開慧看雪景等甜蜜的戀愛鏡頭，是全片中最“現代”的戲。導演黃建新對李沁贊不絕口地說：“你飾演的楊開慧清純恬靜，又不失革命者的堅定——兩個字：到位。”與她合作飾演毛澤東的劉燁也說，李沁年紀雖小，演技卻純樸自然，恰到好處。

李沁在電影《建黨偉業》中拍攝歷時5個多月。這期間，正好中國電視劇中心、浙江廣電集團、浙江影視集團投資3000萬元，拍攝建黨獻禮電視連續劇《中國1921》，李沁因在《建黨偉業》中扮演楊開慧一角，有較好的表演基礎，所以也被穆德遠導演選進《中國1921》劇組演楊開慧。由于同時飾演同一個人物，所以李沁一直處在楊開慧的人物狀態里。對于此前有人擔心兩個楊開慧會不會雷同的問題，李沁這樣回答，“電影《建黨偉業》中楊開慧的年齡主要集中在14－18歲之間。電視連續劇《中國1921》的歷史背景與建黨偉業基本相同，但表現細節的空間卻更多更廣。”

在《中國1921》劇中，相對年輕的李沁和谷智鑫（毛澤東的扮演者）對演繹劇中楊開慧倒追毛澤東的“女追男”戲顯得很有信心。因為李沁恰好飾演了電影《建黨偉業》中的楊開慧，而谷智鑫也在《恰同學少年》中飾演毛澤東，這次兩人都是二度飾演毛澤東和楊開慧這一角色，可謂是駕輕就熟。劇中楊開慧為送毛潤之（毛澤東）一雙鞋來表達自己的心意而大動腦筋。最終，楊開慧想到一個巧妙的辦法，她把自己剛畫完、墨跡還未干的畫紙悄悄扔在書房的地上，被忙著找書的毛潤之不小心踩到——結果尺碼立現。這一巧妙細節設計，充分表現出楊開慧情竇初開的少女心理，也使得人物形象刻畫更為人性和豐滿。為了表演這一情節，李沁也動了不少腦筋，在開拍前做了充分的準備工作，包括查閱了有關楊開慧的所有資料，分析她所在的時代、家境、性格等各方面因素，做到胸有成竹。

電視連續劇播出后，李沁深有體會地說：“這次演《中國1921》里的楊開慧，讓我過了一把‘毛夫人’的癮。我經常被劇中楊開慧單純可愛的性格深深打動，劇中楊開慧倒追毛澤東，甚至直接求婚說‘我要給你生孩子，你要是因為革命犧牲了，我就讓孩子繼續你的事業’，這種表達愛情的方式，即使放到現在也不過時。”李沁還認為：“以前描寫楊開慧的影視作品，多著重突出她身為革命者的英雄氣質，往往忽略她從青澀走向成熟的人生變化，其實是不夠人性和客觀的，而《中國1921》中的楊開慧恰好填補了這個空白。”

近年來，李沁憑借自己“清水出芙蓉”般的外形，奮發上進的從業態度，贏得了廣大觀眾的喜愛，并從眾多新人中脫穎而出，一舉拿下2010年度南方影視盛典的“金南方年度最佳新人獎”。這些來自業界和觀眾的肯定與好評，讓李沁的信心倍增，她表示：“有李少紅、黃建新等導演的指導、觀眾的支持，我一定會在演藝道路上一直走下去，努力爭取新的成績。”□

Kunqu Opera Artist Stars in Epic Film

By Yu Ren

The 21-year-old Li Qin appears in “The Founding of the Party”， an epic film first screened nationwide on June 15， 2011， fifteen days before the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party of China. The film stars her as young Yang Kaihui (1901-1930)， the sweetheart and then wife of Mao Zedong (1893-1976). Compared with the 172 other heavy-weight stars that appear in the 90-minute blockbuster， Li Qin is lucky enough to be a major star.

It was her first film appearance， though her stardom has been in the making for more than ten years.

Li Qin was born in September 1990 into a family of Kunqu Opera enthusiasts， including professionals and amateurs. Such a family is not rare in her hometown Kunshan of southern Jiangsu Province， the birthplace of the opera of poetry and beauty in the 14th century. Though the six-hundred-year-old opera has long since passed its ancient glory， Kunqu was listed in 2001 as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The world heritage status has breathed new life into the ancient genre.

She went to a primary school which offered a Kunqu opera course for those interested in the ancient thespian art. As a third grader， Li Qin started her training under the guidance of an experienced Kunqu artist from the neighboring Suzhou City. At 13， she won a gold medal at a national competition for children stage artists. After the primary school， the budding Kunqu opera performer entered Shanghai Drama School for a ten-year Kunqu Opera course， which is to offer a four-year-college diploma to graduates. The course trains Kunqu artists for Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe. Li Qin is a star pupil at the school and all the teachers there agree that she is a rare genius they are lucky enough to discover for the first time in thirty years.

However， her career came to an unexpected turning point in 2008. In May 2008， Li Qin was chosen to act as Xue Baochai， a key role in the new television drama of “The Dream of Red Chambers”， based on the namesake Chinese novel written by Cao Xueqin (1715-1763) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The casting director came to the school in a bid to choose some actors from the young Kunqu artists at the school. The school teachers did not hesitate to recommend Li Qin， reasoning that the director cast a wide net across the nation and Li Qin would not be chosen from a galaxy of young heartthrobs. Director Li Shaohong， however， picked Li Qin at the first sight of the young drama student from Shanghai.

However， the director ran into some difficulty. Li Qin’s parents believed that appearing in the television drama was a great opportunity， but they worried that her study might be negatively impacted by the long absence at the school and the star pupil might fail to get the diploma. It was a big opportunity that might or might not bring overall long-term benefits to the young Kunqu artist. The director drove all the way to Kunshan to meet Li Qin’s parents and had a talk with them. The parents held a long discussion with more than ten relatives. They decided to let Li Qin go to Beijing and star in the new television version of the classic novel.

The school was most reluctant to let the star pupil go for fear that they might lose the star pupil to the art of film and television dramas. In a bid to get Li Qin back， the school sent a group of teachers to Beijing where Li was receiving intensive training at a training camp with other young performers as a big part of preparations for the new television drama version of the classic novel. When the teachers from Shanghai appeared at the training camp， Li Qin hid herself in the bathroom and her roommate locked the door. Then the roommate sent SOS text messages to the producer and associate director for help. The emergency was over when the producer arrived.

Li Qin’s parents protested the school’s attempt fiercely， saying that they supported their daughter to grab this one-in-million opportunity and appear in the television drama. They reasoned with the school management that the family had consulted everyone concerned about the opportunity and everyone said it was a lifetime opportunity. The school gave in and objected no more.

The 50-episode drama took four years to get completed， including a 15-month shooting period. The screening started on September 2， 2010. Li Qin was a big success in the drama. Her upbringing in the Yangtze River Delta shaped her as a quiet girl with a sweet and unflustered temperament and her training in Kunqu Opera brings classic elegance to her performance. Her characterization is considered perfectly close to the character in the novel. Her performance gives the audience a new angle to peep into the hidden depth and dimension of the triangle romance.

And as expected by the Li Qin’s parents， the television drama was indeed a golden opportunity for their daughter.

Wang Jianxin， one of the directors of “The Founding of the Party”， watched the television drama and thought highly of Li Qin. When his new big-budget movie began to cast performers nationwide， he chose her for the character of Yang Kaihui. The dresser and the cosmetician worked on the girl. When she appeared as a girl in the fashion style of the early 20th century， everyone was pleased to find that Li was perfect for the role.

That is how the Kunqu Opera future star established her stardom on the silver screen. Her image adds a big touch to the blockbuster. Critics and audience agree her part in the movie is one of the most attractive scenes of the film.

She spent five months getting the job done for the film. While she was in the middle of the shooting， she had a job offer to appear in “China in 1921”， a 30-million project produced and financed by China Television Drama Center， Zhejiang Radio and Television Group and Zhejiang Film and Television Group. They had been looking for a girl for the character of Yang Kaihui. As Li Qin was acting as Yang in the film， they thought they should look around no more. She was the perfect choice for the television drama.

Li Qin was satisfied by her performance in “China in 1921”. “I have had a gratifying share of acting as Mrs. Mao，” she comments. “It is neither objective nor humanistic to characterize Yang merely as a revolutionary and martyr and ignore her growth from a shy girl to a staunch revolutionary. China in 1921 depicts a different Yang that corrects the imperfection. ”

As a budding film and television performing artist， Li Qin has catapulted to stardom by winning a best new film artist award in 2010. The acknowledgement from the film industry and audiences encourages her to accomplish more in a film and television career. □