In2014,WangtooktheleadroleinMonkComesDowntheMountain,directedbyrenownedChinesedirectorChenKaige.HevividlyportrayedanaïveandsimpleyoungTaoistmonk.ICWangBaoqiangstandsinstarkcontrastwithhispeersintheChinesemovieindustry.Heneverformallystudiedactingandcanhardlybeclassifiedasaheartthrob.Sincehelackscertainstarqualities,“simple,”“unadorned,”and“alittlesilly”havebecomethemostcommonlyusedadjectivestodescribeWang.
InlateJanuary,duringtheSpringFestivalholiday—China’sblockbustermovieseason—Wang’sdirectorialdebut,theactionadventurecomedyBuddiesinIndia,hitbigscreensinChina.StarringanddirectedbyWang,thefilmgrossedmorethanUS$100millioninjustthreeweeksafteritsrelease.Whetheractingordirecting,Wangconsistentlybringspleasantsurprisestohisaudience.
ADreamComesTrue
In1984,WangwasbornintoapovertystrickenfamilyinXingtaiCity,HebeiProvince.Accordingtohismother,thefamilywassopoorthatyoungWangalwaysworehand-me-downsfromhiselderbrotherandsister.Asachild,WangwatchedTheShaolinTemple,a1982HongKong-ChinesemainlandkungfumoviestarringJetLi,countlesstimes,inspiringtheboytodreamofstudyingmartialartsandfilm.
Inthehopeofrealizingthisdream,Wangbeganlearningmartialartsattheageofsix.Fromageeightto14,hestudiedattheSongshanMountain-basedShaolinTempleinHenanProvinceasaseculardisciple.Duringhissix-yearstayattheBuddhisttemple,Wangwokeat4:00a.m.insummerand5:00a.m.inwinterforamorningjog.Andhistwice-a-weekstaminatrainingrequiredhimtorunmorethan20kilometerseachtime.Becauseofsuchgruelingtraining,Wangcouldonlyreturnhomeonceayear,fortheSpringFestival,duringtheentiresixyears—eventhoughthetempleisonlyafewhundredkilometersfromhishome.
WheninterviewedbythemediaafterBuddiesinIndiawasreleased,Wangrevealedhismotivationformakingthefilm:“Itwasmychildhooddream.”
WangandhisyoungerbrotherweregreatlyinfluencedbyactorLiuXiaoLingTong,whoisbestknownforhisroleastheMonkeyKingintheiconic1986ChineseTVadaptationofthe16th-CenturynovelJourneytotheWest.BothboysfantasizedaboutbecomingtheMonkeyKingandhavinghismartialartsskills.However,thefamilycouldonlyaffordtosendoneboytotheShaolinTempletostudymartialarts,soWangpromisedtoteachhisbrotheraftercompletinghisstudies.Unfortunately,hisyoungerbrotherpassedawaybeforeWangcompletedhisstudyattheShaolinTemple.Wangcouldneverfulfillhispromise.HehopedthatBuddiesinIndiawouldbeastart.
ThefilmfollowsahumbleWuKong(WangBaoqiang)asheaccompaniesthesonofarecentlydeceasedwealthybusinessmantoIndiatofindhiswill.
AlthoughWanghasbeenareveredactorforyears,BuddiesinIndiawashisdirectorialdebut,soitposedmanychallenges.ThefilmwasmostlyshotinIndia.Underthescorchingsun,withtemperaturesregularlyexceeding40degreesCelsius,camerasfrequentlybrokedownandactorsandcrewcomplainedendlessly.Wangwasinjuredwhileshootingonesceneandreceived10stitchesaroundhismouth.Anotherscenefeaturedachili-eatingcompetition.Tomakethecharacter’sreactionasauthenticaspossible,Wangswallowedawholetrayofchilies.“TheyweresohotthatIfeltsomethinglikeavolcanicexplosioninmybody,”Wangsighs.
Wangevenacceptscriticismsofthefilmpeacefully;criticsconsistentlycitedaclichédplotandabruptending.“Fewwereborntomakefilms.Mydirectorialdebutwascertainlyalearningprocess.”
In2015,WangwontheBestNewActionActorawardattheclosingceremonyoftheJackieChanActionMovieWeekGalaNightduringthe18thShanghaiInternationalFilmFestival.CFPStrugglesofRuralYouth
Today,evenaftermorethanadecadeintheentertainmentindustry,Wangremainshonestandsimple,andtreatsotherswithsincerityandkindness.Hisownlifestoriesareoftenasfascinatingasthecharactershehasplayed.
About14yearsago,countryboyWangarrivedinBeijingtopursuehismoviedreamlikesomanyofhispeers.ComparedtohischildhoodidolJetLi,whoalsostudiedmartialartsatayoungage,Wangwasunassuming.JetLiwonhisfirstnationalmartialartschampionshipasateenandbecamefamousovernightafterthereleaseofTheShaolinTemple.Wangwasjustapoorguywithoutanyexperienceorconnections.
DuringhisfirstdaysinBeijing,WangoftenwaitedunderabigtreeattheentranceofBeijingFilmStudiointhehopeofbeingspottedbyacastingagentlookingforextras.Whenhewasluckyenoughtogetachancetoplayawalk-oncharacter,hewaspaidonlyafewdozenyuanaday.Whenhedidn’thaveanactingjob,heworkedatconstructionsites,transportingbricksandsand.“Sometimes,Ievendidn’tknowwheremynextmealwouldcomefrom,”herecalls.Buttheyoungmanknewthathehadtopersist.“Itoldmyselftohanginthere.Iwouldbecomeastaroneday,andIwouldberecognizedbyeveryoneonthestreet.”
In2003,WangwascastinhisdebutroleinthemovieBlindShaft,whichlaterwonhimtheBestNewPerformerprizeatthe2003TaipeiGoldenHorseFilmFestivalandAwards.ThemovienotonlyadmittedWangintofilmandtelevisioncircles,butalsohelpedhimbuildself-confidence.“Afterthat,IknewthatIcouldbeagoodactor,”headds.
In2004,oneofthemostrenownedworkingChinesedirectors,FengXiaogang,castWangastheleadinhisfilmAWorldWithoutThieves.WangplayedanaïvevillageboyworkingasaconstructionworkerinTibetandtakinghisfiveyearsofsavings,incash,homewithhimonatrain.Theboydeclaresthathedoesnotbelievetherearethieves,evenasateamofprofes-sionalpickpocketscompetestostealhismoneyandtwoothersseektoprotecthim.Inthemovie,WanggotthechancetoworkwithA-listChineseactorsandactressesfromboththeChinesemainlandandHongKong,includingGeYou,AndyLauandReneLiu.Unsurprisingly,therolebroughthimimmensepopularityandmadeonedreamcometrue:“Bythen,IwasrecognizedwhenIwalkedonthestreet.”
In2006,Wangstarredinthe30-episodeTVseriesSoldiersSortie.HevividlyportrayedXuSanduo,ayoungmilitaryrecruitwhoisbrave,upright,andkindhearted.Thesoldierisnothighlyintelligent,butinvestsprofounddevotioninanytaskassignedtohim.Wang’snaturalactingstyleprovedacrowdfavoriteandtremendouslysuccessful,winninghimcountlessfans.
WangsaysthatwhenhefirstsawthescreenplayforSoldiersSortie,hefeltlikeitwaswrittenspecificallyforhim.“IamalreadyXuSanduo,”helaughs.“Ididn’tevenneedtoact.Theroleandmyselfmergedintoasingleexistence.”
Theconceptof“nevergivingup”promotedbytheTVseriesmovedmillionsofChinesespectators.Theblunt,persistent,andsimpleXuSanduoissimilartoTomHanks’ForrestGump.Hedoeswhathebelievesisrightandsticksitouttotheend,providingfoodforthoughtandinspiringviewerstoreflectontheirownlives.
InhisautobiographyMovingAhead:StrugglingYouthpublishedin2008,Wangrecountedhisdreams,struggles,andepisodesofgrowingup.Evennow,everytimehepassesBeijingFilmStudio,heisstillmovedbythesightofextraswaitingattheentrance.Wanghasneverdeniedthatdespiteallofhisefforts,itstilltookamajorservingofgoodlucktoearnhissuccess.Itmaybehardtoreplicate,butWang’sstoryhasalreadymotivatedmanyyoungpeopletofollowtheirdreams.
Workingasadirectorforthefirsttime,WangwatchesthemonitorwithhisproductionstaffonlocationforBuddiesinIndia.courtesyofthefilmproductionteam
WangisinterviewedbythemediaafterthepressconferenceforAWorldWithoutThievesin2004.CFP