1905 movie network feature On February 27, 2021, he passed away due to liver cancer.
Wu Mengda, also known as "Da Ge" or "Da Shu", collaborated with Becoming a Golden Partner in a series of classic nonsensical comedies during the peak of Hong Kong cinema.
Wu Mengda’s acting skills are exquisite, and he has played the characters of uncles, brothers, fathers and other small people in the market. He is one of the few stars who became popular by acting in supporting roles, and he is also a screen memory of a generation. In the past 50 years, he has been nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards five times, and won the award in 1991.
In 2014, Wu Mengda was hospitalized for heart failure. After successful first aid, he lost 15 kilograms. After that, he took a break from the film industry for half a year to recuperate his body. At that time, his heart function had only recovered to 50%. He said that he had asked a lawyer to make a will. At the end of 2020, he suffered from liver cancer again, which had spread and had to be hospitalized for surgery and chemotherapy.
Wu Mengda loves acting and has continued to film with illness over the years. The most recent film he met with the audience was when he even suffered a heart attack while shooting a poster a year ago.
His grandfather, Han Ziang, is gentle and kind, especially in the scenes of sacrifice, which are tear-jerking and show acting skills that are different from comedy performances.
During the filming, due to the heavy physical load of wearing a space suit to lift the pressure, Wu Mengda once had to rely on oxygen to support himself. He praised the senior, "There is no script for the scene, because he memorized the dialogue of the other party." After the performance of "Wandering Earth", Wu Mengda also said: "It is worth leaving a page in the history of Chinese cinema."
His relationship with Stephen Chow has always been the focus of the news. Since the movie, they have not brokered a cooperation, and rumors of a rift between the two have been circulating in the outside world.
In recent years, Wu Mengda has clarified many times, and he also revealed that Zhou Xingchi had invited him to participate in the performance, but could not participate due to physical reasons. During his recent illness, Zhou Xingchi also took the initiative to call to inquire about his condition, saying that he was "ready to help at any time."
Wu Mengda also recently said on the program that as long as he is still alive and Xingye has not retired, they will have the opportunity to cooperate. Now, we can’t wait for this "best partner" to cooperate again.Even if there are regrets, fortunately, the classics are still there, and the memories are still there.
The following is an excerpt from an interview with Wu Mengda by 1905 Film Network in 2018. At that time, the film starring him would be screened. Facing the camera, Wu Mengda repeatedly expressed his love for acting:
"I can’t live without my acting, and I love acting very much. Many people ask me, I’m almost 70, why do you love acting? Although I was sick a few years ago and my heart was not good, I have been following movies and the development of Chinese movies. I really like being an actor. In fact, I can be a director or a backstage very early, but I just don’t want to go."
He said that the most satisfying roles he has played are the third uncle in "Gambling Saint", the father of Su Can in "Wuzhuangyuan Su Qier", Hai Dafu in "Lu Ding Ji" and Taibao in "Tianruoyou Love", and the biggest regret in life is not playing.
He also said that he was grateful to the audience for their willingness to feed him. Acting is the greatest meaning of his existence. He will not retire and will perform for another 50 years. And in 50 or 100 years, he still hopes that the audience can remember "Wu Mengda".Uncle Da, go well all the way! May you continue to perform and laugh in heaven.
"The mainland has a lot of room, and Hong Kong people can’t make deep comedies"
"Laughing Forest Kid 2: The New Oolong Courtyard"He once won 100 million Taiwan dollar box office like a whirlwind in Taiwan, breaking records and opening the era of fire in the video hall"Oolong Courtyard."A series of films.
"There were many Hong Kong dramas in Taiwan back then, and I was almost the one who broke the record," Wu Mengda recalled, "but the’Oolong Courtyard ‘I played with and acted in ranked first, higher than the one I worked with Zhou Xingchi!"
The next year, he and the "Oolong Court" team struck while the iron was hot and then pushed the sequel, which was a hit. Not only in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, but also in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and other South East Asia regions, as long as the TV station aired, the audience ratings were very high.
More than 20 years later, the Chinese film landscape has changed dramatically, and going north to co-produce is the general trend. The "Oolongyuan" series has ushered in the third installment. In the face of the current market context, we must first face such questions: Is it selling feelings, is it frying cold rice?
Uncle Da explained it this way, "Although it is old wine in new bottles, every time, every movie must have its new creation and new classic." In his eyes, "movies are a huge dream factory, and it is fun to have constant creativity with the changes of the times."
He believes that there is no difference between Hong Kong comedy, Taiwanese comedy and mainland comedy, and the language of comedy is common all over the world. "The best thing about comedy is that it doesn’t even need dialogue, it may be just a look. For example, in an era without dialogue, it is performed by body language. This is the cutest and most precious aspect of comedy."
As an important member of the once glorious era of Hong Kong comedy, he also lamented in the face of the decline of Hong Kong films:
"Our Chinese mainland has a lot of space now, everything is more advanced than Hong Kong, and the production cost is also higher than Hong Kong. The whole market is thousands of times larger than Hong Kong, tens of thousands of times. Hong Kong is too small, and what we understand is limited to Hong Kong culture. The real history, the classical culture, in fact, we Hong Kong people are not very deep. So we have always emphasized that we are shooting commercial films, and those comedies and dramas with more depth cannot be shot by Hong Kong people."
"At the craziest time, I read a script 200 times"
In 1973, Wu Mengda applied for the Hong Kong TVB artist training class. The reason for applying for the exam was that he felt very handsome. Of course, his mother’s strong encouragement was also the main reason. After that, he andChow Yun Fat,Lin LingdongWait until you enter the training class to learn.
After graduation, Wu Mengda and Zhou Yun-fa worked together as extras. It was not until the TV series "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang" that he first tasted the popularity of "Hu Tiehua". On the contrary, Zhou Yun-fa, because of his height, could only continue to play tricks on the set.
Soon after his debut, Wu Mengda became a big hit, and during that period, he was completely bloated. He spent every day with his boss, and he described his life at that time as "gambling, smoking, alcohol, and women." The result of erosion was that he owed a lot of debt and was frozen by TVB for four years.
There was no drama to shoot, and when he was at his worst, he only had the money to buy a pack of cigarettes. He once thought of committing suicide. Even his junior brother criticized him at that time as "a piece of mud that can’t support the wall".After experiencing ups and downs, we must also usher in a change of heart.
Wu Mengda used this time to immerse himself in acting. He watched movies, read books, and studied scripts. After that, he finally turned around with "Sequel to Senior Brother Xinja".
He played the role of instructor and opposite actor in the TV series. According to him, there was a two-page play that he watched 200 times just to show the feeling that "the mouth is scolding him, but the eyes are hurting him" when he scolded Tony Leung in the play.
"200 times", Wu Mengda mentioned "200 times" many times.
"I’ve probably read every play, every dialogue, more than 50 times. In my craziest days, I’ve seen it 200 times. Why did I watch it for so long? Do I have a bad memory? No. Basically, I’ve watched it five or six times, and I can remember most of it, but I have to keep interpreting it from other angles, so I have to keep reading the script and keep giving it more vitality."
Now, he has developed a habit of reading the script carefully the night before filming, and not bringing the script to the scene on the day of filming. He said that when he was filming "New Oolong Academy", when he worked with Zhou Xingchi in the past, he was even more, "It’s not for the camera, it’s not for the plot, and it’s not for the dialogue. I just eat it all, and then see what can spark each other on the scene, play some fun with the opponent, play tricks on the object, and suddenly come, and the opponent can’t react."
The collaboration with Stephen Chow began with "He Came From the Jianghu" and "Hero of the World". At that time, they were father, son and mentor in the play, and they were neighbors who lived across the street outside the play. They were brothers who always discussed performances together in the car before going to the set.
"Gambling Saint" was their true starting point, and likewise, they also achieved "Gambling Saint".
In the movie, Wu Mengda was mistakenly beaten by Zhou Xingchi. He was wearing women’s clothes while foaming at the mouth and saying, "It’s alright", "Then let’s go". This funny scene is his temporary design. There is also the classic image of "Third Uncle". When Zhou Xingchi shouted "Third Uncle", he had a seizure like a convulsion, and his whole body trembled. This is not groundless, but his own performance style, and he also named it "Congenital Uncontrolled Disorder".
With improvisation and tacit cooperation, they have crossed the world in one song and one relaxation, becoming the most classic screen partner in Hong Kong film history.
In the eyes of the public, Wu Mengda may be the "little follower" next to Zhou Xingchi in the movie. Since the movie, he has hardly played the male lead. He doesn’t mind the light and heavy of the role at all, "I treat the protagonist and the supporting actor the same, and I will pay the same.
Some time ago, he made a cameo appearance in a big movie "Sir Wei", once again playing the role of Hai Gonggong. In the TV series "Xiaobao and Kangxi" and the movie "Lu Ding Ji", Wu Mengda has played Hai Dafu twice, both of which are funny and crazy. This time, he seems to be reinterpreting in the opposite direction of insidious and fierce.
"Comedy, farce, tragedy, drama, I’ve shot all kinds of scenes, what else can I do?" He said he didn’t want to do repetitions, but had no choice but to play too many roles. Even if it’s an old film, a new role, or a cameo, he believes there is still a lot of scope and room for better performances.
"I’m sorry I didn’t play" The Wrong Car "
And influence me the most "
Uncle Da was very honest, saying that he really couldn’t do without acting, and even when he was hospitalized and sick before, he was concerned about the movie and the set."I keep wanting to act, and I keep hoping to create, which will make me younger. Living in the film and television industry, there is a group of people who accompany you to play and chat every day, and respect you very much. This is the greatest pleasure in life, and it is also the job I like."
When it comes to the most satisfactory roles, he listed four: the third uncle in "Gambling Saint", the father of Su Can in "Wuzhuangyuan Su Qier", Hai Dafu in "Lu Ding Ji", and Taibao in "Tian Ruoyou Love".He has created a lot of classic comedy roles, but so far, it is this tragic little character in "Heaven Ruoyou" that has won him the only Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor.
Similarly, in this interview, we also found a Wu Mengda who is completely different from the stereotype of "comedian".
He said that the biggest regret in his life was not being in "The Wrong Ride," and that he wanted to play the sad, dumb dad so much. In his opinion, the performances of the movie version of Sun Yue and the TV version are great, but from the body language to the eye details, he believes that there is a different way of acting from them.
In 2006, in the variety show "Operation Style", he passed the addiction of "Riding the Wrong Car". But it was just a small segment of the show’s acting, and he had to get into the play and be absorbed. Although his easy-to-put acting skills were not realized in the "Riding the Wrong Car", they were in "Heaven Ruoyou Love", and later in the "Shaolin Football" football coach, more visible.
The movies that influenced him the most were not comedies, but "The Yellow Earth" and "Love and Dust". "I have seen these two more than 50 times, and there are videotapes. I watch them almost every day when I have time, and learn something from them."Two literary films, two literary films with the same sense of loneliness.
"If you don’t like it or worry about it, what do you sing?", he said that he will always remember this dialogue in "Yellow Land", "That tone is really lonely, very wandering, but it will hit your heart, the whole atmosphere is too painful."
And "Love the Wind and Dust", born in Xiamen, he may have aroused his memories and nostalgia for southern Fujian in the local atmosphere of this Taiwanese film.
I watched Uncle Da’s "congenital disorder" in comedy movies, but I forgot that he was so calm and peaceful in the audience, and even willing to embrace loneliness and loneliness.
"Stephen Chow’s golden partner", "the universal supporting actor of Hong Kong movies", and also described him as "a good actor who can act in big comedies and big tragedies, with real acting skills". Some people say that he is "Chinese".
"In 50 years, in 100 years, how do you want the audience to evaluate you?"At the end of the interview, we threw this life summary question to him, and he quickly put away his smile, thought for a few seconds, and said, "I hope the audience can still remember me, and I hope the audience still has the impression of’Wu Mengda ‘."
As soon as he finished speaking, he was nonsensical again, "Huh? 50 years later, 100 years later, I will still be here, ask again when the time comes!"