Ge You

b. 1957, Beijing

Film actor

Ge You grew up in a movie studio where his father was an actor. A high school graduate, he worked briefly on a hog farm. Back in Beijing in 1979, he improvised a skit about pig farming for a job interview and joined a modern drama troupe affiliated with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions’ Cultural Ensemble.

In 1988, his performance in the film A Mischievous Guy (Wanzhu) brought him instant fame. His convincing performance as a salesman of great intelligence who nonetheless appeared slow-witted gained admiration from audiences and respect from critics, and he won ‘Best Actor’ at the Ninth Annual Golden Rooster Awards. In 1989, he received an award at the Third Annual Chinese Movie Performing Arts Association Awards for his depiction of a bandit chieftain in Ballads of the Yellow River (Huanghe yao) as knowing neither adequate polite letters nor martial arts, and being gentle and quiet in appearance but cunning and treacherous at heart. His year of proliferation was 1991, starring in A Star Comedian (Xiju mingxing), Chinese New Year (Guonian), Warriors in the Blaze (Liehuo jingang), Following the Great Campaign (Juezhuan zhihou), and Stories from an Editorial Office (Bianjibu de gushi), a TV comedy series about five editors of differing ages, genders and personalities who bond through their daily routines: Ge You won ‘Best Actor’ in the Tenth Annual Golden Eagle Awards for his leading role as the cynical, yet warmhearted junior editor in the office. His latest hits include A Happy Funeral (Dawan) co-starring with Donald Sutherland.

HU MINGRONG WITH YUAN HAIWANG