“Yitian” white-browed eagle king Shao Wanlin died in his sleep at the age of 87

Renowned Chinese film and performance artist Shao Wanlin died peacefully at his home in Beijing on October 30 at the age of 87. Shao Wanlin’s son Shao Bing confirmed the news and said that his father died peacefully in his sleep. Well-known film producer Yu Yong revealed that Shao Wanlin’s memorial service will be held in Beijing on November 3. Fans and film colleagues from all walks of life have expressed their deepest condolences.

According to widespread media reports, Shao Wanlin was born in 1939. He was admitted to the Changchun Film Studio Actors Troupe in 1958 and transferred to Beijing Film Studio in 1974. After decades of acting, he has participated in more than 20 classic film and television works, including “Heroes”, “Pearl of the Sea”, “Passengers in Handcuffs”, “Yang Guifei”, “Wu Zetian”, “Tang”. Minghuang” and “Detective Detective D2”. Among them, he played the role of “White Eyebrowed Eagle King” in the 1993 movie “The Legend of the Demon Cult” starring Jet Li and played the role of Yuan Tiangang in “Detective Detective D2”, which left a deep impression on the audience.

After learning the sad news, veteran film fans and netizens left condolence messages on the Internet. “His performance as the White-Eyed Eagle King is truly a most impressive and classic. Another seasoned actor missing from his childhood memories,” and “A fine outing from the veteran performer.” Some netizens also left messages praising, “Both the villain and the righteous man are played to perfection. It is the veteran actor who is truly worthy of praise for his qualities and skills.”

When filming “Passengers in Handcuffs” in 1979, Shao Wanlin was hesitant because he was worried about playing too many villains. After director Yu Yang explained, “Actors should play a variety of roles. Su Zhe should play the role of a normal person without makeup.” That’s when he thought of taking up this role again and again and playing the role perfectly. In his later years, Shao Wanlin once quoted a poem to express his feelings, “The Great Wall is still there today, but Qin Shihuang was nowhere to be seen”. He candidly stated that there is endless exploration in performance, and “a lifetime is enough to be able to engage in the performance I like most.”

In addition to his achievements in art career, Shao Bing also revealed that his father was extremely filial throughout his life and received the Beijing “Filial Star” medal in 2015. Shao Wanlin spent his life explaining his love and dedication to the performing arts. Many of the classic screen images and great moral characters created by him will always remain in the hearts of generations of audiences.