Interview｜Tian Xiaojie: This character's play is better, I'm not afraid that he will be short-lived

Tian Xiaojie is not a name that is remembered by many people, but telling the roles and plays he has played will make people come back to their senses: it turned out that he played them all!
For example, if you have watched the spy war drama "Before Dawn", you can remember that there is a lean and capable Kuomintang spy Li Bohan in it, and Tian Xiaojie's performance makes this role terrifying. More than ten years have passed, and his skills have not diminished. In "The Silent Truth", he appeared as the villain's forensic doctor Chen Mingzhang. In "The Swordsman in the Snow", he is the grandfather Wei who has consistently protected the younger generation. "The respectable old Hao in the unit play.
In the recently broadcast "The Gate of Rebirth", Tian Xiaojie played the villain Ding Shenghuo, who is quite shrewd. Some netizens joked that Ding Shenghuo was terrible and could form a "hot pot cp" with Aunt Guo in "The Beginning".

"The Gate of Rebirth" Ding Shenghuo character poster

Some netizens called Ding Shenghuo and "Aunt Guo" in the New Year's hit drama "The Beginning" together as "Hot Pot" CP, jokingly called it the shadow of 2022

Although in acting, Tian Xiaojie's performance is as good as before, making people feel that he is light-hearted, stable, and who is like who, but in fact, Tian Xiaojie's performance road is not easy.
He was born in a drama family, and his mother was a Gan opera actor. He was familiar with what acting was when he was young. When he was a teenager, he watched Alain Delon's films and was amazed, "It's so handsome!" At first I simply thought Alain Delon was handsome, which inspired him to want to be an actor. "I liked his films very much at that time. Later, I went to school in Beijing and bought DVDs of many of his films. I liked them very much."
When he was in his twenties, he saw an admissions brochure for an acting class and went there in the mood to try it out. In that era, acting was not a profession that everyone wanted to do. This performance class was opened by Guan Ying, a Chinese opera teacher. Tian Xiaojie worked very hard in the performance class. Because of his experience growing up, Tian Xiaojie is relatively shy, or perhaps it was influenced by Alain Delon. So far, when it comes to his appearance, he still feels that he is not a good-looking actor. handsome". Self-confessed that the external conditions were not good, Tian Xiaojie put in more efforts in the performance class.

Tian Xiaojie. Image provided by respondents

After 4 months of training, when it was time to sign up for the exam, Kwan Ying was particularly concerned about Tian Xiaojie, who worked hard, and asked him if he had taken the exam? Tian Xiaojie found out that she missed the registration. Guan Ying felt that it was a pity to miss this student, so she helped Tian Xiaojie to make up the registration temporarily, and she had to take the exam the next day. Tian Xiaojie was apprehensive, especially when he first entered the examination room, someone whispered, "This kind of person is still taking the exam?" This sentence shattered the courage and confidence he had finally built up, so he could only bite the bullet. .
"The content of the third test is an impromptu sketch. I will give you a name and show it to them. Other people's names are called reunion, encounter, etc., there is a situation. Give me this name: golden years. I was stupid at the time. Now, it's very false. The actor who was assigned to me is from the Hebei Bangzi Opera Troupe. I have no idea at all. I'm really stunned. I go in and tell the truth, saying that this thing is really unprepared. The teacher said okay, then Draw one, and I draw another relatively simple one."
Although the final exam results were good after layers of screening, he will always remember that process as "too scary". This year, Tian Xiaojie is 29 years old.
The process of entering the industry in this way makes Tian Xiaojie more aware that his path should be chosen for him, and that he should do his best. He talked about his preparation for a role, and the details of the process were unimaginable to outsiders, and he also explained why he was able to perform brilliantly even in small roles.

Tian Xiaojie as Ding Shenghuo

For example, the role of Ding Shenghuo was a challenge in his acting career, because the script did not provide him with much information, so Tian Xiaojie had to do a lot of thoughtful preparations and melt the lines into his blood, "The All the links are kneaded into a little mud."
In more than ten years of work, Tian Xiaojie has played far more supporting roles than the protagonists. Although many of his supporting roles are full of brilliance, as an actor, there should be no one who does not want to win the leading role in this Vanity Fair. Regarding this question, Tian Xiaojie's first thought is still "how to act". "The more scenes, the more opportunities to show all aspects of the character, and it's easy to act. To be honest, I always feel that it is very difficult to play a supporting role. You have to give this character to the audience in a limited number of scenes, which is not an easy task. There are many scenes in the performance, so I can take it easy, I don’t need to be so extreme. The difficulty of expressing characters in 50 scenes is not the same as that in 300 scenes.” He felt that playing a supporting role was particularly rewarding, “because In a few scenes, everyone remembers this character. I think this character's play is better, and I'm not afraid that he will be short-lived."

"The Gate of Rebirth" still, Wang Junkai (left) as Zhuang Wenjie

Of course, Tian Xiaojie does not deny that this is an industry full of fame and fortune, and full of "struggles". Playing the leading role is easy to become popular, and it is easier to get the role of the script that he likes, but he has always been quite stable in his mentality.
On the one hand, this is his character, "I don't want to fight, I don't want to fight, I've never wanted to fight from the beginning." On the other hand, he thought very clearly, "I don't have a reputation , I'm not as popular as others, I don't have as much traffic as others, is it because people don't like me? Definitely not, this attribution is too sad, it's not like this, this is not the mentality of creation. Do you think I'm good at acting , if you ask me to film again, I will do my best to create. If you give me money, it is quite right. I am not in pain at all, everyone has desires, but I feel that food is a stutter. Sometimes the environment is abnormal, I don't have a play, what should I do? I can only adjust it myself."
Of course, Tian Xiaojie's own "philosophy of life" - life is the most important - also helps him to adjust to some extent, "I always think that my work is a part of my life, not my whole, I feel I need life more, and life is the most important thing to me. I don’t participate in any entertainment activities, and everyone is short of money, but as long as I earn an actor’s money, I can eat enough.”
When Tian Xiaojie finished talking about his creative process in great interest, the reporter couldn't help but sigh, "It's really tiring to act well." Tian Xiaojie thought about it and said, "It's quite tiring. And to be honest, when our TV drama industry goes On the right track, our opportunities are getting fewer and fewer. I especially cherish my current job.”

Tian Xiaojie. Image provided by respondents

【dialogue】
Actors need to use their brains
The Paper: What was the process of coming into contact with Ding Shenghuo's character and how did you feel after reading the script?
Tian Xiaojie: Because of my choice of scripts, the first point is to look good. The scenes I have watched in the past few years are all like this, such as "The Swordsman in the Snow" and "The Silent Truth", which are very good-looking. You don't have to eat while reading the script, and Shen Yan's "Meritorious Merit"... Recently, I also filmed a play directed by Yao Xiaofeng, which was also very well written. My only criterion for judging a script is whether I can watch it all night long.
To be honest, this probability is not very big. An actor has life and is limited by age. His roles will be less and less, so I especially cherish the plays that others find me. If I think it is good, I will be willing to act. If the script is bad, I think it is meaningless, so don't waste time. The current script is uneven, and we have fewer and fewer opportunities. As an old actor, I don't think I should waste my artistic life.

Chen Mingzhang in "The Silent Truth"

"The Swordsman in the Snow" plays Grandpa Wei

And I can act. As an actor, his ability is limited, and I have to be able to control it. Then there is whether the character has a play. The previous play is quite good, and the writing is more extreme. I think it is still possible to try to shape it.

Luo Shifeng played in "Chinese Relationship"

The Paper: In what ways is the extreme reflected? What is particularly attractive to you?
Tian Xiaojie: Actor is a very attractive profession, because he can experience different lives. Ding Shenghuo brought me the life of a thief, which cannot be realized in reality. This is a point that I am particularly interested in. Going down with this point, can it bring me a very enjoyable enjoyment? Ding Shenghuo's lines are particularly good, as long as he adjusts it a little, he feels very comfortable. None of Ding Shenghuo's scenes was a waste, and I can remember every scene, from the time he appeared on the stage to implement his plan, to when he met Zhuang Wenjie, went to get the painting together, and later locked Zhuang Wenjie in the secret room. Characters are difficult for me, because we have no such experience. It is entirely up to me to imagine the person's logical thinking and emotional expression, which is challenging.
In addition to some information provided by the script, it is also necessary to consider how the character has vitality. As an actor, we need to think about why he does what he does from the perspective of Ding Shenghuo. I suggested to myself that there may be hundreds of reasons why he should go Looking for Zhuang Wenjie? Why did he ask Zhuang Wenjie to go get the painting after he found him? I set myself a lot of whys. Because he has a grudge with Zhuang Wenjie's father, he is going to find his son. How can he find his son? How did he find his son? How can I make his son believe me? Acting like an amiable uncle or something?

"Gate of Rebirth" stills

No matter what I do, I keep asking myself why I do it. Many people say that your actors are very good at making money, you just need to talk about your lines. In fact, anyone can be an actor, as long as you have talent. However, actors need to use their brains, and being an actor is especially irritating. When you play a role, you first need others to believe you. If you don't believe it, the role is a failure.
I summed up from the lines, he is a person who does not talk much, and can speak softly and harshly. He is not fierce on the surface. A dog that barks doesn't bite, and a dog that bites doesn't bark. Ding Shenghuo is the dog that can't bark, he is fierce, and he is fierce in his heart. What he has in his heart is much richer than what he expresses on the outside. I also know that it is adding a lot of difficulty to myself.
There was a scene where Zhuang Wenjie was locked in the vault by him. I slowly squatted down and said to him, the reason why I did this is because your father made me serve 10 years in prison For a long time. But I can't express that particularly ferocious feeling. I want to portray him as a real cruel person, and at the same time, I want to express the hatred in my heart. I think this measure is very important.

"Gate of Rebirth" stills

I filmed three scenes of him and Zhuang Wenjie, and I was very calm in the first scene. Later, I said another one, but when I watched the replay, I thought the first one was good, and there was an expression of emotion, and he also had anger. Very calm people also have emotional ups and downs and cannot be completely introverted. If he is calm at any time, then he is too scary. In fact, he is not a god, he is not a devil, he is still a human being, and since he is human, he must choose to open the emotional scar. This is my mental journey.
When I took on this scene, I was very nervous after seeing the director, because Ding Shenghuo was the first villain to appear. As a show, everything is difficult at the beginning, do you want to keep the audience? That first hammer was very important, so I was apprehensive.
The Paper: After so many years of acting, are you still afraid?
Tian Xiaojie: No matter how mature he is, every actor is very sensitive at heart. The second one is very vulnerable. Sometimes when we watch the director sigh at the scene, we are all scared. Am I acting wrong? The director may not give you the answer directly, he may express his dissatisfaction with an action. After the performance, they understated that it was good, but it was actually a great encouragement to our actors. I always think about acting, I don't want everyone to think that my role is the same as everyone else, and everyone can play it, but I want to find my way.
Acting is a process of competing with yourself
The Paper: Now the villains of domestic suspense dramas or film and television works are quite introverted... That is, everyone is better than each other, who is more brilliant, who is more extreme, and compete with each other. The current domestic suspense detective dramas will compare with each other. Which villain is better. What makes Ding Shenghuo different from other villains?
Tian Xiaojie: Actually, I don't have such a feeling. 100 people will have 100 Hamlet appearances in their hearts. For example, if I play Ding Shenghuo, I especially hope that he has Tian Xiaojie's style. I also know that many villains play well, such as It is said that Teacher Ning Li's Li Toyota is a very powerful character in recent years, but I can't come as his villain, because I don't have his image, and I'm not as extreme as him, but imitation is absolutely impossible. I can only look for the best in me. The roles are different and the missions they carry are different. In this case, I think I want to show my own style more.
It is a process of competing with oneself and thinking. It is like two people falling in love. If the character has feelings, I should also have feelings. What do you think this feeling is? do not know. And it's like this when I'm walking, maybe it doesn't feel right, but I don't act like that when I'm actually filming.

"Gate of Rebirth" stills

The Paper: Are there some scenes that have been deliberately designed and thought through very carefully?
Tian Xiaojie: If you don't have time, the scene won't give you much time.
When preparing, the outlines of the characters are very vague. Where to speak, when to speak, and in what posture to speak, this is all a personal way of handling. After arriving at the scene, the director said how you should go, and I will react immediately. Only a few minutes for you to think. It's a job of filling all the gaps with content.
I think the most fun thing about actors is to go to the scene with some preparations to improvise. I rarely watch replays live, and I don't because it interferes with my live improvisation. The organic response, the instant response, I think is particularly good.
Of course, what makes Ding Shenghuo particularly difficult to play is that I have never been a thief. This is a matter of experience, and it is difficult for you to know what a thief's mentality is like. In the end, I still feel that I need to consider it from a personal perspective, not career issues. Because everyone loves money, who doesn't love money? Who has no desire? You also like me and money. Money is indispensable in our life. I am not a person with rules. I can only use illegal means to get money. I am not a gentleman. Of course, the script will also provide some information, but that is not enough. The psychological level and the human nature level must be taken into account, and then specific to the action.

Ding Shenghuo's emoticon package posted by Tian Xiaojie on his personal Weibo

The Paper: Is this role the most difficult role you've played? Is Li Bohan difficult?
Tian Xiaojie: The difficulty is not as great as that of Chen Mingzhang. The character Chen Mingzhang is not easy to play. It needs to be dealt with to a certain extent, and it needs to be dealt with at the human level. No one can play a big boss, but not everyone can play a small role well. When he goes to eat hot pot, the small person's teeth and claws, the money is shaken twice, the kind of virtue, the small person's face, all the things you have to carry in your mind, it is difficult to act. In the end, the rich did better.

Li Bohan in "Before Dawn"

Li Baihan only has the party-state in his heart, not the right person. Isn't his arresting Liu Xinjie the "bad guy"? It's like this in his logic. At that time, this role was recommended to me by Lin Yongjian. At that time, I was super thin, and I was acting in the theater. Once, Lin Yongjian told me that he had a very good script in his hand, which was a spy war drama. He sent me the script, and after a look, it was really good, I think I must play it. Later, I met director Liu Jiang, and Liu Jiang said that was right. He asked Mr. Lin Yongjian to find a thinner actor. In fact, I have a little bit of it because of my thinness.
The actor industry is endless
The Paper: You have played many roles and famous works, but everyone may not know your name. Do you think this matter is important?
Tian Xiaojie: As we all know, if your reputation is bigger, of course the characters and scripts you get will be better. This is indeed the truth, we do not talk about those false, official things. That's right, I'm very fortunate that I can choose this career, that I can support myself, and I'm very fortunate that I have a job that I like. I think that until now, I especially hope that the first glance of others when they see me is to say that he is Li Bohan, he is Chen Mingzhang... This is what I think in my heart. Showbiz is a Vanity Fair. Do I wish I could fire myself? certainly. Because only when it is popular will there be better dramas and better directors to satisfy my sense of accomplishment. I think there is a good saying that I keep working hard and leave the rest to luck.
The Paper: Do you mind the fact that there are many supporting roles in the script you see now?
Tian Xiaojie: I don't mind. I don't mind at all. Who doesn't want to play the lead role? Although I haven't played any leading roles at my age, and I have played very few roles, I am very satisfied that I can move forward step by step in this industry. I am a very easy to satisfy person. I used to be not very confident in my appearance, and I also suffered some blows in the process of growing up, and I was not confident in my personality. But I now comfort myself that although I am not handsome enough, I have characteristics, who can look like me? everyone is unique.

Li Dahui in "I Am the Owner"

Thepaper
Tian Xiaojie: I won't mention this. I think it is too natural for an actor to suffer. Everyone thinks that the reward of an actor is so great, and suffering a little is nothing. I don't want them to think that way about me, just like I hate being told that we are actors or entertainers, I don't like it. What kind of occupation is "artist"? This is disrespectful to the actor, an actor is an actor.
The Paper: Where does the love for acting come from?
Tian Xiaojie: Everyone has a star dream. When I wasn't doing this, I thought Alain Delon was too handsome, but it was that simple at first. After doing this, I also have an idol, Mr. Li Xuejian. I think he is a real people's artist. He is my ideal.
I think, acting is fun, it's fun, and I enjoy that fun, especially when I'm on set, when I'm playing that person, it's really fun. I don't have so many profound truths about this line of work, maybe it's just for fun.
When I was just graduating, creating characters was very simple, not as detailed as I just said, everything was simplified, and the lines were finished, because I didn't know anything. When I thought I acted like the best, now I think it's the most important thing to make people believe it or not. In addition to the letter, let people feel that this role is a bit interesting.

"The Passionate Years" plays Xie Feng

It turns out that when I filmed "The Burning Years of Passion", the director concluded half-jokingly: You have to return to the Chinese drama and continue to return to the furnace. It's exciting. But the director helped me a lot, to be honest, but this sentence will always be etched in my heart.
I'm still willing to observe life. An actor's brain is especially like a database. Today I want to act like this, and take it out to see if it fits. This is design. The other day, I heard Mr. Hong Tao tell me that, in fact, the creation of actors needs to be designed, but there is a very critical issue, how to return the design to nature and make it your own. This is the very interesting part of performance. The actor industry is endless, there is no standard, it will always just tell you that there is a better performance.
The Paper: Of all the roles you have played, which one is the most difficult for you?
Tian Xiaojie: To be honest, all the roles I played were difficult. I didn't do my best. Sometimes I found some things I played in Douyin. Very weird. I seldom watch my own plays. In this play, I only saw one appearance. After watching it, my mentality will affect my judgment and the judgment of the next play. After that, I will hesitate. I am especially afraid of hesitation.
It must be said that the most laborious is the biography of a character shot by director Ning Ying, called "County Party Secretary Gu Wenchang", which has never been released. Because I think characters with archetypes are the hardest to play, because this person really exists. In particular, many people have seen Gu Wenchang, just like when Teacher Li Xuejian once played Jiao Yulu, when compared with a real person, it is not easy to act, which restricts the imagination of actors. You have to be like that person, act like that, and ask for so much, so that's the hardest.
The Paper: Please recommend a movie or TV series.
Tian Xiaojie: I watched a movie called "The Secret Service" recently, which was great.