24 Facts About Bao Guo'an

Bao Guo'an was born on 4 June 1946 and is a Chinese actor and professor in the Central Academy of Drama.

Best known for his role as Cao Cao in the 1994 television series Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Bao won two Best Actor awards at the 1995 Golden Eagle Awards and Flying Apsaras Awards.

Bao Guo'an was a delegate in the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in 2003.

Bao Guo'an has been fascinated with acting and drama since he was a child.

Bao Guo'an attended a primary school in Tianjin where most of his schoolmates were from affluent backgrounds while he was not from a wealthy family.

Bao Guo'an did not join them initially but he did so later when he felt left out, and became addicted to movies.

Bao Guo'an recalled watching many Soviet films at that time, including Chapaev and Lenin in 1918, and he especially enjoyed movies about heroes.

In 1960, at the age of 13, Bao Guo'an gained an opportunity to appear on screen.

Around the time, a performing arts group in Tianjin was making a film about a young revolutionary martyr, Liu Wenxue, and Bao Guo'an was chosen as an actor.

In 1964, when the Fourth Agricultural Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps came to Tianjin to recruit cadres, Bao Guo'an insisted that they let him join their performing arts group.

In 1978, Bao Guo'an was accepted into the Central Academy of Drama and, due to excellent performance, was asked to remain and teach there after his graduation.

Bao Guo'an requested to be given a chance to personally experience rural life so that he can prepare better for his role.

Bao Guo'an recalled that when he returned home after working on the film for more than half a year, his appearance had changed so much that his son could not recognise him.

In 1997, Bao Guo'an was cast as Lin Zexu in Xie Jin's historical epic film The Opium War, which won the 1997 Golden Rooster and the 1998 Hundred Flowers awards for Best Picture.

In 2001, Bao played the lead role in Zhen Xin, a biographical film about Wu Dengyun, a medical doctor known for helping to improve healthcare in Ulugqat County, Xinjiang.

Bao Guo'an suffered from severe high blood pressure and during the descent he had to be carried, wearing an oxygen mask and on IV drip.

Bao Guo'an was very focused and diligent in preparing for his role, doing extensive research and spending long periods of time pondering over his character.

Bao Guo'an decided not to limit himself to the traditional image of Cao Cao as a villain, so he based his Cao Cao on his personal interpretation of the character in the novel and the Cao Cao described in historical texts.

In 2005, Bao Guo'an played the tyrannical Emperor Yang of the Sui dynasty in the television series Initiating Prosperity.

Bao Guo'an wanted to reject the offer for the role but found it hard because the director and producers were his old friends.

Bao Guo'an recalled that he had never been so emotional in any of his previous projects except for Zhen Xin.

Bao Guo'an explained that he wanted to present a complete, three-dimensional, vivid, and historically accurate portrayal of Emperor Yang, which boils down to his flamboyant costumes, as the emperor was known for his extravagance.

Apart from teaching at the Central Academy of Drama as a professor, Bao Guo'an continues to remain active in the entertainment industry although he hardly plays leading roles now.

Bao Guo'an mentioned that as he grew older he felt that he has become more mature in his career.