On the evening of June 2, Chinese media reported that actor Wei Zong Wan - famous for his role as Sima Yi in the classic "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" (1994) - passed away on June 1, at the age of 88.
His two daughters, on behalf of the family, announced the obituary, announcing that the funeral and farewell ceremony would be held on June 5.
Immediately after that, actor Wu Jing posted a memorial to the late actor on his personal page. He wrote: "I am lucky to marry teacher Wei Zong Wan through the movie "The Legend of Jiangshan".
The demeanor of seniors is always unforgettable for me. Thank you for having the opportunity to meet and work together. Please rest in peace, we will always remember you.
Wei Zong Wan's last public appearance was recorded in March this year. At that time, he rarely reunited with Tang Guoqiang and Bao Guo'an, making many viewers feel like they relive memories of the classic version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".
Through the images at that time, it can be seen that Wei Zong Wan shaved his head bald and became significantly thinner, his pants were baggy, his legs seemed no longer as flexible as before. However, his spirit was still very good and he seemed extremely happy when he reunited with old friends.
Wei Zong Wan was born in 1938 in Shanghai (China). From a young age, he showed a special love for performing arts. In 1959, he passed the entrance exam to the Shanghai Drama Academy. After graduating, he became an actor at the Shanghai People's Art Theater.
In the early years, he mainly took on minor supporting roles. But along with the accumulation of experience, his acting ability gradually improved significantly.
In 1982, Wei Zong Wan officially stepped into the field of film and television with works such as "One and Eight", "Beach" and many other films. In 1989, he was awarded the title of first-class national actor.
1992 marked a major turning point in his career when he participated in the movie "Tam Mao Tong Quan Ky". Thanks to this role, he won the Best Supporting Actor award at the 13th Kim Ke Film Awards.
In 1994, he continued to make his mark with the role of Sima Yi in the TV series "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Although later there were many actors taking on the character Sima Yi, Wei Zong Wan's version is still considered the most classic.
After that, he participated in "Thuy Hu", playing Cao Cau. Although the duration of his appearance was not too long, his cunning and flattering villainous character still became a memorable highlight of the film.
He also appeared in many famous works such as "Thien long bat bo", "Dau danh trang", "That tinh 33 ngay"...
What makes the public admire even more is the professional ethics that he has preserved throughout his life.
At his peak, when his popularity and influence were very high, countless brands and advertising contracts came to him with fees many times higher than filming fees. But he refused.
He always maintains the view: "Actors' job is acting, not relying on fame to make money".
He believes that the audience's affection for him is recognition for the characters he has portrayed, and should not take advantage of that trust to advertise or make money quickly. He also does not want to trade the reputation of an artist for personal gain.
In everyday life, Wei Zong Wan is considered a model husband and father. Previously, all of his filming fees were handed over to his wife for management. Real estate in the family's name was also recorded in the name of his wife and two daughters.
Even to have money for his granddaughter's education, when he was over 70 years old, he continued to diligently act in movies.
