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Director Dương Khiết's Unconventional Move: Flying to Escort Actress Alongside Lavish Payments
According to Sina, the 1986 Journey to the West was produced with a meager budget of only 6 million CNY. Despite assembling a stellar cast with excellent performances, they received modest salaries. Even the male lead, Lục Tiểu Linh Đồng, one of the highest-paid in the cast, received only a few dozen CNY, reaching a maximum of 100 CNY per episode.
For six consecutive years playing Sun Wukong, this renowned artist received a total of about 2,000 CNY. However, Mã Lan, portraying Tang Seng's biological mother, received a much higher remuneration, dozens of times more, despite appearing in only a few scenes in Journey to the West.
At that time, Mã Lan was an extremely famous national-level artist in China, known for her work in the theater and as the star of Huangmei opera in Anhui province.
The actress and director Dương Khiết were old acquaintances. When preparing to shoot the birth of Tang Seng in the Journey to the West film, this talented filmmaker immediately chose Mã Lan for the role of An XiaoJie - Tang Seng's mother. At that time, Dương Khiết invited her from Anhui to Yunnan for filming. However, the journey took several days by train, significantly affecting the actress's schedule.
Despite facing rejections from the theater group and Mã Lan citing a busy schedule, Dương Khiết remained adamant, insisting that only the beauty of Mã could portray the character excellently.
In the face of a dilemma, the director of Journey to the West sent an assistant to Anhui to 'recruit' talent. If unsuccessful within 5 days, filming would halt. Despite difficulties from the provincial cultural department, the group eventually convinced Mã Lan to join.
However, with limited time, they had to rush from Anhui to Beijing, then charter a direct flight to Yunnan to stay on schedule. This allowed the actress to be on set on time, working tirelessly through all her scenes before quickly returning to Anhui.
As revealed by Sina in July 2020, inviting Mã Lan consumed a considerable amount of Dương Khiết's energy and the budget of the Journey to the West film crew. The travel expenses alone amounted to 20,000 CNY, excluding the payment for a nationally renowned star like Mã Lan. She became the highest-paid artist in the classic, with the cost of chartering a plane for her exceeding ten times the salary of Lục Tiểu Linh Đồng for the entire film.
Lục Tiểu Linh Đồng once shared: 'During the filming, only Mã Đức Hoa and I, who played Trư Bát Giới, received higher salaries than others. We got a few dozen CNY. But Mã Lan was completely different, as she was a special star, so her salary was significantly higher,' he said.
However, the sacrifices made to bring Mã Lan into the film were entirely worthwhile. The Anhui-born actress brilliantly transformed into a refined, charming, and captivating An Xiaojie. Although appearing in only 4 rare scenes, she left a profound impression on the audience.
Especially, the scene of An Xiaojie choosing a son-in-law and encountering Trần Quang Nhụy radiates enchanting beauty, likened to a woman stepping out of a painting. The silent scenes of An Xiaojie, conveyed only through music and visuals, lead viewers into a beautiful yet poignant love story and the birth of a virtuous monk.
Born in 1962 in Anhui, China, actress Mã Lan joined the Hoàng Mai opera troupe at the age of 13, quickly becoming an A-list national actress by the age of 20.
Throughout her career, Mã Lan has received numerous prestigious awards such as the Plum Blossom Award (the highest honor for stage artists), White Magnolia, Flying Apsaras, Golden Eagle, etc. In 2017, the Lincoln Performing Arts Center in New York and the American-Chinese Association awarded Mã Lan a lifetime achievement award - Outstanding Asian Artist.
In addition to acting, she is also a professor, teaching at the Communication University of Zhejiang and the Shanghai Theatre Academy.
Mã Lan's husband is cultural researcher Dư Thu Vũ, 16 years her senior. When they got together, Dư Thu Vũ had a previous marriage, making Mã Lan known as the third party. However, both Dư Thu Vũ and his ex-wife later denied this information.
Despite living together for many years, Mã Lan and Dư Thu Vũ do not have children. Their marriage has been rumored to have ended several times. However, Mã Lan once shared in the Chinese media: 'If there is a next life, I am willing to marry him again.'
(Source: Thanh Niên, VTC)
