He Saifei

Last updated
He Saifei
He Saifei 2023.jpg
He at the 36th Golden Rooster Awards Ceremony
Born (1963-04-11) April 11, 1963 (age 60)
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Spouse
Yang Nan (杨楠)
(m. 1988)
Children1
Family2 sisters including Xia Saili (夏赛丽)
Musical career
Genres Yue opera
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese

He Saifei (born 11 April 1963) is a Chinese actress of film and television, as well as a celebrated Yue opera performer of dan (female) roles. Internationally, she is best known for playing supporting roles in period films like Raise the Red Lantern (1991) and Temptress Moon (1996).

Contents

He Saifei is the most famous disciple of Yue opera star Zhang Yunxia.

Early life

He Saifei was born in 1963 in an island in Daishan County, Zhoushan off the coast of mainland Zhejiang province. She has two sisters. When she was 3, the Cultural Revolution began. In 1967, her father was attacked and sent to the countryside. Her parents divorced, and Saifei lived with one parent while her two sisters lived with another, with no contact between them. After the Cultural Revolution ended in 1976, Yue opera (also known as Yue opera) gradually regained its popularity following a decade of ruinous destruction. When He Saifei was about 16, she successfully auditioned for a Yue opera troupe in Daishan. There she met a slightly younger girl who was also very interested in joining. Neither knew at first, but it turned out that the girl Xia Saili (夏赛丽) was none other than her long-lost sister. After some initial discomfort, they became very close and encouraged each other. In 1983–84, both made the newly established Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe, which, consisting entirely of young girls would immediately take the Yue opera world by storm. He Saifei studied under the master Zhang Yunxia and specialized in Dan (female) roles. Xia Saili specialized in Sheng (mainly male scholar) roles, and as a result often portrayed her sister's lover on stage. [1] [2] [3] Another of He Saifei's frequent on-stage partner was Mao Weitao.

Early career

In 1984, the Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe girls starred in the opera film Five Daughters Offering Felicitations (五女拜壽), which became a big national hit and won Best Opera Film (a new award category) at the 5th Golden Rooster Awards. In 1985, He Saifei and Mao Weitao reenacted a scene live at the CCTV New Year's Gala, China's most watched annual television event. This would be the first of He Saifei's four Yue opera appearances on CCTV New Year's Gala (excluding more performances on CCTV New Year's Opera Gala). Soon enough, He Saifei and four other girls from Xiaobaihua — Mao Weitao, He Ying (何英), Fang Xuewen (方雪雯), and Dong Kedi (董柯娣) — emerged as young celebrities, and they were together dubbed the "Five Golden Flowers" (五朵金花) of Yue opera. [4]

Personal life

She has one son, born in 1998. [5]

Filmography

Film

YearEnglish titleOriginal titleRoleNotes
1984Five Daughters Offering Felicitations五女拜壽CuiyunYue opera film
1987Two Dowagers兩宮皇太后Zijuan
1988Tang Bohu唐伯虎Shen JiuniangYue opera film
1990 Iron & Silk Yue opera actressEnglish-language film
1991 Raise the Red Lantern 大紅燈籠高高掛Mei Shan
1995 Blush 紅粉Xiao'e
Armed Working Team Behind Enemy Lines敵後武工隊Xiaohongyun
The Wandering Songstress天涯歌女Xiaohong
1996 Temptress Moon 風月Lin Xiuyi
1999 Something About Secret 说出你的秘密Employee
2000Woman Soccer Player #9女足9号Zhu Yin
2007 Lust, Caution 色·戒Madame Xiao
2011Deng Enming's Childhood少年鄧恩銘
2014The Struggle of 80's80后的独立宣言
2016 Super Express 超级快递Nana's mother
Lord of Shanghai 上海王
Goddesses in the Flames of War那些女人

Television

YearEnglish titleOriginal titleRoleNotes
2000 The Grand Mansion Gate 大宅门Yang Jiuhong
2003 Xiaozhuang Mishi 孝庄秘史 Harjol
2012Tears of Woman女人泪Wu Lifang
The New Son-in-Law Era新女婿时代Li Guilan
Our Youth in 1977我们的青春1977Shen Yumei
2013Na Jinhua and Her Son-in-law那金花和她的女婿Na Jinhua
Women of the Tang Dynasty 唐宮燕 Empress Wei
A Splendid Family金玉满堂Zhao Ningli
Safeguarding the Grandson保卫孙子Li Wanmei
Woman in a Family of Swordsmen刀客家族的女人Yu Huang Shi
2014If Happiness Arrives假如幸福来临Jiang Xinhui
Heping's Golden Age和平的全盛时代Ding Yulan
2015Our Family's Happy Life我们家的微幸福生活Yu Meiren
Living活法Wang Liru
2016See You! My Wife再见,老婆大人Zhen Meiren's mother
Seeking Nirvana at Shaolin少林問道Meigu
Mother's Romance老妈的桃花运Ding Xiangxiang
2017Xuanwu玄武Xiao Meigui
Green Love青恋Chunxia

Awards and nominations

Yue opera

Film & TV

Year#AwardCategoryWorkResult
1996 19th Hundred Flowers Awards Best Supporting Actress Armed Working Team Behind Enemy LinesWon
2014 China TV Drama Awards Best Supporting ActressWoman in a Family of SwordsmenNominated
201521st Shanghai Television Festival Best Supporting ActressNominated
20163rdChina Australia International Film FestivalBest Actress [6] Goddesses in the Flames of WarWon
201816th Pyongyang International Film Festival Best ActressWon
2023 36th Golden Rooster Awards Best Actress [7] Off the StageWon

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References

  1. "想妈妈想到认错人 何赛飞抱憾没穿上娘做的鞋", Xinhua News, 2005-03-21, retrieved 2010-01-02[ dead link ]
  2. "越剧姐妹花--同胞姐妹何赛飞与夏赛丽".
  3. "富婆赛丽比姐牛 何赛飞:我雇不起"富婆"妹妹" (in Chinese). 2004-02-07.
  4. Hwang, Jessie (2007-01-04). "The Opera's New Clothes". China Daily .
  5. "何赛飞 有了孩子多了体验", People's Daily, 2000-11-28, retrieved 2010-01-02
  6. Xu Fan (2017-09-21). "He Saifei looks forward to jury work in Australia". China Daily .
  7. "何赛飞获得第36届金鸡奖最佳女主角" [He Saifei won the 36th Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress]. Xinhuanet (in Chinese). 2023-11-04. Archived from the original on 2023-11-05.