Chinese actor Zhu Longguang passed away due to illness last Saturday (2 Aug), at the age of 86.
On Sunday (3 Aug), his family announced in an obituary that the actor “passed away suddenly” in Beijing, “after failing to obtain medical treatment”.
Source: Cover News
Mr Zhu is best known for his iconic portrayal of Tathagata Buddha in the 1986 TV adaptation of the classic Chinese novel, ‘Journey to the West’.
Born in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, Mr Zhu studied at the Lanzhou Academy of Arts at the age of 18.
After a stint in the army, he spent 40 years in the theatre, film, and TV industries, playing characters that “have been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and received widespread acclaim”.
For instance, while Buddha did not have many scenes in ‘Journey to the West’, the director had difficulty casting the role, as the actor needed to look benevolent, be plump, and have a round face and large ears.
Source: Min News
They found the ideal Buddha when someone recommended Mr Zhu, who only had to wear a plaster headpiece and later delivered a memorable performance, Oriental Daily reported.
Besides ‘Journey to the West’, his representative works include the TV series ‘Wulin Waijia’ and the film ‘Tunnel Warfare’.
Following the announcement of Mr Zhu’s passing, Liu Xiaolingtong, who played Sun Wukong in the same series, posted a message mourning the veteran actor.
“He is the eternal ‘Buddha Tathagata’,” he wrote. “We mourn and miss him endlessly.”
Source: Cover News
Also read: RPG ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ gets released, companies in China suspend work for employees to game
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Featured image adapted from Cover News, Min News.