Sun Daolin

Sun Daolin was born in Beijing on 18 December 1921. He was born Sun Yiliang 孙以亮 into a family of four children. His father Sun Wenyao (孫文耀) was trained as railroad engineer in Brussels, Belgium. His mother Fan Nianhua (范念华) and father both are originally from Jiashan County, Zhejiang. He along with all his siblings learned to speak English since grade school. He attended Yenching University, but his studies in philosophy were interrupted by the Second Sino-Japanese War. During the war he was active in patriotic activities including stage acting and he was jailed briefly by the Japanese Puppet Regime. After the war, he completed his studies and received a degree in philosophy in 1947. He began his acting career in 1949, when he starred in the film Crows and Sparrows, a polemic on the corruption of the Nationalist Government just prior to their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. After 1949, Sun continued to act, notably as the eldest brother in an adaptation of Ba Jin’s novel, Family. He also starred in films such as City Without Night, The Eternal Wave, A Revolutionary Family, Early Spring in February, and Li Siguang. He was known for his handsome appearance, elegant demeanor, and versatile acting skills. He was one of the most popular and respected actors in China, and won several awards and honors for his performances. In the 1980s, Sun began to focus increasing energy on directing. In 1983, he wrote, directed and starred in the well-received Thunderstorm, based on the play by Cao Yu. His second try behind the camera was 1992’s The Stepmother. He also served as the vice president of the China Film Association and the director of the Beijing Film Studio. He led delegations to international film festivals and made significant efforts in film education and popularization. He trained countless actors and actresses, and wrote books on film theory and drama criticism. He was a pioneer in film art and culture, and a master of social commentary and human drama. ² Sun died of lung cancer on 28 December 2007 in Shanghai, at the age of 86. At his service thousands of fans paid their last respects. He is survived by his wife Wang Wenjuan, a Yue opera actress and a daughter Sun Qingyuan (孫慶原), one grandchild. Wang was best known for her performance in "The Dream of the Red Chamber". ²