You Shengpu (尤聲普）

You Shengpu (尤聲普BBS MH) was born in Guangzhou in 1934 in Shunde, Guangdong. The artist You Shengpu, known as the "old man with a thousand faces", has been engaged in Cantonese opera for more than 80 years and has made great achievements. He has played the roles of civil and military students, martial arts students, Xiaowu, Xiaosheng, Laosheng, Laodan, or ugly men and women. He has played countless characters, and his modeling and interpretation are vivid and lifelike, and he is unique. His close eyes, hand movements, and chanting skills impressed the audience deeply. You Shengpu's father was Qiandan You Jinghong. His wife is Jiang Zihong. You Shengpu once became seven brothers with seven Liyuan colleagues, including Mai Xiansheng, Chen Yulang, Yun Zhanpeng, Pan Yousheng, Li Jiabao and Wen Qiansui, and You ranked second. You Shengpu debuted on stage as a child prodigy at the age of 9. At a young age, he was already performing on the same stage as famous actresses Chang Eying, Guan Dexing, Zi Houhai and She Zai. Before the 1960s, he mainly acted in literary and martial arts roles, and traveled throughout Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. He even went on stage in the United States with the famous Huadan actress Guan Yinglian. In the early 1970s, he, Yuen Siu-fai and others formed the Hong Kong Experimental Cantonese Opera Troupe, with the aim of experimenting with new styles of Cantonese opera, and took on multiple roles as director and creator. You Shengpu devoted his life to promoting the development of Cantonese opera and made many contributions. His achievements have long been recognized by all sectors of society. You Shengpu's inheritance of opera art is extensive and spans the boundaries of Guangdong opera. He once studied under the famous Peking opera actor Li Wanchun, known as the "Monkey King of the North", and also practiced kung fu and bodybuilding with Liu Xun, a Peking opera short-player martial artist. From 1979 to 1985, You Shengpu studied under the famous Peking Opera actor Li Wanchun, and then studied with his senior brother Liu Xun who was not a "major" student. In 1988, he was hired as a member of Chu Feng Ming Theater Company and performed until December 2007, when he performed six performances of "The Flower of the Emperor" in Macau. On March 10, 1992, he performed the farewell performance for Chu Feng Ming Theater Company. In 1992, he won the Stage Actor of the Year Award from the Hong Kong Artists Alliance. In 2009, he was awarded the Medal of Honor of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; in 2016, he was awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. In 2017, he received the Outstanding Artistic Contribution Award from the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards. The following year, he received the Outstanding Artistic Contribution Award from the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards. In 2017, he was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Admitted to hospital due to stroke on May 13, 2021. On May 17, 2021, he passed away at the United Christian Hospital at the age of 87.