Gu Yue

Gu Yue (Chinese: 古月; pinyin: Gǔ Yuè) (December 26, 1937 – July 2, 2005), originally named Hu Shixue (胡诗学), was a Chinese actor. Noted for his uncanny resemblance to Mao Zedong, with whom he shares a birthday, he played the former Chinese leader 84 times from 1978 until his death. He won the Best Actor titles at China's Hundred Flowers Awards in 1990 and again in 1993.

Feng Mu, a cultural leader, found Gu at an orphanage after the liberation of Nanning, Guangxi. Feng trained Gu to become a member of an army theater troupe as a teenager. The two ultimately lost contact for a period of 40 years, reconnecting after Feng wrote an article praising Gu's performance as Mao in the 1983 film Crossing the Chishui River Four Times (based on Battle of Chishui River), not realizing that the performer was the boy he had rescued from an orphanage.

Gu and his wife Zhang Yan had a son.^{[citation needed]}

Gu's personal life was low-profile.

Marshal Ye Jianying chose Gu to portray Mao in the August First Film Studio's 1983 film Crossing the Chishui River Four Times. Gu had extensive training to internalize Mao's accent, gestures, and comportment.

Gu played the role of Mao in The Song of the Chinese Revolution.

Gu only performed the role of Mao in his career.

The Chinese Communist Party did not generally permit Gu to do product endorsements. He was permitted to appear at a charity concert, but was criticized by the public for the amount of money he made for the appearance and the perception that his appearance had harmed the dignity and mystique of Mao Zedong. In a newspaper interview, Gu stated, "To play a leader, you have to be prepared to make some sacrifices."

On July 2, 2005, while staying in southern China, Gu suffered a heart attack shortly after bathing in a sauna and was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:09 pm.