Lu Shuming

Lu Shuming (Chinese: 陆树铭; 15 August 1956 – 1 November 2022) was a Chinese actor best known for his role as Guan Yu on the 1994 television series Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and also garnered recognition for his roles as Bull Demon King and Li Guang on A Chinese Odyssey (1995) and The Emperor in Han Dynasty (2005), respectively.

Biography

Lu was born in Qingdao, Shandong, on 15 August 1956, while his ancestral home is in Yantai. Due to his father having participated in supporting the construction of the northwest China, they relocated to Weinan and then Xi'an in Shaanxi province, where he attended Xi'an Road Primary School and Jiefang Road Middle School. At school, he loved basketball and Beijing Opera.

Lu began his acting career in 1980, when he was accepted to Shaanxi Provincial Drama Troupe, but soon he was forced to leave the stage for falling in love with an actress.

In 1983, Lu was cast as Li Hu in Man in the Desert, making his television debut. In the same year, the Communist government began to crack down on people with "Bad Style" (作风不良). Lu was jailed for 16 months for "mental pollution" (精神污染), a "crime" originated from when he danced seven or eight times at his friend's uncle's house. He went on to appear in other works, including Sing a Romantic Song for You (1986), Exterminate the Banditi in Western Hunan (1986), and Bleak Youth (1988).

In 1989, he was cast as Qin Shi Huang in A Terra-Cotta Warrior, opposite Zhang Yimou and Gong Li.

Lu gained national fame for his starring role as Guan Yu in the 1994 television series Romance of the Three Kingdoms, adapted from Luo Guanzhong's classical novel of the same title.

He co-starred with Stephen Chow and Ng Man-tat in the 1995 film A Chinese Odyssey as Bull Demon King.

In 1997, he co-starred with Li Jingfei and Sun Yanjun [zh] in the historical television series Sun Wu [zh] as general Wu Zixu.

In 2005, he acted in the historical television series The Emperor in Han Dynasty, playing the role of general Li Guang. That same year, he starred with Du Yulu in The Rice is Ripe.

In 2019, he appeared in Battle Between Song and Liao Dynastles, a historical war film starring Siqin Gaowa.

Lu played a supporting role in the comedy film Stop! Thieves, starring Bruce Leung, Lawrence Ng and Rain Lee and directed by Jacky Zheng.

In 2021, he played the male lead role of Guan Yu in the historical war film Green Dragon Crescent Blade, alongside Kenny Kwan and Jin Song [zh].

Personal life and death

Lu married opera singer Gao Lan (高岚), with whom he had a son and a daughter.

On 1 November 2022, Lu died due to sudden illness in Xi'an, Shaanxi, at the age of 66.

Filmography

Song

• A Pot of Old Wine (一壶老酒) (2015)

Book

• 我遇关公 [I met Guan Gong] (in Chinese). Shanghai: Oriental Publishing House. 2016. ISBN 9787506083652.