一
一次偶然的碰撞,讓小丁一一頭撞進(jìn)了美國(guó)著名星探的懷里,從此撞開(kāi)了她的演藝之路。聽(tīng)起來(lái),這本身就像一個(gè)電影故事。
這一天,移民美國(guó)還沒(méi)幾個(gè)月的丁一陪媽媽在洛杉磯街頭買(mǎi)東西,一路蹦蹦跳跳走著,突然看到街邊排著長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的隊(duì)伍,都是些40來(lái)歲的中年婦女。走近一問(wèn),原來(lái)電影公司正在為新片《喜福會(huì)》招募華裔中年女演員。丁一慫恿媽媽報(bào)名,媽媽也就抱著試試看的心情排隊(duì)填表。
媽媽正排著隊(duì),丁一獨(dú)自上樓去洗手間,匆匆忙忙走到洗手間門(mén)口,迎面就撞到一個(gè)高大美國(guó)女人的懷里。丁一漲紅了臉說(shuō):“I'm sorry.”對(duì)方驚奇地盯著她的小臉蛋看,像發(fā)現(xiàn)了新大陸似的問(wèn):“你想演戲嗎?今天可是個(gè)好日子啊。”
說(shuō)這句話的女士不是別人,正是美國(guó)大名鼎鼎的星探Robin Gurland。這一場(chǎng)奇妙的相遇就此改變了丁一的人生之路。年僅10歲的丁一被帶去試鏡。Gurland遞給她一段臺(tái)詞,問(wèn):“準(zhǔn)備十分鐘能上嗎?”小姑娘初生牛犢不怕虎,回答說(shuō):“三分鐘就夠了?!?/p>
小丁一從未演過(guò)戲,還不知道什么是緊張和害怕,在鏡頭前表現(xiàn)得自然大方。前后試鏡10次,沒(méi)有任何背景的丁一迎來(lái)了平生第一次觸電經(jīng)歷——在影片《喜福會(huì)》里扮演少年安梅。
二
丁一走上從影之路看起來(lái)不過(guò)是巧合,但她在片場(chǎng)的表現(xiàn)卻足以證明,冥冥之中,上天為她做出了一個(gè)最合理的安排。
丁一原名丁藝,這位杭州姑娘仿佛從小就與“藝”字結(jié)下了不解之緣。還在襁褓中時(shí),她一聽(tīng)到音樂(lè)就不再哭鬧,還會(huì)有節(jié)奏地蹬腿。看了電影《廬山戀》,她就在家里學(xué)著張瑜的樣子擺姿勢(shì),口中說(shuō)“我也要這樣”。少兒時(shí)的她還曾在浙江歌舞團(tuán)學(xué)習(xí)過(guò)舞蹈。
也許天生就有藝術(shù)細(xì)胞,初次拍戲的丁一并沒(méi)有感覺(jué)到什么障礙。燈光、場(chǎng)景、道具……就像闖進(jìn)了傳說(shuō)中的藏寶洞,10歲的女孩在這里發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個(gè)全新的天地。第一次拍電影就遇到很多哭戲,但出人意料的是,丁一很快就能入戲,表現(xiàn)得很有靈氣。而她準(zhǔn)備劇本時(shí),總是把對(duì)手的臺(tái)詞也全部背下來(lái),這樣臨場(chǎng)發(fā)揮就能收放自如。丁一的表演讓整個(gè)劇組都很滿意。
《喜福會(huì)》上映后獲得了奧斯卡提名。緊接著,丁一又接拍了《水之靈》和《熊貓歷險(xiǎn)記》。幾部戲下來(lái),丁一成為與時(shí)代華納簽約的首位華人演員。
拍戲苦,那是不假。在四川九寨溝拍《熊貓歷險(xiǎn)記》時(shí)正是嚴(yán)寒冬天。丁一沒(méi)有用替身,而是自己勇敢地站在寒冷刺骨的溪流里。連續(xù)好幾天泡在水里,天又下雨,凍得夠嗆,后來(lái)導(dǎo)演想了個(gè)辦法讓人往丁一身上澆熱水。但是杯水車(chē)薪,剛上身的熱水沒(méi)一會(huì)兒就變得冰冷。在一冷一熱中丁一開(kāi)始感冒發(fā)燒了,然而一天不出鏡就會(huì)給劇組帶來(lái)巨大損失,所以丁一咬牙堅(jiān)持著,陪同拍戲的母親在一旁流著熱淚看著女兒站在冰冷的溪水里演出。
三
連拍了幾部戲,丁一一下子被譽(yù)為“好萊塢童星”。但這位童星卻做出一個(gè)聰明的決定——暫時(shí)告別銀幕。直到考入大學(xué)后,她才再度接戲。
追求完美的丁一為了學(xué)業(yè),很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)間都沒(méi)有再接拍電影,而是全心投入到學(xué)習(xí)中去。中學(xué)畢業(yè)時(shí),丁一獨(dú)具慧眼地選擇了加州大學(xué)伯克利分校的“企業(yè)管理”專業(yè)。她說(shuō):“演戲是感性的,我希望增加一點(diǎn)理性。”此時(shí)此刻,丁一的理想已經(jīng)走得更遠(yuǎn),她暗暗為有朝一日成為制片人而努力著。如果說(shuō),拍戲是一門(mén)藝術(shù),那么,做制片人是一門(mén)更大的藝術(shù),需要具備更全面的能力,而這正是丁一瞄準(zhǔn)的目標(biāo)。
大學(xué)學(xué)習(xí)之余,丁一的生活仿佛又與兒時(shí)接上了軌,她再度客串拍戲。2000年,她在影片《庭院中的女人》里出演女二號(hào)秋明。片中的秋明是一名舊時(shí)的鄉(xiāng)下孤女,她為生活所迫被賣(mài)入?yún)歉蔀槔蠣數(shù)男℃?,并與少爺鳳慕產(chǎn)生出一段感情糾葛。
一個(gè)生活在美國(guó)的現(xiàn)代女孩,如何去演繹這樣一位感情被壓抑的中國(guó)農(nóng)村女子?丁一自有她的絕招:看電影。那段時(shí)間她找來(lái)很多相關(guān)電影用心看,了解那個(gè)特定時(shí)代中國(guó)女性的處境和生活,如張藝謀的影片《菊豆》《大紅燈籠高高掛》等等,她一邊看一邊揣摩片中人物的性格。
雖然在國(guó)內(nèi)生活時(shí)間不長(zhǎng),但丁一好學(xué),愛(ài)看書(shū)。她說(shuō):“我知道的很多東西都是從書(shū)上看來(lái)的?!庇袝r(shí),她嘴里會(huì)冒出幾句很有古文味道的話語(yǔ)。很難想象,這可是個(gè)10歲就移居美國(guó)的女孩呢。
四
最近丁一可忙了。由她主演的新片《微笑》不久前剛剛殺青,新的拍戲任務(wù)又接踵而來(lái),丁一母親說(shuō):“她這個(gè)人人緣好,很多人都愿意找她合作。”
丁一勇于嘗試新鮮事物。在前不久剛剛殺青的中美合資影片《微笑》里,她出演女主角——一個(gè)面部有缺陷的女孩。影片著力描寫(xiě)了這個(gè)女孩曲折成長(zhǎng)的故事。這是一個(gè)非常有挑戰(zhàn)性的角色,丁一很喜歡自己塑造的這個(gè)人物。
拍這部戲時(shí),每天一大早化裝師就往她的臉上粘上仿真面具。那是一種塑膠合成物,卸妝時(shí)必須使用一種特殊化學(xué)品。“每次卸妝,卸妝液都會(huì)流到眼睛里去,很痛很痛!”丁一至今描述起來(lái)仿佛還能感覺(jué)到痛。
女演員往往喜歡出演美麗的人物,可丁一為什么要選擇這樣一個(gè)可能有損形象的角色呢?丁一自有自己的選擇標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。她說(shuō):“青春靚麗的角色有的是,但我想演一些特別的、有挑戰(zhàn)性的角色。我很注重劇本是否感人,是否有深度,選擇這個(gè)角色就是看中了劇本對(duì)人性的刻畫(huà)力度?!边@部影片不久將在國(guó)內(nèi)上映,到時(shí)家鄉(xiāng)觀眾又可以在銀幕上一睹這位西子姑娘的演技了。
在美國(guó)居住了這么多年,丁一仍能說(shuō)得一口最地道的杭州話。前不久,她帶著《微笑》的導(dǎo)演和制片人特意來(lái)了一趟浙江杭州,親自領(lǐng)著好萊塢客人們游西湖、登雷峰塔。丁一說(shuō):“家鄉(xiāng)有這么美麗的風(fēng)光,我要把這些美景介紹給好萊塢的制片人?!蔽覀兤诖?,丁一有一天也許能把杭州的好風(fēng)景溶進(jìn)她的片中。
A West Lake Girl in Hollywood
By Jin Ting
Yi Ding literally ran into Robin Gurland, a Hollywood talent scout a few months after she landed in America. That’s how she came to star in the Joy Luck Club, a big movie that won a few Oscar nominations.
Yi Ding was shopping with her mom one day in Los Angels. They saw some Chinese women in their forties queuing in the street. It turned out that a movie director was trying to find a right woman for The Joy Luck Club. Yi Ding urged her mom to try her luck. When her mom was filling out a form, Yi Ding went to the powder room. She bumped into Robin Gurland in front of the washroom. Yi Ding blushed and apologized. Gurland looked at the ten-year-old for a long while and said, You want to appear in a movie? It’s a lucky day today!?Yi Ding was given 10 minutes to prepare for a scene. She got ready in 3 minutes. After ten screen tests she proved to be a natural. She was chosen for the movie. And she did so well as if she had been born for the limelight and the camera.
But Yi Ding’s success came not by accident. Born in Hangzhou, she loved music since very young. She liked to imitate young actresses in movies she had watched. She attended a dancing course held by the Zhejiang Singing and Dancing Troupe. All this helped when she first appeared in The Joy Luck Club.
Then she appeared in the Amazing Panda Adventure, another Hollywood movie. The panda story was shot in Sichuan Province in wither. Yi Ding refused to have a substitute for scenes in a chilly stream. For days, she was in the icy water. The director had to give her a hot bath between the stream scenes. Then she ended up in a bad cold. But she stayed the course. Her mom watched her child doing this with tears welling up in her eyes.
She became the first Chinese movie player signed up by the Time Warner.
Though very successful, Yi Ding made a bold decision after a few movies. She wouldn accept any roles until she was in college. After graduation from senior school, she chose to study business management as her major at California University at Berkeley. She wanted to be a movie producer one day. If acting is an art, being a producer is a greater art which calls for more capabilities. She aimed to get fully prepared.
Yi Ding managed to find time for her movie dreams again in college. In 2000, she appeared in Pavilion of Women. She appeared as a concubine of a rich landlord, but fell in love with the landlord’s son. How could she, a modern girl now living USA, successfully interpret a rural girl in a backward time of China? The recipe was she watched a lot of Chinese movies during that time to learn about the old times.
Yi Ding appeared in Smile, an American movie released in April 2005. Yi Ding acted a girl with a severe facial deformity. Yi Ding liked the challenging role she created. In order to appear deformed, she had the dresser make her face up every morning. A chemical composition was pasted on the face. It caused great pain to remove it. Why did Yi Ding choose this difficult role that made her look ugly? She wanted something special. She always prefers a character that goes to the heart. She chose the role simply because the script gave a good presentation to the girl. Smile will be shown in China pretty soon. Audience in her home country will see her newest image.
Yi Ding is busy now. She has got a new role in a new movie after Smile. Her mom comments, The is a popular girl. Many like to work together with her.?Though she has been in America for years, Yi Ding still speaks Hangzhou dialect fluently. Just the other day, she traveled to Hangzhou with the producer and the director of Smile. She prided herself on taking them around the beautiful West Lake in her hometown.
(Translated by David)