Why does he never accept advertisements and commercial performances, although people say that actors with good acting skills must work hard?
At a time when everyone is trying their best to earn extra income, he is devoting himself to artistic creation, does it mean that he can only become a brilliant instrument after being carved?
When he insisted on working with his old partner again, countless people were also speculating whether he had looked down on others
However, when we revisit this film industry geek, we find that his life has always been full of mysteries and mysteries.
From an early age, Li Baotian showed a great passion for acting, and although he did not like to read much, he regarded theater as his life's work.
When he was still in junior high school, he began to skip classes and sneak to the local theater to watch the troupe rehearse.
Perhaps because of his innate genes, Li Baotian looked at the performances of the actors on stage as if he had been enlightened by his soul, and his desire for dramatic art increased day by day.
He is well aware that his family will never support him to give up his studies to pursue an acting career. When he was 13 years old, he chose to leave home and join a veteran troupe that was good at performing harlequin plays, and officially began the arduous road of acting learning.
This decision also led to a sharp deterioration in his relationship with his father, Han Shan.
Li's father was already hopeless about his son's interest, and his unscrupulous behavior made the situation worse.
The father and son looked at each other like this, like a confrontation between two armies, and this situation lasted for a full 8 years.
It wasn't until one year in winter that Li Baotian suffered from a wind chill while practicing in the troupe, resulting in a high fever that did not go away, and it was not until then that his father discovered it.
When Han Shan hurried to the hospital, when he saw his dying son, his heart suddenly swelled with endless grief and self-blame.
He knows that he is terminally ill and has little life left, but he is unwilling to separate life and death from his beloved son like this.
The father and son were in front of the hospital bed, tears welling up, grief-stricken, and couldn't help but hug each other.
However, what Li Baotian never expected was that this would become the last moment he and his father Han Shan met.
Han Shan died of illness on the third day after he was discharged from the hospital.
For many years, Han Shan has been silently taking care of his son, especially after learning that he was sick, he did not hesitate to brave the wind and snow to run to the hospital every day, just to be able to see him for the last time.
Li Baotian was devastated by the sudden death of his father, but this also strengthened his determination to break through on the road of opera.
He wanted his late father to know that he had made the right choice.
Later, with his solid acting skills, Li Baotian was successfully admitted to the Chinese Academy of Drama (referred to as Chinese opera).
After graduating, he chose to stay at the university as a teacher and began to systematically study performance theory.
He is 40 years old, but he has not given up on his dream of becoming an actor.
During the day, Li Baotian is teaching students, while at night he is immersed in hard practice.
During this time, he occasionally participated in auditions for external crews, gradually accumulating his acting experience.
It wasn't until he was 49 years old that Li Baotian finally auditioned to successfully play a harlequin in the costume drama "Into the Rivers and Lakes".
This TV series is the best work in his life.
Li Baotian is supported by solid basic skills, despite his advanced age, he does not seem sluggish at all, and his vivid and realistic acting skills quickly won the recognition of the director and the audience.
He attracted much attention for his performance in "Into the Rivers and Lakes", which also allowed him to transform and officially become a professional actor.
After the successful broadcast of "Breaking the Rivers and Lakes", Li Baotian attracted more directors' attention to his potential.
Then, at the age of 49, he ushered in an important turning point in his life.
Li Baotian was deeply impressed by the quirky and humorous character of Liu Luoguo on the first page of the script of "Prime Minister Liu Luoguo".
He immediately contacted the director and showed his passion for the role.
He auditioned many times and finally managed to get the role of the male lead in this comedy.
It can be said that the role of Liu Luoguo is shaped as if it was tailor-made for Li Baotian.
He brings the image of the ancient prime minister to life: showing unfathomable political wisdom, but also showing the fireworks of humanity that is no different from ordinary people;He is strict and standardized in his work, but he is straightforward and bold in dealing with people, and often says the wrong thing and causes trouble.
The most memorable thing for the audience is that Li Baotian played this funny and eccentric prime minister to the fullest, he was vigorous, and his big smart eyes always revealed a cunning look.
Li Baotian can be said to have made Liu Luoguo glow with vitality, and Liu Luoguo also made him famous on the road of acting in one fell swoop.
After the news broadcast column was a hit, the ratings of "Prime Minister Liu Luoguo" soared, and Li Baotian soon became a veritable "national prime minister".
His funny acting skills and character all impressed the audience.
Subsequently, Li Baotian successively starred in many popular dramas, such as "Divine Doctor Xilaile" and "The Minister of the Imperial Mission", and his characteristic acting skills won the favor of the audience without exception.
During the broadcast of "The Minister", the investor privately increased the number of episodes, which made him deeply indignant. Therefore, he resolutely decided to take the producer to court, and finally succeeded in obtaining up to 1.9 million compensation for himself and the rest of the cast.
His courage to compete with the management has also earned him the respect of more industry insiders.
However, as the role of "Liu Luoguo" brought popularity and wealth to Li Baotian, it gradually became a shackle that restricted his development.
Over the years, Li Baotian has been invited by the producer many times, hoping that he can play the role of "Liu Luoguo" again and participate in the filming of the sequel.
However, he has always firmly refused to do so.
Li Baotian disagrees with the general opinion, he does not want to be confined to a certain image of success, but prefers to show his strength by playing different types of roles.
Li Baotian and his old partner Wang Gang can be said to be representatives of very different personalities, in fact.
Wang Gang has been able to concentrate on the role of "Song Shijie" for more than ten years, while Li Baotian does not like to be limited by the same role for too long.
He believes that actors need to have strong transformation and adaptability in order to show the charm of different characters.
Therefore, he would rather give up the role of "Liu Luoguo" that made him famous, and pursue other roles that can better show his acting skills.
Li Baotian also rejected the invitation to cooperate again with Wang Gang, Zhang Guoli and other old partners three times.
He has a straightforward personality, is rigorous in his work, and is never pretentious in his interpersonal interactions.
Although this unique personality has caused him to lose a lot of connections and opportunities in the entertainment industry, he still insists on being himself and has never changed.
Li Baotian believes that giving up a play or an invitation with commercial value cannot be compared with giving up his own principles, and the latter is even more difficult for him to accept.
Li Baotian, aged 76, won the "Lifetime Achievement Artist Award" from the China TV Drama Feitian Awards in 2020.
This is a high recognition of his contribution to the significant progress made in the field of film and television dramas.
Even in his acceptance speech, Li Baotian still showed a calm and calm attitude.
He claims that he is just an ordinary veteran actor, without mentioning any grand ambitions, but just hoping to be able to perform quietly and appear in some meaningful works.
Li Baotian has never received any commercial or endorsement in his decades-long acting career.
Even though he was very popular at the time, he never participated in any commercial performances.
This is almost a rarity in today's entertainment industry.
Li Baotian only promotes himself through his works, and does not need to rely on external media.
The audience is already satisfied to see his meticulous interpretation of each role on the screen.
Li Baotian is 76 years old.
He can finally free himself from the weight of playing a role and return to his hometown to spend his old age leisurely.
There is no doubt that for him, this is the most ideal ending.