Ying Ruocheng, 74; Chinese Actor Had Role in ‘Last Emperor’
Ying Ruocheng, 74, a Chinese actor who appeared in Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 film “The Last Emperor,” died Saturday at a Beijing hospital of liver disease.
Ying also acted in Bertolucci’s 1993 film “Little Buddha,” which starred Keanu Reeves. He was vice minister of culture when Bertolucci tapped him for “The Last Emperor.”
A graduate of China’s prestigious Tsinghua University, Ying acted with the Beijing People’s Art Theater. He was jailed for three years during China’s 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, but later rose in government circles as the country opened up to the outside world.
Fluent in English, Ying translated several Shakespeare plays into Chinese, the Beijing Morning Post reported.
In his stage career, he appeared in classical Chinese dramas such as “Tea House” by Lao She.
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