The Mao the merrier: China boom for leader lookalikes

He has little interest in politics and is no socialist fanatic, but Xu Ruilin spends every free moment practising how to speak, write, walk and think like Mao Zedong. The 58-year-old has an eerie resemblance to the founding father of Communist China, and is one of scores of lookalike Chinese actors in ever increasing demand as production of historical propaganda television shows and films goes into overdrive. Known as “texing yanyuan” — “special actors” — each one portrays a particular departed leader in voice, looks and style, akin to Elvis impersonators for famous Communists. Besides Mao, their alter egos include his right hand man Zhou Enlai, economic reformer Deng Xiaoping and a host of other top brass.

Actors and directors told me for years I should play Chairman Mao, but mostly I ignored them.

Mao Zedong impersonator Xu Ruilin

Since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012 and launched a crackdown on dissent, China’s broadcast censors have narrowed what is deemed acceptable, sending producers flocking to the relative safety of shows and films in line with the Communist Party’s approved version of history. The vast majority of Chinese television historical dramas centre on the country’s recent past, often set during Japan’s 20th-century invasion and occupation, and with Communist Party cadres always the heroes. The more fortunate actors get starring screen roles, but most mimics are relegated, like their hip-gyrating Elvis brethren, to playing to smaller audiences, renting themselves out for corporate events, weddings and birthdays.

In order to avoid spending a lot of money only to have a programme censored, everyone’s making so-called historical shows because they have less restrictions and there’s less risk.

Zhu Dake, a professor at Shanghai’s Tongji University

Asia-Pacific