# 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
### Film

| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role |
| 1986 | Exterminate the Banditi in Western Hunan | 湘西剿匪记 | Liu Dazhu |
| 1990 | A Terra-Cotta Warrior | 秦俑 | Qin Shi Huang |
| 1995 | A Chinese Odyssey | 大话西游之月光宝盒 | Bull Demon King |
| 2019 | Battle Between Song and Liao Dynastles | 大破天门阵 | Mu Yu |
| 2020 | Stop! Thieves | 站住！小偷 | Hu Jiuwan |
| 2021 | Green Dragon Crescent Blade | 青龙偃月刀 | Guan Yu |
| 2021 | Seven Doors | 七扇门 | Chang Lezu |

### Television

| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role |
| 1983 | Man in the Desert | 大漠中的男人 | Li Hu |
| 1983 | | 未粉刷完的墙壁 | Bicycle coach |
| 1986 | Sing a Romantic Song for You | 为君唱首风流歌 | Road builder |
| 1994 | Romance of the Three Kingdoms | 三国演义 | Guan Yu |
| 1997 | Sun Wu [zh] | 孙武 | Wu Zixu |
| 2005 | The Emperor in Han Dynasty | 汉武大帝 | Li Guang |
| 2005 | The Rice is Ripe | 谷穗黄了 | Fan Tianbao |
| 2005 | Fight Against Evil | 阻击罪恶 | An Ke |
| 2006 | Grassland Sentiment | 草原情 | |
| 2011 | Strange Destiny of Fragrant Hills | 香山奇缘 | King Miaozhuang |
| 2015 | The Legendary Broadsword | 大刀记 | Wang Shenghe |

### Stages

| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role |
| 1988 | Bleak Youth | 苍凉青春 | Erwanzi |
| 1989 | Vortex in Spring Tide | 大潮中的漩涡 | Li Banzheng |
| 1999 | In This Family | 在这个家庭里 | Master Huang |
| 1999 | Xuanyuan Huangdi | 轩辕黄帝 | Emperor Huangdi |
| 2009 | Zhong Kui | 钟馗 | Zhong Kui |

## 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.