Cao Cao is an indispensable figure in Chinese history, and it must be of great significance.
The portrayal of Cao Cao in various film and television works also has its own strengths.
Today, let’s take a look at various actors and film works that played Cao Cao:
- Bao Guoan’s “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” 1994 (personal rating 9.8)
When Bao Guoan was preparing to play Cao Cao, many people thought he couldn’t do it and laughed at him. However, through hard work and thorough understanding, Teacher Bao finally created a myth of Cao Cao that no one has been able to surpass until now. - Chow Yun fat’s “Bronze Sparrow Terrace” 2012 (personal rating 7.8)
The Bronze Sparrow Terrace “is the first work with Cao Cao as the main protagonist. The story revolves around the” stabbing of Cao Cao “and tells the story of various forces competing to” kill Cao Cao “after Cao Cao became the sole ruler. It also portrays the erotic power struggles of the Han dynasty during the chaotic Three Kingdoms period.
In ‘The Bronze Sparrow Terrace’, Chow Yun fat’s portrayal of Cao Cao can be said to be the absolute protagonist, and other leading actors aim to kill this fierce hero. In the film, various leading actors use different methods to launch a killing attack on Cao Cao, including emotional attacks, seduction, coercion, and murder, engaging in both overt and covert struggles, with deadly intent lurking everywhere.
In the past, Cao Cao was mostly on the battlefield, but this time he is more at home, and many of his plays are also indoors, which is more residential Fage also revealed that the character Cao Cao played this time is a “good father and good leader”. - Chen Jianbin’s “Three Kingdoms” 2010 (personal rating 8.3)
Chen Jianbin’s portrayal of Cao Cao has always been a topic of discussion due to his large role and significant changes. Chen Jianbin spoke confidently and answered questions such as “Cao Cao went from a treacherous hero to a hero” with sufficient understanding and preparation of this character, and with a large amount of information and knowledge he had mastered, one by one.
He believes that although this version of Cao Cao is far from the audience’s inherent image of Cao Cao, it is closer to the real Cao Cao in history. - Zhang Fengyi’s “Red Cliff” 2008 (personal rating 8.2)
Zhang Fengyi once played Cao Cao in the movie “Red Cliff”. In an interview afterwards, he said: “The script was initially co written by Hong Kong and Hollywood screenwriters. In the Hollywood film mode, the big villain is just the big villain. If you want to be bad to the end, you have to laugh and speak fiercely at any time, which is usually quite extreme. If he is the villain, how could there be so many people willing to join him? How could there be so much love for Jiang?
I don’t want to just ‘stereotype’ the character of Cao Cao, so I consulted with the director and many lines were modified. I hope to make him as natural and more humane as possible. I hope my portrayal of Cao Cao is not only accurate, but also good-looking. - Pu Cunxin’s “Cao Cao and Cai Wenji” 2002 (personal rating 7.7)
At the premiere of the TV drama “Cao Cao and Cai Wenji”, reporters interviewed Pu Cunxin, who played Cao Cao in the drama. Pu Cunxin told reporters that he really likes Cao Cao because this boy raised by eunuchs, although not handsome in appearance, ultimately succeeded in winning the world.
Pu Cunxin once played Sun Ce in the TV drama “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” and Cao Zhi, the son of Cao Cao, in the play “The Proud Son of Heaven”. This time joining “Cao Cao and Cai Wenji”, Pu Cunxin confidently said, “What the audience will see this time will be a Cao Cao like Pu Cunxin - Jiang Wen’s “Guan Yunchang” 2009 (personal rating 8.4)
In the movie “Guan Yunchang”, Jiang Wen played the domineering role of Cao Cao, which is very similar to the Three Kingdoms version of Zhang Mazi. Guan Yu, who is known for his “bitter pursuit”, is also accused of having the temperament of a “spoiled woman”. Although he does not have any fighting scenes, he is fluent in writing and acting, and has repeatedly revealed that his golden lines are very eye-catching. He is not only described as the “second generation of officials” during the Three Kingdoms period, but also praised as the most powerful CEO of the Three Kingdoms.
Guan Yunchang has actually become a memoir of Cao Cao, with Jiang Wen as the first male lead. The character Cao Cao in the film has a strong personal touch with Jiang Wen, so some people jokingly say, ‘Cao Cao is truly the best Chinese actor to portray Jiang Wen throughout history.’. - Liu Dan’s “Luoshen” 2002 (personal rating 8.0)
Throughout, Liu Dan’s image has always been that of a very approachable senior figure. But in the 2002 drama “Luoshen”, Liu Dan successfully portrayed the image of the legendary hero Cao Cao. Full of dominance and solemnity.
When faced with Zhen Mi’s beauty and rejection, he showed a good pursuit of beautiful things, but still couldn’t get them. In the later stages of the series, as Cao Cao lay on his deathbed due to a head wind attack, he fully demonstrated the heroic spirit of “the old steed crouching in the haystack, with aspirations for a thousand miles, and the martyrs in their old age, with unwavering determination” in the face of a short life and the helplessness of unfulfilled ambitions.
This Cao Cao can create flesh and blood, although the supporting role, but the aura has not been hidden. - Yao Lu’s “Cao Cao” 2000 (personal rating 7.2 points)
Yao Lu’s performance of ‘Cao Cao’ presents a more historically accurate portrayal of Cao Cao, a brand new Cao Cao.
The drama not only portrays his characteristics of great talent, foresight, appointment based on merit, integrity, literary talent, and versatility, but also showcases his emotional world, as well as his character traits of cunning, cruelty, arrogance, lust, and ambition. - Zhao Lixin’s “Hero Cao Cao” 2013 (personal rating 7.6 points)
Zhao Lixin plays Cao Cao, who is not only full of literary and martial arts skills, but also has rich emotions. The emotional scenes in the drama have become a major highlight. The portrayal of characters’ emotions in the drama is very cautious. After repeated arguments, it has been proven that Cao Cao and Cai Wenji never had a romantic relationship in history, but they admired each other. - Long Long’s “Heroes of the Three Kingdoms: Guan Gong” 1995 (personal rating 8.1)
In a historical drama produced in Taiwan, Cao Cao was played by the well-known Eight Wise Kings of Bao Qingtian, who had top-notch acting skills among Taiwanese actors and possessed the talent and charm of Cao Cao in his performances.
Yu Hewei’s “Military Advisor Alliance” 2017 (personal rating 9.1 points)
In history, Cao Cao brought the imperial mind to the extreme, and Yu Hewei’s portrayal of Cao Cao not only showed great wisdom in strategizing, but also had a look of incomprehensible grief in his eyes. However, Liu Bei is opposite to Cao Cao. When Yu Hewei plays Liu Bei, his eyes are full of contemplation, calm and composed, glaring with anger when he roars, and tears of helplessness when he looks up to the sky. However, there is also a hint of determination to strive for success on the battlefield.
Yu Hewei’s portrayal of Cao Cao with the phrase ‘kill the Han bandits’ and his fierce gaze, we see Cao Cao’s dominance. When playing Liu Bei, Yu Hewei said, “Han and thieves are not two sides.” His eyes were calm and composed, but he also showed a kind of “gentleness” and “benevolence” in Liu Bei.
Through reasoning and emotions, Yu Hewei explores the universal psychological aspects of characters by breaking away from historical stories and returning to the human touch between emotions and scenery, objects and people. Cao Cao, who was domineering, would also write poems with compassion such as “No rooster crows for thousands of miles, white bones exposed in the wild”, and the characters interpreted by Yu Hewei are also multifaceted and rich in three dimensionality.
PS： We won’t mention fantasy like ‘The Ultimate Three Kingdoms’.
Special Nomination: Ke Junxiong’s “The Legend of Cao Cao” 1999 (Personal Rating 7.9)
Taiwanese historical drama, in which Ke Junxiong won the title of Best Actor for his role as Cao Cao, although the quality of this drama is still acceptable, I personally feel that imitating the 94 CCTV version of Bao Guoan is too serious and has not been included in the ranking.