Gu Yue

Feng Mu, a cultural leader, found Gu at an orphanage after the liberation of Nanning, Guangxi.^[3]: 169 Feng trained Gu to become a member of an army theater troupe as a teenager.^[3]: 170 The two ultimately lost contact for a period of 40 years, reconnecting after Feng wrote an article praising Gu's performance as Mao in the 1983 film Crossing the Chishui River Four Times (based on Battle of Chishui River), not realizing that the performer was the boy he had rescued from an orphanage.^[3]: 170

Gu and his wife Zhang Yan had a son.^{[citation needed]}

Gu's personal life was low-profile.^[4]: 254

Marshal Ye Jianying chose Gu to portray Mao in the August First Film Studio's 1983 film Crossing the Chishui River Four Times.^[3]: 169 Gu had extensive training to internalize Mao's accent, gestures, and comportment.^[4]: 255

Gu played the role of Mao in The Song of the Chinese Revolution.^{[3]: 169–170}

Gu only performed the role of Mao in his career.^[4]: 254

The Chinese Communist Party did not generally permit Gu to do product endorsements.^[4]: 254 He was permitted to appear at a charity concert, but was criticized by the public for the amount of money he made for the appearance and the perception that his appearance had harmed the dignity and mystique of Mao Zedong.^[4]: 254 In a newspaper interview, Gu stated, "To play a leader, you have to be prepared to make some sacrifices."^[4]: 254

On July 2, 2005, while staying in southern China, Gu suffered a heart attack shortly after bathing in a sauna and was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:09 pm.^[5]