# Guo Degang - An Unfamous Xiangsheng Actor

Author: Guo Degang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Some say Guo Degang's crosstalk is non-mainstream and forms a confrontation with mainstream crosstalk, and he's not very willing to admit this. Why? In fact, crosstalk doesn't divide into mainstream or non-mainstream—it's just crosstalk. Some say there might be conflicts or opposition between certain individuals, as even close brothers might fight and father and son might resort to violence. Let alone the world of crosstalk? People often say that crosstalk is best passed down through families, with fathers passing it down to their children, generation after generation. If one is born into such a crosstalk family, it might be easier to learn. First, there's the artistic atmosphere—the elders can teach you. Second, you have a background, a support system, so no one in the industry would dare to bully you. Neither of these points applies to me. The Guo family has no one involved in this profession, not even going back generations. They are all respectable people—though, to be honest, telling crosstalk is also a respectable profession. My father was a police officer, and he didn't really want me to pursue this career because many performers have criminal records. He was an accidental figure in traditional Chinese, overturning the conventional thinking of TV crosstalk. During the low point of an art form, Guo Degang served as a timely and considerate warm-up performer, sticking to the theater for ten years and earning a nationwide following of "steel fans," representing the return of traditional to its essence.