"The Drug Notifier" Actor Playing Leukemia Teen Hospitalized for Marrow Donation
2023-08-18
The performer of the leukemia-stricken teenager in the film "The Drug Notifier," Gu Zhiguo, has skyrocketed to the top of Weibo's trending topics. The hashtag #LeukemiaTeenActorInDrugNotifierHospitalizedForMarrowDonation# is buzzing with messages of support from netizens.
From August 16th to 21st, Gu Zhiguo, the Suzhou local, was at Suzhou University Affiliated First Hospital for marrow donation, becoming the 225th volunteer to successfully donate hematopoietic stem cells in Suzhou City.
Born in 1997, Gu Zhiguo currently works at the Wujiang District Public Culture and Arts Center. Recounting his experience, he said, "I participated in 'The Drug Notifier' during my sophomore year. With a major in performing arts, I was in the process of accumulating acting experience and heard about auditions for this movie, so I signed up."
Distinct from regular extras, he is categorized as a special role player. "I have a slender build, so when Director Wen Muye saw my video footage, he immediately decided to keep me on board."
Assigned a role by the director, he played a leukemia-afflicted teenager who appears on screen for less than 3 seconds. Despite the brevity, Gu Zhiguo did not take it lightly. To deliver those 3 seconds effectively, he delved into the background material provided by the crew, perused a multitude of articles and references on leukemia, and even shaved off his long-retained hair.
Due to his familiarity with leukemia patients and deep understanding of the script, Gu Zhiguo became an "external consultant" within the crew during that month, specifically guiding the extras on how to portray leukemia patients, their possible emotional states, and how to enact them.
On June 21st, Gu Zhiguo received the notice of his successful preliminary screening. In the subsequent two months, he passed various stages like high-resolution matching and medical examinations, ultimately slated to finish the marrow donation procedure by August 21st.
He shared, "Although my parents were concerned about risks, I provided them with educational material. Marrow donation nowadays no longer requires spinal fluid extraction; a mobilization agent injection suffices." He continued, "Undeniably, participating in this movie has significantly impacted me, leading me to make this decision."
Since August 10th, interviews on television, phone interviews, and private messages have been incessant. The surge of attention makes this reserved young man rather uncomfortable.
"However, after talking to my parents and sifting through online comments, I realized that there are profound misconceptions about marrow donation. Now, I have a new perspective, believing that having a significant online presence might not necessarily be a bad thing…"
The official website of the China Marrow Donor Program reveals that the current marrow bank capacity reaches 3.27 million, with only 15,000 successful matches.
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