Gu Yue, known as China's late leader "Mao Zedong on the screen", died of miocardial infarction in Guangdong Saturday night. (File photo)

A Chinese recognizes Gu Yue in a New York street and shakes hands with him, Nov. 2, 1993.

Gu Yue poses in front of a bronze statue of Confucius in New York's China Town.

    BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Gu Yue, known as China's late leader "Mao Zedong on the screen", died of miocardial infarction in southern Guangdong Province Saturday night.

    Gu was hit by miocardial infarction attack when attending the ground-breaking ceremony of a TV and movie production base in Guangdong's Lingui County and rushed to hospital, where he died at 11 p.m. at the age of 68.

    Gu, whose original name is Hu Shixue, was enrolled in the army in 1949, the year when the People's Republic of China was established. He was appointed by Marshal Ye Jianying to play the role of Mao Zedong in 1978, two years after the great leader passed away.

    In his 27-year-long screening life, Gu played Mao in 84 TV programs or movies, including well-known movies The Founding Ceremony of China and The Story of Mao Zedong, which won him two Best Actor titles at Hundred Flowers Awards, one of China's most prestigious film awards, in 1990 and 1993. Enditem