Ma Ji

Also known as Born Ma Shuhuai

Ma Ji, born Ma Shuhuai in Beiping in 1934 with family roots in Baodi, Tianjin, became a professional crosstalk performer after a national amateur quyi festival in 1956 brought him into the performing troupe of the Central Broadcasting Art Ensemble. Hou Baolin was his principal teacher, and he also learned from Liu Baorui, Guo Quanbao and Guo Qiru. He excelled at writing and performing new crosstalk pieces, among them The Five Senses Vie for Credit, Looking for Uncle and The Portrait, and at the 1984 CCTV Spring Festival Gala he wrote and performed the sketch The Salesman. In 1985 he topped a poll of the ten best-loved comedians. He died of a sudden heart attack at his home in Beijing on 20 December 2006.