Wang Yantong

Wang Yantong was born on July 31, 1999, in Shantou, Guangdong, and is of Teochew descent. He graduated from Shantou No.1 High School, and later graduated from Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai with a major in Art of Announcing and Anchoring.^[1] After graduation, he experienced unemployment and had worked as a delivery rider, served as a host for film opening ceremonies and was cast as an extra in film productions.

In 2024, Wang Yantong and the director Lan Hongchun had first worked together on a commercial promoting beef ball kway teow. After learning that Lan is working on an upcoming film Dear You, Wang auditioned for the role of Den Bhagseng for the film. During the production of the film, he persistently sought to join the production crew and was eventually accepted as a member of the behind-the-scenes crew.

Initially Lan though his appearance was too delicate and did not match the lead role's image of the weathered and dark-skinned young man. In order to win the role, Wang subjected himself to an intensive transformation for several months; He went to the Shantou Port three months in advance to experience the physically demanding work lives of dockworkers and cycle rickshaw riders, naturally darkening his complexion and developing a rugged physique for the role. He also underwent an extensive accent training by integrating his native Shantou accent into to a more compelling Chaoyang accent to better fit into the character's personality. His sincere dedication and transformation ultimately impressed Lan and Wang won the role.^[2]

Following the 2026 Chinese film Dear You was released on April 30, 2026, in mainland China, the film had a high box office record achievement in mainland China.^[3] It was subsequently released abroad in Southeast Asia on June 18, 2026, and broke the box office record for Chinese-language films in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Singapore,^[4][5] thus skyrocketed Wang's popularity to the media and public attention.

On June 14, 2026, Wang Yantong officially signed a contract with Easy Entertainment and was invited to attend the 2026 Weibo Movie Night alongside with Li Sitong on the same day in Shanghai, where he won the "Breakthrough Actor of the Year" award.^[6][7] On June 19, 2026, alongside with another actor Liu Haoyu, Wang and Li won the Best New Actor and Best New Actress of the 23rd China Movie Channel Media Awards hosted by CCTV-6.^[8][9]