Zhang Ruoyun

2004–2014: Beginnings

Zhang made his acting debut in 2004, acting as the younger version of the male protagonist in The Sea's Promise.^[3] He first gained attention for his roles in Snow Leopard (2010) and its companion series, Black Fox (2011).^[4][5] He won the Most Popular New Actor award in 2010 for his performance in Snow Leopard.^[6] Zhang took on his first lead role in war drama Sharp Sword.^[7]

In 2014, he starred in New Snow Leopard, and won the Outstanding Actor award at the China TV Drama Awards.^[8][9]

2015–2023: Rising popularity and breakthrough

In 2015, Zhang starred in the web drama Wu Xin: The Monster Killer.^[10] The series was popular in both China and Taiwan, and led to increased recognition for Zhang in the region.^[11] Zhang then starred in youth romance drama Promise of Migratory Birds^[12] and fantasy dramas Novoland: The Castle in the Sky and Legend of Nine Tails Fox.^[13][14]

In 2016, Zhang starred in the hit espionage drama Sparrow.^[15] The popularity of the series propelled Zhang to mainstream popularity, and he won the Most Popular Actor award at the China TV Drama Awards.^[16][17] He then headlined the web drama Medical Examiner Dr. Qin. The series gained over 1.5 billion views on Sohu TV, and earned praise for its storyline and his performance.^[18] The same year, Zhang starred in his first film, Sky on Fire.^[19]

In 2017, he was cast in the titular role of Huo Qubing in historical drama, The Fated General.^[20] The name of the series was later changed to Desert Wind (风起大漠).^[21] In 2017, Zhang starred in Dear My Friends (Chinese TV series).^[22] Zhang ranked 94th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.^[23]

In 2017–2018, Zhang took on the dual roles of Vladimir and Vershinin in the stage production Three Sisters & Waiting for Godot, a contemporary experimental theatrical play directed by Lin Zhaohua.^[24][25]

In 2018, Zhang starred in the romantic comedy drama The Evolution of Our Love.^[26]

In 2019, Zhang starred in the spy drama Awakening of Insects.^[27] This series received widespread acclaim and popularity,^[28] and he was nominated for the Audience's Choice for Actor at the 30th China TV Golden Eagle Award.^[29] He then starred as the male lead in historical epic Joy of Life based on the novel Qing Yu Nian by Mao Ni.^[30][31] Joy of Life received positive reviews and was a hit.^[32] For his outstanding performance in Joy of Life, Zhang earned his nomination for the Magnolia Award for Best Actor in a Television Series.

In 2020, Zhang was cast in the legal drama Perfect Evidence,^[33] and the film Escape from the 21st Century, which was only screened in 2024.^[34] During 2020, he teamed up once again with Joy of Life screenwriter Wang Juan, this time for the wuxia drama Sword Snow Stride.^[35] The series premiered on December 15, 2021, on the CCTV Drama Channel and simultaneously aired on Tencent Video.^[36] By January 20, 2022, Sword Snow Stride had already amassed a viewership of over 6 billion on Tencent.^[37] Zhang ranked 37th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.^[38]

In 2022, Zhang starred as the male lead in the urban police drama Ordinary Greatness. This series received widespread acclaim.^[39][40]

In 2023, Zhang took on the lead role of Shuai Jiamo, a mathematical genius with Asperger's syndrome, in Under The Microscope, a production adapted from Ma Boyong's historical book "Under the Microscope of the Ming Dynasty".^[41] That same year, Zhang starred as the lead, Lei Ming, in the drama The Hope, which tells the story of a passionate teacher helping students rediscover their purpose.^[42] After the airing of the series finale in January 2024, Zhang published a heartfelt reflection on his Weibo account，where he recalled his emotional journey playing the role of Lei Ming and shared his unique insights into this character.^[43]

2024–present: Continued success and mainstream recognition

Before 2024, Zhang was already recognized for his versatility and impressive performances across a wide range of characters.^[44] His breakthrough came in 2019 with the immensely popular series Joy of Life, where his portrayal of Fan Xian received critical acclaim. His success continued with every subsequent drama, spanning both historical and modern settings, where he demonstrated a remarkable ability to bring characters to life.^[45]

After a four-year hiatus since Joy of Life, filming for Joy of Life 2, in which Zhang reprised his role as the lead character Fan Xian, commenced in May 2023.^[46] When the TV series aired a year later, in May 2024, it achieved remarkable success, setting several records on Tencent Video, including the highest-ever popularity score.^[47] Joy of Life 2 also became the most-watched drama from mainland China on Disney+,^[48] and it gained considerable attention on platforms like YouTube and Viki, drawing two to three times the viewership of other highly regarded Chinese dramas.^[48] For his outstanding performance in Joy of Life 2, Zhang earned his second nomination for the Magnolia Award for Best Actor in a Television Series.

In 2024, Zhang was cast as the male lead, Gao Feng, in the suspense TV series Light of Dawn. In the Summer of 2024, the film Escape from the 21st Century was released.^[49] That same year, for his outstanding performance in Ordinary Greatness, Zhang earned his nomination for China TV Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor.^[50]

Film

Television series

Theatre

Variety show

Soundtrack appearances

Awards and nominations

Note: the bolded ones are among the three major awards.

Forbes China Celebrity 100