Zhang Guangbei

Zhang Guangbei (; born 11 June 1959) is a Chinese actor, best known in television work for portraying Lü Bu in Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Chu Yunfei in Drawing Sword (2006).

Early life and education Zhang was born in Beijing, on June 11, 1959, while his ancestral home in Sichuan. As a teenager, at the age of 12, he joined the choir of China National Radio. In 1976, the year the Cultural Revolution ended, he conscripted into military service, where he worked at North China Sea Fleet. Zhang returned to Beijing in 1980 and that year he entered Beijing Film Academy and majored in acting. Two years later, he was accepted to the Central Academy of Drama. After graduating in 1986 he was assigned to Beijing Film Studio.

Acting career Zhang first came to public attention in 1986 when he was a college student, appearing on Xie Jin's Hibiscus Town, a drama film starring Jiang Wen and Liu Xiaoqing. It is based on a novel by the same name written by Gu Hua.

In 1987, Zhang played the role of Prince Gong in Wang Xuexin's film Two Dowagers, for which he received a Best Actor nomination at the 10th Hundred Flowers Awards. In the following year, he earned his second Best Actor nomination for his performance as Cheng Huan in Mutiny.

Zhang appeared in Hu Guang (1988), which earned him a Chinese Academy of Performing Arts Society Award.

In 1992, he portrayed Emperor Meiji in the historical television series Beiyang Fleet.

In 1993, Zhang starred in Siu Hung Cheung's action film The Assassin, opposite Zhang Fengyi, Rosamund Kwan, Max Mok.

Zhang gained national fame for his starring role as Lü Bu in the 1994 historical television series Romance of the Three Kingdoms, adapted from Luo Guanzhong's classical novel of the same title.

In 1996, he played the character King Zhuang of Chu on the television Eastern Zhou Dynasty Various Nations.

Zhang appeared as Zhou Xuan's husband Tang Di in the biographical television series Zhou Xuan, based on the real life of Zhou Xuan, who was one of China's Seven Great Singing Stars in the 1940s.

In 2000, he played the title role in The Sun Comes East, co-starring Wang Ying as Mao Zedong.

In 2001, he joined the main cast of Princess Wencheng as Gar Tongtsen Yulsung, a general of the Tibetan Empire who served as Great Minister during the reign of Songtsen Gampo.

Zhang co-starred with Sun Li and Tong Dawei in the 2002 television series Jade Goddess of Mercy as Bian Xiaojun.

In 2004, he co-starred with Huang Lina and Gui Yalei in Emperor Guangwu of Han as Emperor Guangwu of Han.

Zhang's big break came when Chen Jian and Zhang Qian cast him in Drawing Sword (2006), in which he played the Nationalist army official Chu Yunfei, a role which brought him much publicity.

In 2007, he had a lead role in The Benevolent is Invincible, this was his second time working with Li Youbin after Drawing Sword. That same year, he co-starred with Xiong Naijin, Anya and Wang Yan in the thriller film Letter Box as the amorous man Zheng Chuan.

In 2009, Zhang portrayed Han Xin in the historical television series The Han Triumph, directed by Huang Jianzhong.

Zhang starred in a historical television series called King of Silk (2010) with Jia Yiping and Ma Yili. He was cast as the political commissar in the romance film A Tibetan Love Song, opposite Alec Su, Ju Wenpei, Purba Rgyal, Ariel Aisin-Gioro, and Chen Maolin.

In 2011, he was cast in the comedy film The Kidnappers, playing the father of Wu Zhenlin's character. That same year, he had a minor role in the wuxia television series The Legend of Chu Liuxiang, which starred Ken Chang as Chu Liuxiang.

Zhang made a guest appearance in All for Love (2012), a romantic comedy film directed by Jiang Ping and written by Zhu Ping and Xu Yiwen, starring Ariel Aisin-Gioro, Che Yongli, Alec Su, and Ju Wenpei.

In 2013, he was cast in the war film Chinese Look with Song Chunli, Song Chuyan, Shu Yaoxuan, Zhang Qianru, and Erma Yina.

In 2015, it was reported that Zhang was in talks to appear as Chang Weisi, a major general, in the film adaption of the best-selling book The Three-Body Problem which will be directed by Panpan Zhang.

Personal life Zhang married actress Chen Wei in October 1989 in Beijing. Their daughter Zhang Sile was born in 1992 and is also an actress.

Filmography Film Year English title Chinese title Role Notes 1986 Hibiscus Town Li Mangeng 1987 Probation in the Army Xiang Fan Little Empreors of China Two Dowagers Prince Gong 1988 Bandits and the Black Swan Feng Ziqiao Hu Guang Liu Kai 1989 Mutiny Cheng Huan Woman Gangster in Blue Dongfang Hongfei 1990 Iron Soul Brother Fang Sacred Fire in a Remote Place Liu Qingjian 1991 A Gentleman's Revenge Li Donghai 1992 Dedicate All His Life 1993 Widows Laoda The Assassin Song Zhong Living with You Zhu Yitong 2007 Letter Box Zheng Chuan Wu Yunduo Wu Yunduo 2010 A Tibetan Love Song Political commissar Lover Eternal Zhang Qingfeng 2011 The Kidnappers Du Du's father 2012 All for Love Guest 2013 Chinese Look Guo Jiansan The Three-Body Problem Chang Weisi

Television Year English title Chinese title Role Notes 1991 The Birth of a Statue Luo Shiwen 1992 Zhao Liqiu Beiyang Fleet Emperor Meiji 1993 Xiaodunzi Da Ben Romance of the Three Kingdoms Lü Bu 1994 The Boundless Season Liu Housheng Scenery of the Small Building Shengzi 1995 Walking into the Sun Zheng Zihua 1996 Zhang Yongliang Eastern Zhou Dynasty Various Nations King Zhuang of Chu 1997 Song of Youth Hu Meng'an 1998 Wu Gehua 1999 Zhou Xuan Tang Ti 2000 The Sun Comes East Chiang Kai-shek 2001 Princess Wencheng Gar Tongtsen Yulsung 2002 Jade Goddess of Mercy Bian Xiaojun Bingtanghulu Crispy Sugar-Coated Fruit Muzi Zhang Tao Proud Son of Heaven Fang Jie 2004 Akhal-teke Horses Master Tao Emperor Guangwu of Han Emperor Guangwu of Han 2005 Drawing Sword Chu Yunfei Tie Haitang 2006 Deng Ziqian Let's Remarry Li Xuelei 2007 Xun Huisheng Yang Xiaolou Fog Willow Town Tang Jing Secret Post in Canton He Cunxi Bloody Xiangxi Suo Yunchao 2008 The Benevolent is Invincible Li Wenbo 2009 The Han Triumph Han Xin Guest Waiting until the Day of Victory Kuang Bingyi 2010 King of Silk Tao Zhu Legend of Su San Su San's Father Eleven Steps Li Daqiang Suzhou Twelve Women Chen Shihao A Forward Contract President Liao 2011 The Wife of Bandit Division commander Five Lakes and Four Seas Minister Zhang Jade Goddess of Mercy Zhong Guoqing Legend of the Gunman Ren Rujian Japanese military official The Legend of Chu Liuxiang Old man Li Song 2012 Lone Wolf Qi Fangliang Red Flow Chen Duxiu The Sun Comes Jiangnan Li Hongzhang The Wolf Man of the War Song Feng Bingchen 2013 Qin Xiangyang Sirius Action Chu Tianfei 2015 Cop Power Xu Yuan 2016 The Red Flag thrown into West Wind Qin Shengda

Awards and nominations Year Nominated work Award Category Result 1987 Two Dowagers 10th Hundred Flowers Awards Best Actor 1988 Mutiny 11th Hundred Flowers Awards Best Actor 1989 Hu Guang Chinese Academy of Performing Arts Society Award 1990 Sacred Fire in a Remote Place Golden Rooster Awards Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor