Zhang Ruoyun

Zhang Ruoyun (, born 24 August 1988) is a Chinese actor. He is known for his leading roles in Chinese television series such as Sparrow, Medical Examiner Dr. Qin, Joy of Life, Sword Snow Stride, and Ordinary Greatness.

Early life and education Zhang was born in Beijing, on 24 August 1988, to Zhang Jian , a director and producer. His grandfather is a geologist.

Zhang's parents were largely absent during his childhood, and Zhang was raised by his grandparents. Later, Zhang Jian signed business contracts using his son's name without the actor's knowledge. Zhang Ruoyun eventually took his father to court over the issue. He first gained attention for his roles in Snow Leopard (2010) and its companion series, Black Fox (2011). He won the Most Popular New Actor award in 2010 for his performance in Snow Leopard. Zhang took on his first lead role in war drama Sharp Sword.

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

2015–2023: Rising popularity and breakthrough In 2015, Zhang starred in the web drama Wu Xin: The Monster Killer. The series was popular in both China and Taiwan, and led to increased recognition for Zhang in the region. Zhang then starred in youth romance drama Promise of Migratory Birds and fantasy dramas Novoland: The Castle in the Sky and Legend of Nine Tails Fox.

In 2016, Zhang starred in the hit espionage drama Sparrow. The popularity of the series propelled Zhang to mainstream popularity, and he won the Most Popular Actor award at the China TV Drama Awards. 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. The same year, Zhang starred in his first film, Sky on Fire.

In 2017, he was cast in the titular role of Huo Qubing in historical drama, The Fated General. The name of the series was later changed to Desert Wind (风起大漠). Zhang ranked 94th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.

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.

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

In 2019, Zhang starred in the spy drama Awakening of Insects. This series received widespread acclaim and popularity, and he was nominated for the Audience's Choice for Actor at the 30th China TV Golden Eagle Award. He then starred as the male lead in historical epic Joy of Life based on the novel Qing Yu Nian by Mao Ni. Joy of Life received positive reviews and was a hit. 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, and the film Escape from the 21st Century, which was only screened in 2024. During 2020, he teamed up once again with Joy of Life screenwriter Wang Juan, this time for the wuxia drama Sword Snow Stride. The series premiered on December 15, 2021, on the CCTV Drama Channel and simultaneously aired on Tencent Video. By January 20, 2022, Sword Snow Stride had already amassed a viewership of over 6 billion on Tencent. Zhang ranked 37th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.

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

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". 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. 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.

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. 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.

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. 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. Joy of Life 2 also became the most-watched drama from mainland China on Disney+, and it gained considerable attention on platforms like YouTube and Viki, drawing two to three times the viewership of other highly regarded Chinese dramas. That same year, for his outstanding performance in Ordinary Greatness, Zhang earned his nomination for China TV Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor.

Personal life Zhang and actress Tang Yixin revealed their relationship through Weibo on August 2, 2017. They got married in Ireland on June 27, 2019, after dating for close to 9 years. Their daughter was born in May 2020.

Filmography Film YearEnglish titleChinese titleRole Notes/ 2016 Sky on Fire 沖天火Pan Ziwen 2018 Nuts 奇葩朵朵Huang Jian 2020 Onward ½的魔法 BarleyChinese dub 2021 1921 1921 Liu Shao Qi2024 Escape from the 21st Century 从21世纪安全撤离 Wang Zha Mufasa: The Lion King 狮子王：木法沙传奇 Mufasa Chinese dub 2025 The Lychee Road 长安的荔枝 Du Fu 2026 Make Zhonghe Great Again 年会不能停2！ Liu Ben

Television series

Theatre YearEnglish titleChinese titleRoleNotes 2017–2018 Three Sisters & Waiting for Godot 三姐妹·等待戈多Vladimir, Vershinin Director: Lin Zhaohua 2018 White Rabbit, Red Rabbit 白兔子，红兔子

Variety show

Discography Soundtrack appearances Year English title Chinese title Album Notes2011 "A Strong Person" 坚强的人 Black Fox OST 2013 "Waking Up" 醒来 Love Song OST 2015 "The Longest Journey" 最长的旅途 Wu Xin: The Monster Killer OST 2016 "The Promise of Lateness" 迟到的誓言 Promise of Migratory Birds OST "Stray" 迷途 Sparrow OST "Eternal" 不滅 Medical Examiner Dr. Qin OST Lyrics by Zhang Ruoyun 2018 "All Right" The Evolution of Our Love OST 2021 "Walking in the Snow" 雪中行 Sword Snow Stride OST

Accolades Awards and nominations Most Influential Artist of the Year Yuewen Global IP Awards Actor of the Year China Quality Television Drama Ceremony Star of Outstanding Quality Weibo Movie Awards Ceremony Most Appealing Actor of the Year 30th Shanghai Television Festival Best Actor Joy of Life 2 Overseas Promotion Ambassador for Chinese TV Programme Note: the bolded ones are among the three major awards.

Forbes China Celebrity 100 YearRank 201794th 202032nd