Yao Chen (, born 5 October 1979) is a Chinese actress and philanthropist. She achieved success with her role in the sitcom My Own Swordsman (2006) and went on to star in the television series Lurk (2008), Divorce Lawyers (2014), and All Is Well (2019). Her notable films include Caught in the Web (2012), Firestorm (2013), Lost, Found (2018), and Send Me to the Clouds (2019).
From late 2009 to 2012, Yao was the most followed celebrity on Weibo, winning the first "Weibo Queen" at the 2011 Weibo Night. In 2013, she was named the first UN Refugee Agency Goodwill Ambassador in China. In 2014, Yao was named as one of the most influential people on the Time 100 list, and named by Forbes as the 83rd most powerful woman in the world. Yao ranked 77th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2008, 73rd in 2009, 78th in 2010, 24th in 2011, 33rd in 2012, 56th in 2013, 69th in 2014, 41st in 2015, and 60th in 2019.
Early life Yao was born in Fuzhou, Fujian province on 5 October 1979 to a middle-class family. She studied Chinese folk dance at the Beijing Dance Academy from 1993 to 1997. She was admitted into Beijing Film Academy in 1999, where her classmates included actors Ling Xiaosu, Yu Bo, and Ye Jing. She graduated from Beijing Film Academy in 2003.
Career
Acting Yao was propelled to fame by her role as the daughter of a powerful martial artist in the 2005 sitcom My Own Swordsman. Following this, in 2008, she played the part of a guerilla leader in the popular series Lurk, for which she won the Best Actress award at the Huading Awards and the Golden Eagle Awards. Yao opened a Sina Weibo account in 2009, becoming one of the earliest celebrities in China to embrace social media, which led to runaway success. In the early 2010s, her immense popularity on Chinese social media earned her the title of “Weibo Queen.”
In 2009, Yao made her theatrical debut, playing a white-collar heroine in A Story of Lala's Promotion. She also had a supporting role in the romantic comedy Sophie's Revenge. Yao then starred in romantic comedy Color Me Love (2010) as an aspiring fashion magazine editor, which would go on to become one of her most famous film roles. In 2012, Yao starred in Chen Kaige's social drama Caught in the Web as a truth-seeking journalist. She then starred alongside Andy Lau in the action thriller Firestorm, which won her the Outstanding Actress award at the Chinese Film Media Awards.
Yao played a lawyer in the 2014 TV drama Divorce Lawyers, followed by a series of blockbusters Monster Hunt (2015), Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe (2015) and Journey to the West 2 (2017). Yao was nominated as Best Supporting Actress at the Hundred Flowers Awards for her performance in Monster Hunt. She also starred in MBA Partners (2016), playing an ambitious young woman.
In 2017, Yao served as the jury of the 23rd Shanghai Television Festival. In 2018, Yao starred in the mystery film Lost, Found, a remake of the South Korean film Missing. In 2019, Yao starred in the family drama All Is Well, for which she received the Best Actress Award of the Busan International Film Festival's Asia Contents Awards. In the same year, she received the Golden Rooster Award for the film Send Me To The Clouds (2019), as well as the Singapore International Film Festival’s cinema icon award. She starred in If You are the One 3 in 2023.
Activism In 2012, Yao was named the UNHCR's Honorary Patron for China and has visited refugees in places including the Philippines, Thailand, Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia. The number of her Weibo followers during the visit increased dramatically. In 2013, she was named the first UNHCR goodwill ambassador in China. Yao was among the recipients of the 2016 Crystal Award for her work on behalf of the U.N. refugee agency in raising awareness of the world refugee crisis. The same year, she was selected as one of the "Young Global Leaders" in 2016 by the World Economic Forum. Yao was also awarded the Top Influence Award at the You Bring Charm to the World award ceremony. For Yao’s works and impacts in Asia and the world, she was received 2023 Asia Game Changer Award from Asia Society.
Endorsements In 2018, Yao was selected as brand ambassador for Italian fashion house Etro.
In 2021, Yao Chen joined actress Charlize Theron and prima-ballerina Misty Copeland as brand ambassadors for Breitling, dubbed the Breitling Spotlight Squad.
Since 2021, Italian jeweller Pomellato has announced Yao as its Chinese Brand Ambassador.
Personal life In 2004, Yao married college sweetheart and Chinese actor Ling Xiaosu. They divorced in 2011.
Yao married cinematographer Cao Yu in November 2012. She gave birth to their son in 2013, and three years later, she gave birth to their daughter. On March 16, 2026, Yao announced on Weibo that she had divorced Cao many years ago.姚晨微博：山水一程，三生有幸。缘来缘去，皆是欢喜。（姚晨曹郁共同发布）
Filmography Film Year English title Chinese title Role Notes/2006 Axis of War: My Long March我的长征 Su Ma Big Movie 大电影之数百亿 Luo Qian2007 Falling in Love 追爱总动员 Cameo Two Stupid Eggs 大电影2.0之两个傻瓜的荒唐事 Yan Zi Crossed Lines 命运呼叫转移 Ma Ting 2009 Sophie's Revenge 非常完美 Lily All's Well, Ends Well H家有喜事2009 Xiao Yazhen Freeway 天堂凹 Jin Hong 2010 If You Are the One 2 非诚勿扰2 Mango Love in Cosmo 摇摆de婚约 Wang Shunjia Color Me Love 爱出色 Wang Xiaofei 2011 My Own Swordsman 武林外传 Guo Furong 2012 Caught in the Web 搜索 Chen Ruoxi The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven 大闹天宫 Voice-dubbed2013 My Lucky Star 非常幸运 LilyCameo Control 控制 Jessica Firestorm 风暴2 Yan Bing2015 Monster Hunt 捉妖记 Cooking Master Special appearance Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe 九层妖塔 Shirley Yang 2016 Everybody's Fine 一切都好 Guan Qing The New Year's Eve of Old Lee 过年好 Cameo MBA Partners 梦想合伙人 Lu Zhenxi 2017 Journey to the West 2 西游伏妖篇 Jiu Gong 2018 Goddesses in the Flames of War 那些女人 Lost, Found 找到你 Li Jie 2019 Send Me to the Clouds 送我上青云 Sheng Nan A Journey to the Seaside 亲密旅行 2020 The Eight Hundred 八佰 Ho Hsiang-ning 2023Flaming Cloud三贵情史If You Are the One 3非常勿扰3
Television series Year English title Chinese title Role Notes/2003City Girl都市男女Su Qingqing 神鞭Zhan Jiarong 2004 Chui Shi Ban's Story 2炊事班的故事2 Xiao Yao2006 Life Concern人命关天Meng TingMy Own Swordsman 武林外传 Guo Furong 2007 房前屋后 Gu Lili Chui Shi Ban's Story 3炊事班的故事3 Xiao YaoFuwa福娃Huanhuan / PululuVoice2008 Six Cities都市六人行 Fang FangGuest appearance China's Volunteers 中国志愿者 Ye Meng Voice Lione 防火墙5788 Song Yuxiu Hundred Years Past Events百年往事 He Jiabi2009 Health Team's Story 卫生队的故事Xiao Yao Lurk 潜伏Wang Cuiping2010 Niu Tie Han and his Daughters牛铁汉和他的儿女们Gu Xiaoxin Days with the Air Hostess 和空姐一起的日子Ran Jing 2013 Longmen Express龙门镖局 Lu QingningCameo2014 Wonder Lady 3极品女士第三季 Lawyer LuoCameoDivorce Lawyers离婚律师Luo Li 2019 All Is Well 都挺好Su Mingyu 2021Vacation of Love假日暖洋洋Xu Keyi
Discography Soundtrack appearances Year English title Chinese title Album 2007 "Searching"寻找 Fuwa OST 2014 "Don't Let Love Be Lost"别让爱迷路 Divorce Lawyers OST 2016 "A Letter Home"一封家书 Everybody's Fine OST2017"Love in a Life Time" 一生所爱 Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back OST
Awards and nominations Year Nominated work Award Category Result 2009 Lurk 27th Flying Apsaras Awards Outstanding Actress 2010 2nd Huading Awards Best Actress 25th China TV Golden Eagle Award Audience's Choice for Actress2011 Love in Cosmo 5th Huading Awards Best Actress in Romance Film My Own Swordsman 18th Beijing College Student Film Festival Most Popular Actress 13th Golden Phoenix Awards Society Award Color Me Love 11th Chinese Film Media Awards Outstanding Actress 2014 Firestorm 14th Chinese Film Media Awards Outstanding Actress 2015 Divorce Lawyers 15th Huading Awards Best Actress (TV) 21st Shanghai Television Festival Best Actress 13th Sichuan Television Festival Best Actress 2016 Monster Hunt 33rd Hundred Flowers Awards Best Supporting Actress 13th Changchun Film Festival Best Supporting Actress Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe Goddesses in the Flames of War 3rd China Australia International Film Festival Special Jury Award2019Lost, Found 26th Beijing College Student Film Festival Best Actress 25th Huading Awards Best Actress 21st Far East Film Festival Golden Mulberry award for outstanding achievement All Is Well 25th Shanghai Television Festival Best Actress 24th Busan International Film Festival Asian Contents Awards - Best Actress 6th The Actors of China Award Ceremony Best Actress (Sapphire Category)26th Huading AwardsBest ActressGolden Bud - The Fourth Network Film And Television Festival Best Actress 8th China Student Television FestivalMost Watched Actress Tencent Video All Star Awards TV Actor of the Year Film and TV Role Model 2019 Ranking Best Actress Tencent Entertainment White Paper Television Actress of the Year Reputable Actress of the YearSend Me to the Clouds 32nd Golden Rooster Awards Best Actress32nd Tokyo International Film Festival Gold Crane Awards Best Actress Night of the FilmFilm Commemoration Award 2020Send Me to the Clouds29th Huading AwardsBest Actress 11th China Film Director's Guild Awards
References
External links Yao Chen's official Weibo (Chinese)