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. His parents divorced when he was two. He graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 2007.
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.
Career 2004–2014: Beginnings Zhang made his acting debut in 2004, acting as the younger version of the male protagonist in The Sea's Promise. 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). In 2017, Zhang starred in Dear My Friends (Chinese TV series). 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. 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. 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 YearEnglish titleChinese titleRoleNetwork Notes/2004The Sea's Promise 海的誓言young Ouyang Zheng Youku2010 Snow Leopard 雪豹Liu Zhihui Hunan Channel 2011Barber 理发师Zhao Jing Hebei TV Black Fox 黑狐 Fang Tianyi Sichuan TV 2012Blood Rose 血色玫瑰之女子特遣队Zhou Lichan Guest appearance2013Flashing Swords 雳剑Yan Songshen Yunnan TV, Heilongjiang TV Next Life I Will Still Marry You 下辈子还嫁给你Fu NianwenShandong TV The Wind 风影Fang Tianyi Zhejiang TVGuest appearanceLove Song 恋歌 Lin Heng Sichuan TV2014New Snow Leopard 雪豹坚强岁月Zhou Weiguo Anhui TV, Zhejiang TV Light and Shadow 光影Luo Tianqiang Zhejiang TV2015 Wu Xin: The Monster Killer 无心法师 Zhang Xianzong Sohu TV Intouchable 男神执事团Jie 2016Legend of Nine Tails Fox 青丘狐传说Liu Zigu Hunan TV Promise of Migratory Birds 十五年等待候鸟Pei Xiangxuan Novoland: The Castle in the Sky 九州天空城Feng Tianyi Jiangsu TVSparrow 麻雀 Tang ShanhaiHunan TV Medical Examiner Dr. Qin 法医秦明Qin Ming Sohu TV Hei Hu Zhi Feng Ying 黑狐之风影 Fang TianyiChongqing TV Guest appearance 2017 Dear My Friends 亲爱的她们 He Anning Hunan TV 2018 The Evolution of Our Love 爱情进化论 Lu FeiDragon TV, Zhejiang TV 2019 Hurricane 暴风骤雨Zhao YulinJiangsu Channel Awakening of Insects惊蛰 Chen Shan Hunan TV Joy of Life 庆余年Fan Xian iQiyi, Tencent 2021 My Heroic Husband 赘婿 Jiang Haochen Tencent Cameo Sword Snow Stride 雪中悍刀行 Xu Fengnian Tencent 2022 Ordinary Greatness 警察荣誉 Li Dawei iQiyi 2023 Under The Microscope 显微镜下的大明之丝绢案 Shuai Jiamo iQiyi The Hope 鸣龙少年 Lei Ming Youku 2024 Judge Dee's Mystery 大唐狄公案 Diao Xiaoguan Youku Guest appearance Joy of Life 2庆余年 第二季Fan XianTencent, Disney+2026Light of Dawn人之初Gao FengTencent TBA Perfect Evidence 完美证据 Si Tujun 千里江山图Chen QianliDesert Wind/The Fated General风起大漠Huo Qubing
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 YearEnglish titleChinese titleRole Notes/2017Divas Hit the Road 花儿与少年第三季Cast member Season 3 2016 Who's the Murderer S1 明星大侦探第一季Cast memberep5. The Missing Groom (消失的新郎)ep8.All Because of Beauty (都是漂亮惹的祸) 2017 Who's the Murderer S3 明星大侦探第三季Cast memberep0.Detectives' Dignity (先导)ep1.Hotel Horrors I (酒店惊魂I)ep2.Hotel Horrors II (酒店惊魂II) 2018 Who's the Murderer S4 明星大侦探第四季Cast memberep0.Detectives' Society (先导)ep1.Escape the Nameless Island I (逃出无名岛I)ep2.Escape the Nameless Island II (逃出无名岛II)ep5.Heaven Apartments (天堂公寓)ep11.Number One Player I (头号玩家I)ep12.Number One Player II (头号玩家II) 2019 Who's the Murderer S5 明星大侦探第五季Cast memberep0. The Return of the Famous Detectives (先导)ep1.Pianist in the Sea I (海上钢琴师I)ep2.Pianist in the Sea II (海上钢琴师II)ep11.Murder on the Slow Northern Train I (北方慢车迷案I)ep12.Murder on the Slow Northern Train II-III (北方慢车迷案II-III) 2020 Who's the Murderer S6 明星大侦探第六季Cast memberep1.Midnight Hotel I (夜半酒店I)ep2.Midnight Hotel II (夜半酒店II)ep3.New Four Talents (新四大才子) 2022 Who's the Murderer S7 大侦探7Regular cast memberAll episodes 2023 Who's the Murderer S8 大侦探8All episodes 2024 Who's the Murderer S9 大侦探9All episodes2025 Detectives' Holiday 明侦探的假期All epidosdes Who's the Murderer S10 大侦探 拾光季All episodes 2026 Who's the Murderer S11 明星大侦探第十一季Cast memberep1.Baby Project I (宝贝计划I)ep2.Baby Project II (宝贝计划II)ep12.The Dusk Files: Dream Cinema (夕晖档案之好梦影院)
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