Wen Zhang

Wen Zhang (Chinese: 文章, born 26 June 1984) is a Chinese actor. He graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in 2006. He is known for his roles in television series Struggle (2007), Dwelling Narrowness (2009), and in films Ocean Heaven (2010), Love is Not Blind (2011), and Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013).

Wen ranked 58th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2013,^[1] and 45th in 2014.^[2]

Wen gained recognition for his role in the TV drama Romantic Life.^[3] He had his breakthrough for his role in the TV drama Struggle (2007), adapted from the popular novel by Shi Kang,^[4] followed by another major hit show Dwelling Narrowness (2009).^[5]

Wen made his film debut in A Tale of Two Donkeys, directed by Li Dawei, a black comedy film set in the Down the Countryside Movement,^[6] for which Wen won the Best New Actor at the China Movie Channel Media Awards.^[7]

Wen had his first major screen role in Xue Xiaolu's art-house film, Ocean Heaven (2010), portraying a 21-year-old man on the autism spectrum whose greatest joy is swimming. Initially rejected for not meeting the production’s expectations, Wen trained intensively, mastering four swimming strokes within a week to secure the role. He subsequently underwent rigorous preparation, including daily 5,000-meter swim training and a six-month immersion living among individuals with autism, an experience he later said helped him better understand their inner world. His performance received widespread critical acclaim, earning him the Best Actor award at the China Movie Channel Media Awards.^[8][9] The same year, Wen won the Best Actor award at the Sichuan Television Festival and Audience's Choice for Actor at the Golden Eagle Awards for his role as a war-time hero in Snow Leopard.^[10][11][12]

In 2011, Wen starred in the romantic comedy Love is Not Blind alongside Bai Baihe.^[13] Produced on a modest budget, the film became a surprise commercial success, grossing over ¥350 million at the Chinese box office.^[14] Wen won the Best Actor award at the Hundred Flowers Awards for his performance. He also received the Best Actor award at the China TV Drama Awards for his role in Naked Wedding (2011).^[15]

In 2013, Wen starred as Tang Sanzang in Stephen Chow's fantasy blockbuster Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons,^[16] which broke box-office records to become the highest-grossing Chinese film at the time^[17]. He also starred in action comedy Badges of Fury alongside Jet Li.^[18] That year, Wen made his television directorial debut with Little Daddy, in which he also starred, winning Best Television Series and Best Actor awards at the LETV Awards.^[19]

Wen's career was significantly derailed by an extramarital affair in 2014. After a long break, Wen directed his first feature film, When Larry Met Mary (2016).^[20] Although the film received positive critical reviews, it underperformed commercially.^[21] Wen received the Best Directorial Debut award at the Golden Rooster Awards. Later that year, he returned to television with Young Marshal, a biographical drama of Zhang Xueliang.^[22]

However, following his comeback, Wen did not regain his previous level of popularity. Amid stricter censorship and morality campaigns in China, he was removed from the television drama Zhuang Tai (2020), which aired on CCTV-1, suggesting he had been blacklisted from television.^[23] Wen continued to work in theatre and appeared in minor or cameo roles in films.

Wen married Chinese actress Ma Yili in 2008; they have a daughter. They met on the set of a Chinese historical drama Embroidered Uniform Guard, and started dating when they filmed Struggle together. However, in 2014, Wen was exposed by the paparazzi to be involved in an affair with Yao Di, his co-star in the 2011 television series Naked Marriage. His affair attracted enormous attention on Sina Weibo, in part because of his image as a devoted husband; his apology became the most-reposted post on the platform at the time.^[24] On 28 July 2019, Wen and Ma announced their divorce.^[25]

On 8 November 2019, Wen confirmed a relationship with Ren Hanqing, a flight attendant 12 years his junior. In February 2020, the two were photographed visiting a maternity hospital, and in July Wen acknowledged that Ren was pregnant. Their son was born on 1 August 2020. In October 2020, Wen stated that he would not remarry, citing a desire to retain personal freedom.^[26]