Hans Zhang

Hans Zhang Han (born 6 October 1984) is a Chinese actor, singer and host. He graduated from The Central Academy of Drama in 2007. Zhang is best known for his roles in Meteor Shower (2009) and Meteor Shower II (2010), The Queen of SOP (2012), Boss & Me (2014) and The Four (2015).

Early life

Zhang was born in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang. He entered The Central Academy of Drama and majored in acting in 2003. At the start of his life, his prudishness led him to doubt his potential to be an actor. Zhang lingered around Beijing Railway Station to make a short video. He shot his video as a romantic love story, which sprung from the story of a ragged man. As a result of the video, Zhang was rewarded and was determined to stick with acting.^[1]

Career

Beginnings and Rise to Fame: 2007–2011

After Hans Zhang graduated from Central Academy of Drama in 2007, he appeared in various television series and movies. In 2009, he rose to fame for his breakthrough role as Murong Yunhai in popular Chinese idol drama Meteor Shower and its sequel, Meteor Shower II. Zhang was awarded the Most Popular Actor award at the 2009 Sohu TV Drama Season Review and the Most Promising Artist at 2009 Sina Web Festival.

The following year, he collaborated with Korean actor Song Joong-ki in the animal-themed movie Hearty Paws 2. Zhang plays a foreign exchange student, and conversed in Korean language throughout the film, despite not knowing how to speak the language.

In 2011, Zhang began hosting Hunan TV's Great Sunday with Peer (Zhu Zixiao) and Vision Wei. The variety program was popular with the audience, with constant increases in ratings and becoming one of the most searched-about online topics. In the same year, Zhang starred in the idol drama Fall in Love, taking on a more mature and complex role, which won him the Sina Entertainment Awards for Most Popular TV Actor and the Ratings Contribution award at the Sohu TV Drama Awards. The same year, he collaborated with Meteor Shower co-star Zheng Shuang in the film No Limit and the television series Secret History of Princess Taiping.

Rising Popularity: 2012–2015

In 2012, Zhang's popularity further increased when he starred in Hunan TV's The Queen of SOP alongside Joe Chen. The drama captured first-place spot among TV show ratings, and quickly gained one of the highest viewership ratings of the year. Zhang won Most Influential Actor at the 2012 Asian Idol Awards and the Cutting Edge Baiqiang award at the Huading Awards, as well as the Most Influential Actor by the Entertainment Live Ranking.

The following year, he starred in the historical drama Heroes in Sui and Tang Dynasties, which won him the Magnolia Award for Most Popular Actor at the 19th Shanghai Television Festival. In May, The Colors of Youth was released, starring Zhang in eleven different characters in the drama. In September, he reunited with Zheng Shuang in The Queen of SOP 2, the sequel to the 2012 hit drama.

In 2014, Zhang joined the first season of Divas Hit the Road, a reality television series about travelling. The show was extremely popular, ranking first in ratings nationally throughout its run, which gained him more fans. In June, Zhang left his company and set up his own personal studio. He then starred alongside Emma Wu in the idol drama A Different Kind of Pretty Man.

The same year, Zhang starred alongside Zanilia Zhao in the romantic-comedy drama Boss & Me, based on Gu Man’s popular novel Come and Eat, Shan Shan. He played the lead role of Feng Teng, a rich and handsome CEO of a large conglomerate. One of his catchphrases in the drama, "This fish pond is being contracted by you (这个鱼塘被你承包了)" became viral online, and later sparked a new trend in love confessions (known as "Yu Tang" or "Pond" style). The drama series was not only popular in mainland China (achieving #1 spot in TV ratings throughout its run), but also garnered a fanbase in countries like Russia, America and Japan. Zhang won the Asian Star award at the Seoul International Drama Awards and the Most Popular TV Actor on the Internet at 2014 iQIYI Night; solidifying his position as one of the hottest Chinese actors (also known as "Little Fresh Meats", referring to up and coming actors in China).

In 2015, Zhang starred in idol detective drama The Four, based on the novel Si Da Ming Pu by Wen Ruian. He plays the character "Leng Xie (Cold Blooded)", which was a significant transformation from his usually sunny-like image. The drama series was especially popular with the younger audiences due to its main cast of flower boys. At the 2015 Asian Influence Awards, he was awarded Most Popular Actor for the mainland region.

In May 2015, he was cast alongside Korean actress Park Min-young in the historical drama Braveness of the Ming. In September, he was cast in the republican drama The Legendary Tycoon, about the legendary life and career of Run Run Shaw. In October, he reunited with The Queen of SOP co-star Joe Chen in the youth romance movie Youth Never Returns.

Film roles and Producer: 2016–Present

In 2016, he was cast in the spy thriller Eternal Wave, and the 3D science fiction film The Three-Body Problem. In February, he collaborated with Hong Kong actor Eric Tsang in the web drama Ten Deadly Sins. In March, he reunited with Zanilia Zhao in the romantic comedy film The Rise of a Tomboy, and starred in ancient fantasy drama The Classic Of Mountains And Seas.

Zhang announced that he will be producing his first drama under "Zhang Han's Studio", titled The Rhapsody of a Summer Dream, which stars himself and Korean actress Go Joon-hee.

Filmography

Television

Discography

Soundtracks and theme songs

References