Chang Chen

Zhang Zhen, born in 1976, grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. His family is involved in the entertainment industry: his father is actor Zhang Guozhu and his older brother is also an actor. According to reports, his mother died on February 11, 2025, at the age of 80.

Zhang showed interest in the arts from a young age, occasionally appearing in productions with his father and entering the entertainment world from age four. In elementary school he joined a small theater troupe led by director Tsai Ming-liang, showing early talent in painting and music. In 1980 he appeared in the romance film "三角习题" (directed by Song Xiangru) when the production needed a young boy. He graduated from Fuxing Art & Design Vocational High School and originally planned to work in film art departments.

His acting career developed from 1991 onward. At 15 he played the silent, stubborn youth Xiao Si'er in Edward Yang’s film A Brighter Summer Day (牯岭街少年杀人事件), earning a Best Actor nomination at the 28th Golden Horse Awards — a major turning point in his career. In 1996 he again collaborated with Edward Yang on the comedy Mahjong (麻将), and released his first EP Zhang Zhen Is Zhang Zhen (张震就是张震) and the album Yi Zou Le Zhi (一走了之). In 1997 he appeared in Wong Kar-wai’s Happy Together (春光乍泄) as a wandering Taiwanese youth Zhang Wan, and received a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 17th Hong Kong Film Awards.

After 2000 Zhang expanded into a wider range of film types. In Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (卧虎藏龙, 2000) he played Luo Xiaohu and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 20th Hong Kong Film Awards. In 2001 he starred in the romance film Ai Ni Ai Wo (爱你爱我), and in 2002 he portrayed the Zhengde Emperor Zhu Houzhao in Tian Xia Wu Shuang (天下无双). In 2003 he played A-Jie in Di Xia Tie (地下铁), and in 2004 he appeared in 2046 and Ai Shen (爱神), demonstrating range in his performances.

In 2006 Zhang starred in director Su Chao-bin’s sci-fi thriller Gui Si (诡丝), his first attempt in the thriller genre. That same year he portrayed Go master Wu Qingyuan in Tian Zhuangzhuang’s film Wu Qingyuan (吴清源). In 2007 he appeared in Kim Ki-duk’s Breath (呼吸) and Chen Kaige’s Monk Comes Down the Mountain (道士下山). From 2008 he starred as Sun Quan in John Woo’s Red Cliff (赤壁) series, which was commercially successful; for Red Cliff: Part II (赤壁（下）) he received a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards.

Since 2010 Zhang has continued to take varied roles. In 2012 he played Han Xin in Wang De Sheng Yan (王的盛宴) and appeared in Yesterday’s Memory (昨日的记忆). In 2013 he worked again with Wong Kar-wai in The Grandmaster (一代宗师), playing the character Yi Lian Tian (一线天), further raising his profile. In 2014 he starred as Shen Lian in the period martial-arts film Brotherhood of Blades (绣春刀) and was nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Horse Awards.

Beyond film, Zhang has appeared in television and stage productions and served as a juror at film festivals, remaining active on the international film scene. His acting is known for its subtlety and multilayered approach, and he has created many distinctively characterized roles. In his personal life, Zhang registered his marriage with wife Zhuang Wenru (庄雯如) in Taipei in 2023; the couple has a daughter. His father and brother are also influential in the entertainment industry, and the family maintains close ties.