Jun Zhao

Zhao Jun entered the Beijing Film Academy, Department of Acting, in 1982 and was assigned in 1986 to the Actors Troupe of the Beijing Film Studio. In 1986, while still a senior in college, he appeared in his first film, Gunshots in the Sorun River Valley, and in the same year played Liu Guozheng in The Tree of Longing in the Minefield. In 1987 he collaborated with Zhang Guoli, appearing in the TV series Still Waters Ripple and portraying Cai Xing-shun.

In 1990 he played Li Pingwa in the rural-themed film Crimson Dawn. In 1992 he acted in the mainland action film The Bodyguard, playing the male lead Zhou Kui. In 1995 he appeared in Wu Erge Invites the God directed by Fan Yuan, and in 1996 he won the 16th Golden Rooster Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1998 he acted in The Right Path in the World (as Shang Dequan) and Starting Over (as Dezhong).

After the turn of the century, from 2002 to 2004 he repeatedly appeared in The Party Secretary, The Great Qing Medicine King, Rivers and Mountains, and Cao Cao and Cai Wenji. In 2003, in the CCTV Production Center’s 29-episode series Rivers and Mountains, he played Du Laifeng. Around the same time, he contributed to the production of the war-themed drama The Last Cavalry. He also performed in several of the above works during 2002–2004. In 2005 he co-starred with Hou Yong, Tao Zeru, and Chen Hao in Silver Valley, Break Through Desperation, and I Love Hedong’s Lion. In 2006 he was one of the leading actors in the TV series July of the Car Watcher, directed by An Zhanjun; the series won the 23rd Golden Rooster Award for Best Supporting Actor, and in the same year he appeared in It’s Good to Be Alive. In 2008 he acted in the TV series Go Home.

In 2010 he played Han Laoliu in That Snowflake Is Floating, and then appeared in Windmill and A Family Through Thick and Thin. In 2011 he acted in the large-scale historical drama The Workers’ Courtyard, and in 2012 in Chuangguandong: The Prequel he played Han Laoda. In 2013, in the epic drama The River and Its People, he portrayed Ye Dingsan, sharing the screen with Chen Baoguo. In 2014, in the modern urban series Happiness Blooming and Happiness Descending from the Sky, he played Jiang Jianguo. In 2016 he appeared in Sisters and Brothers as Song Zitang; that year, works within the same period as the Car Watcher storyline drew further attention. In 2018 the reform-and-opening era drama The Great River aired, and he subsequently continued to appear in Not One Left Behind (2019), Mom Is Waiting for You (2021), and City of Dreams (2021).

From 2013 to 2016 he continued to appear in The River and Its People, Happiness Blooming, Sisters and Brothers, and Chuangguandong: The Prequel. From 2018 to 2025 he has continued to play important roles in The Great River, Not One Left Behind, Mom Is Waiting for You, City of Dreams, The Judge on Duty, Love in the Green Mountains and Clear Waters, Ask the Heart, Small Days, Border Water’s Past, Getting a Family, among other cross-era projects, remaining active in film and television. In 2024, Little Days, The Judge on Duty, and Border Water’s Past aired, and a new series is scheduled for 2025.

Personal life: Zhao Jun and his ex-wife Zheng Weili both received Golden Rooster Awards honors in 1996 (Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively). They divorced in 2002; during their marriage they had children, who were about five years old at the time of the divorce. Zhao Jun has also received awards from the China Film Association of Acting: a Special Award in 1991 and an Association Award in 1993; he won Best Supporting Actor at the 23rd Golden Rooster Awards in 2003, Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Rooster Awards in 1996, and in 2004 was honored nationwide as a model of virtue and artistry among young and middle-aged artists.