Sun Li

Sun Li was born on July 18, 1977, in Dalian, Liaoning Province. During secondary school she attended the Affiliated Middle School of the Beijing Dance Academy, where she studied Chinese classical dance. After graduation she continued her higher education at the Beijing Film Academy.

She made her first cameo appearance on September 27, 1999, in the costume fantasy series The Legend of Bodhidharma, playing the role of Shuanghuan, formally entering the entertainment industry. On October 3 of the same year she appeared as the head teacher and math teacher in her first film, The Worried Parent. In 2000 she attracted attention for her role as Jin Mudan, the prime minister’s daughter, in the costume fantasy series The Legend of Heaven and Earth: The Fish Beauty. After that she played Siqi in the TV series A Romantic Journey.

In 2001 the series Betrayal aired, in which she played the role Siyi; she also appeared as Du Jin’e in the historical drama Women Generals of the Yang Family. She starred as nurse Lin Haoying in the detective suspense drama Detective Ke Lan. In 2002 she appeared as Li Yuanzhi in the costume martial-arts drama The Book and the Sword. In 2003 Sun Li acted in a number of productions, including Drunken Invincible, Like Blood at Sunset and Drunken Fist, portraying a variety of characters.

In 2005 she played Lin Qing’er, a descendant of Nüwa, in the fantasy series Chinese Paladin. In 2006 she starred in Liaozhai’s Strange Women: Huan Niang, directed by Li Guoli, playing Zhao Huan Niang. In the same period she appeared in the Huang Lei–directed TV series Midnight Song as Yu Ge. She also acted in Dandelion and Sky and Water. In 2010 she starred as the peasant girl Xie Xiuqiao in the period drama Goodbye, Sunny Days.

In 2014 she appeared as a guest with her daughter on Hunan TV’s parenting show Where Are We Going, Dad? (season 2), showing their parent–child interactions. She subsequently appeared in a number of variety shows and stage plays, including the 2017 film Family Troubles, in which she played Ding Yan, and the 2020 stage production of The Count of Monte Cristo, in which she played Mercedes.

Sun Li’s family life has also attracted attention. She married actor Huang Lei in 2004; the couple had a daughter, Huang Yici, in 2006. Sun Li became pregnant again in 2013, and in 2017 she and Huang Lei welcomed their third child. She and her husband have also participated in public welfare work, donating to disaster relief and anti-trafficking efforts.

Sun Li received the “Most Caring Chinese Woman” award at the 2008 Fashion Annual Awards. In terms of social philanthropy, she and her family have repeatedly donated to disaster areas and anti-trafficking projects and have been actively involved in charitable activities.