Zhang Weixin

Zhang Weixin was born in China in 1970 and is of mixed Chinese and Russian heritage. Her father is Chinese and her mother is Russian. As a child she showed an interest in dance; in 1970 she began training in the dance program of the Railway Corps Art Troupe of the People’s Liberation Army, becoming a dancer. While in the art troupe she starred in the large-scale dance dramas "Ode to Yimeng" and "The White-Haired Girl."

In 1979 Zhang Weixin was admitted to the Central Song and Dance Ensemble and began working professionally as a dancer. That same year she took part in the filming of the feature film "Lijiang Spring," entering the film and television industry. In 1982 she played the ballet dancer Bailu in the film "The Flying Crane," her first starring role in a screen production; the film received the Ministry of Culture’s Outstanding Feature Film Award. The following year she played the rural woman Tao Chun in "Hometown Sounds," which won the Ministry of Culture’s Second Prize for Outstanding Film and the Best Feature Film Award at the 4th China Golden Rooster Awards.

In 1984 she was transferred to the Actors’ Troupe of Beijing Film Studio and participated in the production of several films, including the children’s film "Next Time We Sail: Port Tour" and the feature "Shorblak." In 1985 she appeared as the peasant woman Yuniang in director Huang Jianzhong’s "Respectable Women," a film that won multiple awards; Zhang herself received the "Most Beautiful Actress" Award at the 25th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In 1987 she starred in the film "The Mayor’s Private Life," playing Mayor Gu Wenyue.

In 1989 the film "I Only Shed Tears Three Times," in which she appeared, won the Outstanding Feature Film Award at the 3rd China Tongniu Awards. Around the same time she also appeared in a number of other screen works, including the TV series "Struggle" and its sequel "Struggle 2," as well as the film "Sunset Again and Again."

After entering the 2000s, Zhang Weixin’s performing work became increasingly diverse. In 2010 she played a mother in the drama film "The Shadow That Emerges Above the Surface," which won multiple awards at international film festivals. In 2017 she appeared in the comedy "Troublesome Family," playing the mother Pan Su.

Regarding her personal life, Zhang Weixin comes from a well-established family. Her husband is Li Danning, a director and actor at the August First (Bayi) Film Studio, regarded as an industry insider. She once served as the agent for her daughter Li Xiaolu. In the late 1980s Zhang studied abroad, learning directing and editing; she currently lives in San Francisco and is an executive director at a multinational company.

To date, Zhang Weixin has been widely recognized in the film and television industry for her slender dancer’s figure and gentle temperament. She has won multiple awards at domestic and international film festivals, demonstrating a diverse range of performing talents.