Zhou Xun

Zhou Xun (Chinese: 周迅), born on October 18, 1974, is a renowned Chinese actress and singer, celebrated as one of the Four Dan Actresses of China. She has achieved international fame and recognition through her versatile acting skills and has been honored with numerous prestigious awards.

Early Life and Education

Zhou Xun was born into a middle-class family in Quzhou, Zhejiang. Her father, Zhou Tianning, was a film projectionist, and her mother, Chen Yiqin, worked in a department store. Despite her parents’ initial reservations, she pursued her passion for the dramatic arts and attended the Zhejiang Arts Institute after completing her schooling in Quzhou No.1 Middle School.

Acting Career

1995–2004: Career Beginnings and Breakthrough

Zhou debuted in the film industry with “The Pampered Wife” (1995) and subsequently appeared in several notable films, including “Temptress Moon” (1996) and “The Emperor and the Assassin” (1999). Her role in “Palace of Desire” (2000) brought her significant recognition in China, followed by international acclaim for her performance in “Suzhou River” (2000) and “Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress” (2002).

2005–2011: Critical Acclaim

Zhou’s career continued to flourish with her leading role in “Perhaps Love” (2005), for which she received the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress, among other accolades. Her performance in “The Banquet” (2006) and “Ming Ming” (2007) further showcased her range and depth as an actress.

2012–Present: Continued Success and Diverse Roles

Zhou’s directorial debut came with the short film “Five Demon Traps” (2011). She then appeared in several successful films, including “The Great Magician” and “The Silent War” (2012), and made her Hollywood debut in “Cloud Atlas” (2012). Returning to television, she starred in “Red Sorghum” (2014) and later in the critically acclaimed drama “Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace” (2018).

Awards and Recognition

Zhou Xun is the first Chinese actor to achieve the “Grand Slam,” winning the Golden Horse Awards, Hong Kong Film Awards, and Golden Rooster Awards. She has been honored at various film festivals and award ceremonies, both in Asia and internationally, underlining her status as a prominent figure in the film industry.

Personal Life

Zhou Xun married American actor Archie Kao in 2014, but they later divorced in 2020. She has overcome personal challenges, including an underwater phobia, to deliver remarkable performances in her roles.

Social Activities and Fashion

Zhou is also known for her environmental advocacy, serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme. In the fashion world, she has been a spokesperson for several international brands, recognized for her distinctive style and elegance.

Poster for the movie "Hidden Blade"

Hidden Blade

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The following day, the Wang False Government followed Japan’s declaration of war against Britain and the United States, and Japan symbolically occupied all of Shanghai. With the outbreak of the Pacific War, the situation of China’s war effort changed completely. Members of the Chinese Communist Party underground risked sending out information to break the peace between Japan and Chiang and to defend the motherland.

Poster for the movie "Temptress Moon"

Temptress Moon

Set in the decadent 1920s, Temptress Moon tells the very complicated story of a wealthy family living on the outskirts of Shanghai. Their youngest daughter, Ruyi, is brought up as a servant to her opium-addicted father and brother. Meanwhile, her brother-in-law Zhongliang has a successful, if illegal, career seducing and blackmailing married women in the city. When he comes to Ruyi’s home the two fall in love, and trouble ensues.

Poster for the movie "The Yin Yang Master"

The Yin Yang Master

The world is on the verge of a devastating war with monsters who are coming to retrieve the Scaling Stone. Yin Yang Master Qingming’s life is in danger and he travels to different worlds to prepare for the upcoming assaults. On his journey, Qingming finds that the key to all the calamities is embracing his hybrid identity of both human and monster.

Poster for the movie "Born in China"

Born in China

Venturing into the wilds of China, “Born in China” captures intimate moments with a panda bear and her growing cub, a young golden monkey who feels displaced by his baby sister, and a mother snow leopard struggling to raise her two cubs.

Poster for the movie "Our Time Will Come"

Our Time Will Come

In the 1940s, school teacher Fang Lan becomes embroiled with the resistance efforts of local guerilla group Dongjiang during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Fang is recruited by one of the resistance group’s captain Blackie Lau after assisting the group with a rescue mission of novelist Mao Dun. Fang’s mother volunteers to take her place as a courier for a mission and is arrested. To save her mother, Fang finds herself turning to a … Read more

Poster for the movie "True Legend"

True Legend

Su Qi-Er, a wealthy man living during the Qing Dynasty who loses his fortune and reputation as a result of a conspiracy against him. After being forced out onto the streets, Su dedicates his life to martial arts and reemerges as a patriotic hero known as the “King of Beggars.”

Poster for the movie "Hollywood Hong Kong"

Hollywood Hong Kong

A prostitute named Tong Tong enters the life of a man who runs a barbecue pork restaurant and quickly begins to ruin his life, as well as the life of his two rotund sons, and a local gangster.

Poster for the movie "Meet Miss Anxiety"

Meet Miss Anxiety

Fresh off a recent break-up, a woman catches an early menopause, but manages to heal herself mentally and physically through a new love.

Poster for the movie "Women Who Flirt"

Women Who Flirt

When Zhang Hui is told by long-time best friend Xiao Gong that he has a new girlfriend, she is determined to learn new tricks to gain him back. Based on the novel written by Luo Fuman, “Everyone Loves Tender Women”.

Poster for the movie "Overheard 3"

Overheard 3

Law was a chauffeur for the rural tycoon Luk, and he was jailed for killing a major land owner in a car accident. It was rumored that Luk was behind the land owner’s death, which gave Luk a competitive edge in the native apartment development deal. When Law gets out of prison five years later, the world has changed. Luk’s corporation has grown more powerful, while Luk’s right-hand man Keung has his own agenda to … Read more

Poster for the movie "The Great Magician"

The Great Magician

In the early 1920’s, on the streets of Beijing, the nation’s most talented performers have gathered to show off their most spectacular skills. One day, a challenge is set: 50 silver dollars to whoever can reproduce the incredible magic trick “Eight Immortals’ Treat”. Zhang Xian appears amidst the waiting crowd and decides to try his hand at it.

Poster for the movie "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate"

Flying Swords of Dragon Gate

Flying Swords of Dragon Gate picks up three years after the infamous Dragon Inn was burnt down in the desert when its innkeeper Jade vanished. A new gang of marauders had taken over – innkeepers by day and treasure hunters by night. The inn is the rumoured location of a lost city buried under the desert, and its hidden treasure would only be revealed by a gigantic storm every 60 years. The gang used the … Read more

Poster for the movie "The Message"

The Message

1942, Nanjing (Nanking). Following a series of assassination attempts on officials of the Japanese-controlled puppet government, the Japanese spy chief gathers a group of suspects in a mansion house for questioning. A tense game of “cat and mouse” ensues as the Chinese code-breaker attempts to send out a crucial message while protecting his/her own identity.

Poster for the movie "Stolen Life"

Stolen Life

When Yan’ni starts college she believes she is embarking on a new life away from her family-and she is, but not the new beginning she anticipates. Once at school, she immediately meets Muyu and falls in love with him. What she does not know is that from the moment he met her Muyu began an intricate deception that will lead to the loss of her child and t-he future she believes in.

Poster for the movie "The Beauty Remains"

The Beauty Remains

Set in 1948 against the backdrop of Communism’s rise, “Fei” is the story of two sisters–Fei and Ying–bound together by the will of their late father, a legendary business entrepreneur, and their shared love for a charismatic ex-boxer, Huang. They are two women whose paths have been dictated by the often cruel decrees of the men their lives–two women who must somehow transcend that influence…or lose everything.

Poster for the movie "Perhaps Love"

Perhaps Love

A love triangle develops during the making of a musical in mainland China.

Poster for the movie "The Silent War"

The Silent War

An espionage thriller set in the 1950s and adapted from the novel “Year Suan/Plot Against” by May Jia. Tony Leung Chiu Wai plays a blind man who works for a piano tuner. He is recruited for a spy mission because of his exceptional hearing.

Poster for the movie "Painted Skin: The Resurrection"

Painted Skin: The Resurrection

According to demon lore, it takes hundreds of years to attain human form. Even then, lacking a human heart, a demon cannot experience the true pains and passions of existence. However, there is a legend that if a pure human heart is freely offered to a demon, it can become a mortal and experience true life. Sequel of Painted Skin (2008).

Poster for the movie "Confucius"

Confucius

In 500 B.C., during Chinas famed ‘Spring and Autumn Period’, Kong Ze (Confucius), a commoner reverred for his outstanding wisdom, is made Minister of Law in the ancient Kingdom of Lu. Under his inspired leadership, Lu ascends to new heights but becomes a target of conquest for the warlike nation of Qi. Threatened with annihilation by their powerful neighbour, a desperate people turn to their greatest teacher to lead their most powerful army. When Confucius … Read more

Poster for the movie "The Equation of Love and Death"

The Equation of Love and Death

When a mysterious death occurs, the lives of five unexpected strangers are suddenly intertwined together. A drug trafficking crime is unveiled, and through the twist and turns of the investigation, their stories unravel, and a bizarre connection is gradually discovered between them.

Poster for the movie "Painted Skin"

Painted Skin

Painted Skin is based on one of Pu Songling’s classic short stories in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. Zhou Xun stars as Xiao Wei, a fox spirit that feasts on human hearts in order to maintain her lovely, youthful appearance. When General Wang Sheng (Chen Kun) ‘rescues’ her from a band of bandits and brings her home, trouble brews as the demon falls in love with the general.

Poster for the movie "All About Women"

All About Women

A series of intertwining stories focus on the lives and transformations of three women and their romantic relationships.

Poster for the movie "The Banquet"

The Banquet

Empress Wan can launch a thousand ships with her charm and fight a hundred soldiers with her sword. But something is lacking in her life and she harbours forbidden desires for her stepson Prince Wu Luan , an introverted young man, who shies away from the palace to indulge in the ancient art of music and dance. When the Emperor dies all of a sudden and his younger brother Li takes over the throne, Wan … Read more

Poster for the movie "A West Lake Moment"

A West Lake Moment

Xiao Yu (Zhou), a barista and cake maker in a teahouse-café by Westlake in Hangzhou. Since a car crash long ago, she had been leading a peaceful life with her kind-hearted best friend and fellow car crash survivor Tong (Yim) who is unabashed in admitting that his feelings for Xiao Yu have developed into love. One day A Qin (Chen) celebrates his birthday alone in her café. Xiao Yu’s curiosity sparks off their dialogues and … Read more

Poster for the movie "Baober in Love"

Baober in Love

Liu Zhi, a young man, depressed and trapped in a loveless marriage with a dominating girl, meets Baober (an ageless young girl) on a Beijing street one day. They fall in love and start to live a strange, mysterious life….

Poster for the movie "Beijing Bicycle"

Beijing Bicycle

A seventeen-year-old country boy working in Beijing as a courier has his bicycle stolen, and finds it with a schoolboy his age.

Poster for the movie "Suzhou River"

Suzhou River

A tragic love story set in contemporary Shanghai. The film stars Zhou Xun in a dual role as two different women and Jia Hongsheng as a man obsessed with finding a woman from his past.

Poster for the movie "Where Have All the Flowers Gone"

Where Have All the Flowers Gone

Gao Ju (Xia Yu) and Zhang Yang (Pu Shu) were best of friends, but they fall in love with Huanzi (Zhou Xun). Huanzi loves both of them and thus they formed an unbalanced trinity. A simple promise not to meet ever again after college ended up in disaster when Gao cannot resist wooing Huanzi again

Poster for the movie "A Pinwheel Without Wind"

A Pinwheel Without Wind

China 1945, a romance develops between the young Ningjing ZHAO (Xun Zhou) and LIN Shuang-Ran, although they are distant cousins ​​and Shuang-Ran is already betrothed. Each will seek to fight against there destiny to try to live each their romantic feelings.

Poster for the movie "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress"

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

During the Cultural Revolution, two young men are sent to a remote mining village where they fall in love with the local tailor’s beautiful granddaughter and discover a suitcase full of forbidden Western novels.

Poster for the movie "The Emperor and the Assassin"

The Emperor and the Assassin

In pre-unified China, the King of Qin sends his concubine to a rival kingdom to produce an assassin for a political plot, but as the king’s cruelty mounts she finds her loyalty faltering.