Zhang Zhehan (Chinese: 张哲瀚; born 11 May 1991) is a Chinese actor and singer. His first major role was as Wei Ying in the Chinese historical drama Legend of Ban Shu (2015). He is best known for his roles in Legend of Yunxi (2018), The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion (2020) and Word of Honor (2021).
Zhang Zhehan | |||
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Born | (1991-05-11) May 11, 1991 (age 31) Xinyu, Jiangxi, China | ||
Alma mater | Shanghai Theatre Academy | ||
Occupation |
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Years active | 2010 - present | ||
Agent(s) | Zhang Zhehan Studio (2019 - 2021) Pulin Production (2019 - present) | ||
Height | 181 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||
Chinese name | |||
Simplified Chinese | 张哲瀚 | ||
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In 2020, he received the Weibo Award for Rising Artist of the Year. He won the Weibo Movie Night award for Most Watched/Followed Actor of the Year in June 2021.
In 2021, Zhang faced severe criticism in China after being involved in a controversy over photos taken years earlier in Japan at a spot near the Yasukuni Shrine and Nogi Shrine due to the shrines' honoring of imperial Japanese military officers who invaded China. This criticism resulted in the removal of his online social media accounts, movies, television shows and music.
Zhang Zhehan was born in Xinyu, Jiangxi province, China on May 11, 1991.[1] He graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy.[1]
In 2010, Zhang made his acting debut in the romantic drama Why Love You.[2] Thereafter, he signed a contract with Yu Zheng's studio, and played the leading role in the comedy web series Crazy for Palace and its sequel.[2] The series gained a small following online.[2]
Zhang then went on to act in various supporting roles in dramas produced by Yu Zheng; such as Palace 3: The Lost Daughter, The Romance of the Condor Heroes and Love Yunge from the Desert.[3][4][5] He first gained recognition playing the role of the antagonist in the mystery costume drama Cosmetology High,[6] and went on to portray young Mei Changsu in the acclaimed historical drama Nirvana in Fire.[7]
In 2015, Zhang played the male lead in historical drama Legend of Ban Shu with Jing Tian.[8] He went on to play lead roles in the spy drama Decoded,[9] and headlined both seasons of the fantasy web series Demon Girl.[10][11] In 2018, Zhang played in the historical romance drama Legend of Yunxi alongside Ju Jingyi.[12] The series received much praise for its storyline.[13] In 2019, Zhang performed in the disaster film The Bravest as a firefighter.[14] He starred as Wang Yue in the short film Brother, which was directed by Vicky Zhao.[15] He has also appeared as a regular member in the variety show Everybody Standby.[citation needed]
In 2020, Zhang starred in the romantic drama Everyone Wants to Meet You produced by Zhao Wei.[16] Zhang also appeared in the historical romance drama The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion alongside Ju Jingyi.[17]
In 2021, Zhang starred alongside Gong Jun in the Wuxia drama series Word of Honor, which is an adaptation of the BL novel Tian Ya Ke by Priest. He played the role of Zhou Zishu, an elite royal service leader who leaves his past and starts anew. He then met Wen Kexing, a mysterious martial arts master. Both embark on a journey together and find soulmates in each other. Word of Honor gained popularity in and outside of China, especially after the show aired on Netflix. The show's first episode has accumulated over 8.7 million views on Youtube, and its popularity put the two male leads Gong Jun and Zhang under the spotlight, becoming overnight sensations.[18]
On August 13, 2021, photos surfaced online of Zhang posing in front of cherry blossom trees near Japan's Yasukuni Shrine in 2018 and of him attending a wedding ceremony at Nogi Shrine in 2019.[19][20] The shrines are controversial in China due to their honoring of imperial Japanese military officers who invaded China.[19] At the wedding, Zhang also took a photo with Dewi Sukarrno, who was incorrectly labeled by Weibo users as "a right-wing anti-Chinese politician".[21] The photos sparked outrage among Chinese netizens.[19] Zhang issued an apology, stating: "Today, I deeply apologize for my past ignorance, my shame and especially my previous improper behaviour. I attended a friend’s wedding in Japan. It is my mistake for the oversight of [not knowing] the historical background behind the wedding venue and the political background of the other wedding guests. When I used to travel everywhere, I liked to casually take pictures. Due to the lack of understanding for the local architecture and the history and being careless about the content when taking pictures, when I took the pictures, it resulted in content that seriously harmed the feelings of compatriots. I also solemnly apologize here, I am sorry."[22][23] In response, the People's Daily stated: "As a public figure, a lack of historical knowledge and unknowingness of the suffering of the nation is unacceptable."[24][25]
The China Association of Performing Arts (CAPA), a voluntary association made up of management companies and members of the entertainment industry,[26][27] called for a boycott on Zhang due to the controversial photos.[28] Numerous brand endorsements terminated their association with Zhang.[25] His upcoming films and television shows also ended their associations with him; Tencent Video, Youku, iQIYI and Mango TV took down his works from their streaming platforms in China voluntarily[28][29] and Zhang's scenes in the movie 1921 were replaced by another actor.[30] Sina Weibo shut down his Super Topic, and his personal and studio accounts were removed from Douyin, Douban and other Chinese sites.[28] QQ Music and NetEase Music removed Zhang's songs from their music platforms.[28]
Li Xuezheng, the Vice Chairman of the China TV Artists Association and Director of the Golden Shield Television Center questioned the authority of the China Association of Performing Arts (CAPA) to issue a blacklist of artists, which had included Zhang. Li says Zhang was not blacklisted by the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) or the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, who, Li argues, are the only authorities able to blacklist people in the industry.[31] According to Chinese regulations, issuing a "boycott announcement" is not within the scope of CAPA's business.[32] He questioned who compiled the list, what criteria was used, and whether CAPA has the legal power to impose sanctions against Chinese online influencers and performers.[33] Li said he was prepared to help Zhang file a lawsuit against CAPA since he believes Zhang did not violate any laws in order for him to be censored.[34] Later on 1 January 2022, Li released a 10-minute interview with Zhang on his Weibo page, which was the first time Zhang appeared on a public platform since August 2021.[35] During the interview, Zhang said that he did not enter or visit the Yasukuni Shrine and expressed a willingness to be investigated.[35] He also stated: "Both my mother and I fell into a state of panic. I didn't dare to go out and even started to doubt myself. I've been very patriotic but suddenly, after the incident, people are calling me a traitor. They even called my mum the mistress of a Japanese and insulted my dad, who actually passed away in 2016. I've been living in fear and don't dare to go out".[35][36] The allegations that Zhang had visited Japan's Yasukuni Shrine and taken photographs with an anti-Chinese politician are likely fabricated.[37] In December 2021, Zhang filed a police report over online defamation.[38]
In April 2022, Zhang returned to social media and posted a handwritten letter on his Instagram account thanking his supporters and requested that those reading his letter not hurt his family and friends.[39][36] He also wrote that he and another star of Word of Honor had not had any contact since June 2021.[36][40][39] In a follow-up video, he claimed that this ex-colleague had been using elements related to Zhang in their own endorsements without permission.[41][36][40] This video and follow up posts caused a number of online fans to report his account as a deep fake due to their ongoing belief that the two actors were secretly in a same-sex romantic relationship despite his clarification.[40] While Zhang did not directly indicate which co-star by name, newspapers reported his posts implicated his co-star Gong Jun's marketing team as the ones capitalizing on the fandom shipping of the two while Zhang was cancelled.[40][42] In the same video, Zhang stated outside sources were "spending lots of money to create rumors about the political standing of a patriotic citizen, editing Baidu pages, working with social influencers, and using large amounts of Internet Water Army to influence the media."[41][39][42]
Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes/Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Ni Shi Hen Mei | 逆时·恒美 | Xiao Zhi | [43] |
Love For Hope | 爱缤纷 | Zou Xiang | [44] | |
2012 | Eager to Create | 为渴望而创 | Ah Le | |
Haunting Love | 诡爱 | Li Ming Yan | [45] | |
2019 | The Bravest | 烈火英雄 | Zheng Zhi | [14] |
Brother | 哥 | Wang Yue | Short Film directed by Zhao Wei for the show Everybody Stand By (Season 1) | |
Chang Dao Bing Cha | Xiao Fei | |||
Mi Fang | Xiao Fei | |||
Mian Ju | 面具 | Xiao Fei / Xue Shao | ||
2021 | 1921 | 萧子升 | Xiao Zisheng | |
TBA | Formed Police Unit | 维和防暴队 | Dropped due to his controversy | |
Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Network | Notes/Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Why Love You | 怎么会爱上你 | Xia Yanxi | Youku, LeTV | [2] |
2013 | Crazy for Palace | 我为宫狂 | Xiao Hao | Tencent | [2] |
2014 | Palace 3: The Lost Daughter | 宫锁连城 | Sun He Li | Hunan TV | [3] |
Incisive Great Teacher | 犀利仁师 | Jin Ren Bin | Dragon TV, Zhejiang TV, iQIYI | [46] | |
Cosmetology High | 美人制造 | Pei Yuntian | Hunan TV | [6] | |
The Romance of the Condor Heroes | 神雕侠侣 | Ye Lu Qi | [4] | ||
Crazy for Palace 2 | 我为宫狂2 | Xiao Hao | Tencent | [2] | |
2015 | Love Yunge from the Desert | 大汉情缘之云中歌 | Liu Xu | Hunan TV, Youku, iQIYI | [5] |
Nirvana in Fire | 琅琊榜 | Lin Shu (Young) | Beijing TV, Dragon TV, Tencent, iQIYI | [7] | |
Legend of Ban Shu | 班淑传奇 | Wei Ying | Youku | [8] | |
2016 | ACG Hero | 动漫英雄 | Zhang Wei | Sohu TV | [47] |
Decoded | 解密 | Han Bing | Hunan TV, Tencent, iQIYI | [9] | |
Demon Girl | 半妖倾城 | Ming Xia | Mango TV | [10] | |
Happy Mitan | 欢喜密探 | Dian Xiao Er | Youku | Cameo | |
Memory Lost | 美人为馅 | (Guy in the dream) | iQiyi | ||
Demon Girl II | 半妖倾城II | Ming Xia | Mango TV | [11] | |
2017 | Above the Clouds | 云巅之上 | Ke Luo | iQiyi | [48] |
2018 | Legend of Yunxi | 芸汐传 | Long Fei Ye | [12] | |
2020 | Everyone Wants to Meet You | 谁都渴望遇见你 | Zhang Min | [16] | |
The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion | 如意芳霏 | Xu Jin | [49] | ||
2021 | Word of Honor | 山河令 | Zhou Zishu/Zhou Xu | Youku | [50] |
TBA | The Second Sight Fall in Love | 一见不倾心 | Yang Jing Yi | Uncertain due to his controversy | |
Castle in the Time | 爱雨满森林 | Gu Zhi Jun | |||
Zhao Ge | 朝歌 | Ji Fa | |||
Retro Detective | 复古神探 | Huang Wei Ping | |||
This section does not cite any sources. (August 2021) |
Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Network |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | China-Korea Dream Team | 中韩梦之队 | ||
家有好男儿 | A good boy at home | Guest | ||
2014 | Laugh Out Loud | 我们都爱笑 | ||
新闻当事人 | ||||
The Generation Show | 年代秀 | |||
Happy Camp | 快乐 大本营 | Guest | Hunan TV | |
2015 | Trump Card | 大牌对王牌 | ||
灌篮高手 | ||||
Lets Go! Dream Team Season 2 | 中韩梦之队 | Guest | Shenchuan TV | |
China and South Korea Dream Team | 中韩梦之队 | Cast member | Shenchuan TV | |
2016 | The Amazing Race China | 极速前进 | Shenzhen TV | |
2017 | Beat the Champions | 来吧冠军 | ||
2018 | Give Me Five 2 | Guest | ||
Happy Camp
(09/11 & 11/17) |
快乐 大本营 | Guest | Hunan TV | |
2019 | Everybody Stand By (Season 1) | 演员请就位 | Contestant | Tencent |
2020 | Ace vs Ace (Season 5) | 王牌对王牌 | Guest | Zhejiang TV |
2021 | Ace vs Ace (Season 6) | 王牌对王牌 | Guest | Zhejiang TV |
Ace Actress | 我是女演员 | Substitute Teacher (with Gong Jun) | Youku, Jiangsu Satellite TV | |
Keep Running (Season 9) | 奔跑吧 | Guest | Zhejiang TV | |
Happy Camp
(04/03 & 06/12) |
快乐 大本营 | Guest | Hunan TV |
This section does not cite any sources. (August 2021) |
Year | English title | Chinese title | Tracklisting | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | "Light" | 光 | 1. Light (光) 2. Turn Around (转身) 3. The Rain in Shanghai (上海的雨) |
Light: lyrics by Zhang Zhehan
Turning Around: lyrics by Zhang Zhehan Shanghai's Rain: melody by Zhang Zhehan |
2020 | "Another Me" | 我遇见我 | 1. Another Me (我遇见我)
2. Deal (说好了) 3. Silent (不说) |
We have a deal: lyrics by Zhang Zhehan and Yang Mohan
Don't Say: lyrics by Zhang Zhehan |
Year | English title | Chinese title | Album | Notes/Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | "Women's Heart" | 女人心 | Crazy for Palace OST | |
2015 | "Graceful" | 惊鸿 | Legend of Ban Shu OST | |
2017 | "Invincible" | 天下无敌 | Above the Clouds OST | [51] With Yisa Yu |
2018 | "Sighs of Yunxi" | 叹雲兮 | Legend of Yunxi OST | Bonus Soundtrack (Solo) |
With Ju Jingyi | ||||
2019 | "Starry Sea" | 星辰大海 | Non-album single | For China Movie Channel Young Actors Project with 31 other actors[52] |
2020 | "Singing on a Clear Sky" | 在晴朗的日子裡歌唱 | Non-album Single | With Meng Huiyuan, Rae Xie, Chen Yihan, Jiang Mingxi, Sauce, Jun Sheng, Jazz Mei & Leo |
"Kung Fu" | 功夫 | Non-album Single | ||
2021 | "Faraway Wanderers" | 天涯客 | Word Of Honor OST | With Gong Jun |
"Lonely Dream" | 孤梦 | |||
"Heart Towards the Sun" | 心若向阳 | Non-album Single | ||
"Untitled" | 无题 | Word of Honor Theme Concert: Born to be Soulmates Live Album | ||
"Lonely Dream" | 孤梦 | |||
"Ask Heaven" | 天问 | With Gong Jun | ||
"Faraway Wanderers" | 天涯客 | |||
"Surround" | 環繞 | Non-album Single | Released on May 8, 2021 as Zhang Zhehan's 30th Birthday Single | |
"The Ferris Wheel is a Fool" | 摩天轮是傻瓜 | The Day We Lit Up The Sky OST | With Curley Gao | |
"Sing a Folk Song to the Party" | 唱支山歌给党听 | Non-album Single | Special single to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party | |
1921 | 1921 Movie OST | With over 60 actors that appeared in 1921 movie | ||
"The Red Boat" | 红船 | The Red Boat OST |
This section does not cite any sources. (August 2021) |
Date | English Title | Chinese Title | Event | Notes/Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 11, 2021 | Birthday Fanmeet Live | 生日粉丝见面会 | Birthday Douyin Live | Livestream Link |
May 21, 2021 | Performed Wu Ti (Untitled), Huanrao (Surround), Love Curse & ChaCha of Love | 唱了四首歌(两个二重唱) | Viya Streaming Carnival | Zhang Zhehan Cut |
June 12, 2021 | A Love Letter to Filmmakers | 给电影人的情书 | Weibo Night Awards | Song Link |
June 15, 2021 | Performed Unbreakable Love & Surround (Huanrao) | 永不失联 的爱,环绕 | 616 True Heart Night | Performance Link |
This section does not cite any sources. (August 2021) |
Year | English title | Chinese title | Notes | Network | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Word of Honor Theme Concert: Born to Be Soulmates | 山河令生来知己演唱会 | Suzhou (May 3 & 4, 2021) | Youku | [53][54] |
2020 | First Mini Concert | 首场小型音乐会 | Beijing (October 18, 2020) |
Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Uno Young Awards | Annual Potential Actor | Won | |
2019 | Actors Please Take Your Place
(TV Show) |
Actor most recognized by the audience | Won | |
2019 | Cadillac Weibo Movie Night Awards | Most Anticipated New Power in Movies | Won | |
2020 | Weibo Night Awards 2019 | Enterprising Artist of the Year | Won | [55] |
2021 | Weibo Movie Night Awards | Most Watched/Followed Actor of the Year | Won | [56] |
中国演出行业协会是由中国文化部主管的国家一级社会团体,是演出经营主体和演出从业人员自愿结成的全国性、行业性、非营利性社会组织。
根据《中华人民共和国行政处罚法》第三章行政处罚的实施机关第十七至二十一条,若该协会没有得到相关行政机关的委托或授权,则该协会无组织实施行政处罚的权利。而根据协会官网公开信息并未查询到该协会与其他任何行政机关的公开委托书或授权文件.[bolded by source]... 按照协会章程,发布“抵制公告”并非属于协会业务范围。[bolded by source]