Gong Jun
Gong Jun (龚俊: born 29 November 1992)(Simon Gong) is a Chinese actor. He gained attention for his roles in Lost Love in Times (2017), Begin Again (2020), and Word of Honor (2021).
Early Life
Gong Jun was born on 29 November 1992, in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. While in high school, a teacher came to visit in search of students to learn performance or choreography, and selected him based on his appearance to study acting. Gong Jun first applied to Nanjing University of the Arts. After passing the preliminary examination, he dropped out fearing he was insufficiently prepared. After further study in Beijing, Gong Jun applied and was admitted to the Performance Department of Donghua University in Shanghai. While at university, Gong Jun earned his living expenses working as a model and commercial actor. His work was so prolific. he was nicknamed the "Little Prince of Advertising." After graduation, he moved to Beijing in search of work. After promised work, did not pan out, Gong Jun terminated his initial contract and created his own management team.
Career
Early Career (2015-2018)
Gong Jun began filming several dramas starting in 2015, which were released in subsequent years. Gong Jun made his acting debut in the 2016 historical drama Sword Chaos, playing the role of Bi Lu. In 2017, Gong filmed the fantasy drama The Player (which was not released until after the success of Word of Honor). The drama was adapted from the online game "Fantasy Westward Journey," which itself was inspired by a novel, Journey to the West. He began to gain recognition following his supporting role as 11th Prince Yuan Che in the historical drama Lost Love in Times (2017), based on the novel “Drunken Exquisiteness” (醉玲珑) by Shi Siye, and staring Liu Shishi (刘诗诗) and Chan Wai Ting (William Chan). The success of the drama led to a 12 episode spinoff. This was followed in 2018 with Advance Bravely, adapted from the danmei of the same name (势不可挡) by Chai Ji Dan and costarring by starring with Xu Feng (徐峰. Later that year, Gong Jun began his participation in the reality show The Cute Teacher Arrives and filmed the campus idol drama Shining Like You (which also was not released until after the success of Word of Honor).
Rising popularity (2019-2020)
In 2019 and 2020, Gong Jun's star began to rise. During that time, Gong co-starred with Zheng Qiu Hong in the ancient costume drama Unique Lady Part 1 and 2 (2019, 2020), based on the visual novel game “Lust for Gold” (好色千金), and several successful modern dramas, including Flavor It's Yours (2019) with Song Yiren, the campus drama The Love Equations, based on the novel “The Sweet Love Story” (舟而复始) by Zhao Qian Qian and co-starring Liu Renyu, and the drama Begin Again (2020) with Zhou Yutong.
Breakthrough (2021-Present)
In 2021, Gong Jun's career had a major breakthrough with his role of Wen Kexing in the ancient Wuxia drama Word of Honor based on the danmei novel "Faraway Wanderers" (天涯客) by Priest, also starring Zhang Zhehan in the role of Zhou Zishu. Gong Jun had auditioned and been turned down for the role, but casting changes necessitated by the global coronavirus pandemic put him once more before Ma Tao, the main producer of Word of Honor, auditioning with four scenes, including Wen Kexing's drinking scene and following the death of Long Que. The series surprisingly became a hit, becoming the highest rated danmei drama on the online database and social media site Douban with a rating of 8.6, and reaching over 11 billion views on popular Chinese media platform Douyin. The success of the drama led to a two-day concert event in May which sold out in 14 seconds. During promotions for the show, Gong Jun appeared with his co-star Zhang Zhehan in several reality programs, including Ace Actress, Ace vs. Ace, and Happy Camp (and again on his own later that) year, as well as appearing individually in several others, including Produce 2021, Go Fighting, and Chinese Restaurant.
Following the success of Word of Honor, his two previously unreleased dramas were released, and he appeared in two new dramas, the fire and emergency rescue drama The Flaming Heart with Zhang Huiwen and the romantic suspense drama Dream Garden, with Qiao Xin. During 2021 and 2022, Gong also filmed several dramas which have yet to be released, co-starring with Dilraba Dilmurat and Liu Yuning in the historical drama Legend of Anle based on the novel "The Emperor's Book" (帝皇书) by Xing Ling, acting as Crown Prince Han Ye, the modern romance drama Rising With The Wind with Zhong Chuxi, based on the novel with the same name by Wei Zai (未再) and the manhua drama Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Yue Hong, adapted from the manhua "Hu Yao Xiao Hong Niag" (狐妖小红娘) by Tuo Xiao Xin (庹小新) and costarring Yang Mi.
Endorsements and ambassadorships
Endorsements
In 2019, Gong Jun served as brand ambassador for Mentholaum and Little Touch skincare. After the success of Word of Honor, Gong Jun secured several new endorsements including a joint endorsement for Tom Ford with his costar Zhang Zhehan, as well as thirty one others including partnerships in various capacities with Roewe automobiles, KFC, L'Oreal Paris, 361 Degrees sportswear, Honor smartphones, Mujosh eyewear, Hogan shoes, Charlotte Tilbury makeup, Tiffany & Co, and Louis Vuitton. He ceased working with Vitasoy and cut ties after an employee of the company circulated a memo online offering condolences to the family of a worker who stabbed a Hong Kong policeman, then committed suicide afterwards.
In 2021, Honor launched the Honor 50 series in China and announced Gong as their smartphone spokesperson. This was the firm's first major smartphone release since it was sold by Huawei. The series sales exceeded ¥500 million Yuan in one minute and helped spur a 14.6% growth in market share. Similarly, when Roewe announced the release of 500 Roewe RX5 PLUS Limited Edition with Gong as their global spokesperson, the first batch of 100 cars was sold out within 9 minutes 20 seconds, and subsequent releases of 100 cars sold out each of the next five consecutive days.
Recognition and Magazine Covers
Recognition
In the first half of 2021, Gong gained over 8 million followers and became the most-followed and most-searched artist on Sina Weibo platform and appeared nearly 200 times on their real-time hot search trends list. Weibo named Gong is named as the hottest actor of the second quarter and was listed as one of 23 GQ's Men of The Year.
Magazine Covers
Gong has appeared on the covers of various magazines, including Harper's Bazaar, SE Weekly, OK!, Madame Figaro, Elle, Glitz, Lifestyle, Esquire, T Magazine, and Cosmopolitan
Philanthropy
In 2018, Gong's first book work, “1129”, was released, all proceeds from the book were donated towards charity to support the development of public welfare undertakings.In 2020, Gong donated ¥150,000 Yuan to China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation to equip three rural schools in Nanjiang County, Sichuan Province with caring kitchen equipment, so that children can study hard and make progress every day while also getting continuous nutritional improvement. He was also chosen as Moji Weather Charity Ambassador and Officer for two consecutive years.
In 2021, Gong was appointed as Hello Childhood Charity Ambassador, Charity Promotional Ambassador for World Book Day, Charity Communication Ambassador for International Day for Biological Diversity, and Charity Advocacy Ambassador for World Environment Day.
In April 2021, Word of Honor’s outfits were sold through online auction. Among them, the red costume of Wen Ke Xing played by Gong Jun was sold at the highest price ¥224,601 Yuan, the auction earned total ¥584,207 Yuan for Wen’s costumes and accessories. After the event, his red costume proceeds were donated towards China Social Assistance Foundation as part of public welfare project. On July 21, Gong donated ¥500,000 Yuan to China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation for flood relief efforts in Henan. Gong Jun's Studio reached out to Lock & Lock donated 10,000 water bottles, 1000 blankets, 200 quilts, and 200 sets of bedding supplies to support the flood victims and disaster areas. Gong Jun's Studio along with Unif Beef jointly donated further 5000 boxes of noodles to support the frontline disaster relief. Gong joined hands with 361 Degrees donated ¥10 million Yuan in cash and materials to help with flood relief and future restoration work. On July 27, as part of the sustainability program “L’Oréal for the Future”,the Group has set up €50 million Euro to help with the restoration of ecological.
Due to the pandemic situation in China, in April 2022, Gong donated 65,000 medical and N95 masks. Further 3,536 rapid COVID-19 antigen kits and hand sanitizers, plus 950 boxes of milk & snacks to his alma mater Donghua University. On September 08, Gong donated ¥500,000 Yuan to support Sichuan earthquake relief efforts.
Filmography
Television Series
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Sword Chaos | 刀剑缭乱 | Bi Lu | iQIYI |
| 2017 | Lost Love in Times | 醉玲珑 | Yuan Che | Dragon TV, Youku, Tencent, iQIYI |
| Lost Love in Times SP | 醉玲瓏番外之玲瓏醉夢 | Youku | ||
| 2018 | Advance Bravely | 盛势 | Xia Yao | Tencent, WeTV |
| 2019 | Unique Lady Part 1 | 绝世千金第一季 | Zhong Wu Mei | iQIYI |
| Unique Lady Part 2 | 绝世千金第二季 | |||
| Flavor It’s Yours | 看见味道的你 | Lu Wei Xun | ||
| 2020 | The Love Equations | 致我们甜甜的小美满 | Zhao Fan Zhou | Tencent, WeTV, Mango TV |
| Begin Again | 从结婚开始恋爱 | Ling Rui | Mango TV, Fujian TV, iQIYI, WeTV | |
| Unique Lady 2 | 绝世千金完结篇 | Zhong Wu Mei | Youku | |
| 2021 | Shuke and Peach Blossom | 舒克与桃花 | Cameo | Mango TV |
| Word of Honor | 山河令 | Wen Ke Xing | Youku | |
| The Player | 指尖少年 | Ren Yi Xia | Mango TV | |
| The Flaming Heart | 你好，火焰蓝 | Huo Yan | Youku | |
| Shining Like You | 而你刚好发光 | Fang Yan | Tencent, WeTV | |
| Dream Garden | 沉睡花园 | Lin Shen | Hunan TV, Mango TV | |
| TBA | Legend of Anle | 安乐传 | Han Ye | Youku |
| Rising With The Wind | 我要逆风去 | Xu Si | iQIYI | |
| Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Yue Hong | 狐妖小红娘月红篇 | Dong Fang Yue Chu |
Film/Short Film
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Lost in Japan | 囧日之东京大冒险 | VK | |
| 2017 | Rebirth Partner | 异生探 | Yi Sheng | Tencent |
| 2022 | Master Kang Jasmine Tea 520 Mini Movie | 非你茉属 | Cartoonist | |
| The Guardian of Alpine Plants | 高山植物守护者 | |||
| Hello, Hello | 你好，你好 | AI | ||
| TBA | Snafu (Original title: Project X-Traction) | 狂怒沙暴 | Hai Ming |
Dubbing
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Tall Tales from the Magical Garden of Antoon Krings | 虫林大作战 | Apollo |
Television Show
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Warm Taste | 暖暖的味道 | Guest | Beijing TV, iQIYI |
| 2017 | The Cute Teacher Arrives | 萌师驾到 | Regular Member | Mango TV |
| 2018 | Cooking For Love | 为爱下厨 | Guest | Tencent |
| 2020 | Happy Camp | 快乐大本营 | Hunan TV, Mango TV | |
| Departure From the End of Changjiang River | 从长江的尽头回家 | Jiangsu TV, Youku | ||
| 2021 | Ace vs Ace: Season 6 | 王牌对王牌第六季 | Zhejiang TV, Tencent, iQIYI, Youku | |
| Happy Camp | 快乐大本营 | Hunan TV, Mango TV | ||
| Produce Camp 2021 | 创造营2021 | Guest Mentor | Tencent | |
| Go Fighting! Season 7 | 极限挑战7 | Guest | Dragon TV, Youku | |
| Sisters Who Make Waves Season 2 | 乘风破浪的姐姐2 | Mango TV | ||
| Ace Actress | 我是女演员 | Jiangsu TV, Youku | ||
| The Brain Special Episode | 最强大脑特别篇 | Youku | ||
| Sweet Tasks | 甜蜜的任务 | Mango TV | ||
| Go Fridge Season 7 | 拜托了冰箱轰趴季 | Tencent | ||
| Chinese Restaurant 5 | 中餐厅第五季 | Regular Member | Hunan TV, Mango TV | |
| GQ Magazine Interview - I Don't Know | 我不知道啊 | Guest | Tencent | |
| 2022 | Hello, Saturday | 你好星期六 | Guest | Mango TV |
| Back to Field Season 6 | 向往的生活 第六季 | |||
| We Are The Champions | 战至巅峰 | Tencent | ||
| Go Fighting! Season 8 | 极限挑战第八季 | Regular Member | Dragon TV |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | OK! Magazine Awards | Most Anticipated Male Artist | N/A | Won |
| Weibo Starlight Awards | Overseas Most Anticipated Artist | N/A | Won | |
| GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2021 | Rising Actor of The Year Award | N/A | Won | |
| Sohu Fashion Awards 2021 | Fashion Figure of the Year | N/A | Won | |
| Weibo TV Series Awards | Most Popular Actor | The Flaming Heart | Won | |
| WeTV Awards | Favorite Actor | N/A | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Esquire Gentle Gala | Annual Commercial Marketable Artist Award | N/A | Won |
| Golden Bud Network Film and Television Festival | Most Popular Actor of the Year | N/A | Won | |
| Weibo TV and Internet Video Summit Awards | Best Artist | N/A | Nominated | |
| Seoul International Drama Awards | Outstanding Asian Star | The Flaming Heart | Nominated | |
| Dream Garden | Nominated | |||
| Weibo TV Series Awards | Urban Male Character of the Year - Lin Shen | Won | ||
| 2023 | Chinese Music Center 2022 Annual Music Report | Omni-media Most Recommended Male Singer of the Year | N/A | Won |
Discography
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | "But it is For You" | 但为君故 | Unique Lady OST | with Zheng Qiuhong |
| 2020 | "Sweet Little Satisfaction" | 甜甜的小美满 | The Love Equations OST | with Liu Renyu |
| "Youth With You" | 有你的清纯 | with Liu Renyu, Yang Ge and Yan Bingyi | ||
| "Used To You" | 习惯你 | Begin Again OST | with Zhou Yutong | |
| 2021 | "Faraway Wanderers" | 天涯客 | Word of Honor OST | with Zhang Zhehan |
| "Ask Heaven" | 天问 | Word of Honor Theme Concert: Born to be Soulmates Live Album | ||
| "Faraway Wanderers" | 天涯客 | |||
| "Looking at the Jianghu with a Smile" | 笑看江湖 | With Man Shuke | ||
| "Burning Medals" | 滚烫勋章 | The Flaming Heart OST | With Pang Hanchen, Zhou Yanchen, Lu Yupeng, Wang Yizhou and Zhang Huiwen | |
| "Sweet" | ||||
| "Light Up the Future" | 把未来点亮 | CCTV’s May 4th Gala | With Tang Yixin and Zeng Shunxi | |
| Theme song for the 100th Anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party | ||||
| ”Beast’s Flower” | 野兽的花 | BEAST's 10th Anniversary Commemorative Single | With Jing Boran, Ouyang Nana and Wang Xi | |
| 2022 | "May You Be Prosperous" | 恭喜发财 | Template:N/A | Template:N/A |
| "Fortuned Filled Spring" | 春意福盈 | Template:N/A | Template:N/A | |
| “Youth Says” | 青年说 | Template:N/A | Template:N/A | |
| “Little Shoulders” | 小小的肩膀 | Template:N/A | Template:N/A | |
| “More Youthful With Ideal” | 有理想更青春 | Leading Into the New Era | Template:N/A |
Concert
| Date | English title | Chinese title | Network | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 2021 | Word of Honor Theme Concert | 山河令生来知己演唱会 | Youku | Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre | 40,000 |
| May 4, 2021 |
References
[Reference table to be added]