Zhang Zhehan
Zhang Zhehan (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).
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.
On January 1, 2022, an audio interview with Zhang was released by Li Xuezheng in which he stated his intention to confirm his innocence through the legal justice system.
Early life
Zhang Zhehan was born in Xinyu, Jiangxi province, China on May 11, 1991. He is a graduate of the prestigious Shanghai Theater Academy, where he received a degree in Musical Theatre. As a youth, he ran away to a friend's house to protest his parents not wanting him to pursue a career in acting, but he realized how badly it had hurt his mom and they reconciled. She later quit a secure job to move with him to Shanghai to help support him while he was in theatre school. She later appeared with him on an episode of the "Taste of Time" reality show. Not much is known about his father, who passed away some years ago (2016).
Zhang Zhehan suffered a knee injury in 2019, which sidelined him from acting temporarily and required him to give up playing basketball, a sport at which he excelled (he had been awarded the MVP trophy at the Tencent Super Penguin All Star basketball tournament in 2017). After recovery, he took up the sport of golf, which he became quite proficient at quite quickly such that he shot a hole in one less than six months after taking up the sport. He was also invited to provide celebrity color commentary for the golf during the 2021 Winter Olympics.
Zhang Zhehan is known to be an avid reader, sharing favorite excerpts with his fans via social media. His fans often handed him books to read during his walks through the airport. His reference to a Neil Gaiman novel on his Instagram page caused the book (Smoke and Mirrors) to shoot up the bestseller list in China in June of 2021.
Endorsements and Ambassadorships
Prior to his cancellation by CAPA and the platforms, Zhang Zhehan endorsed multiple products in the capacity as spokesperson, ambassador, and other titles. Those products included Coca-Cola, Longines watches, Pandora jewelry, Lanvin clothing, Nivea and Clinique skincare, Cover Girl makeup, OneLeaf skin care, Pretz, Wahaha, Tasaki pearls, Kilian beer, KimTrue skin care, Anker and JBL electronics and several Chinese food products. He also shared a joint endorsement of Tom Ford with Gong Jun, his costar from Word of Honor.
In 2021, he endorsed the Fantasy New Jade Dynasty video game, portraying live action versions of characters from the game.
Magazine Appearances
Zhang Zhehan has appeared on the cover or in the pages of a wide range of magazines, including Harper’s Bazaar, Young & Chic, ElleMen, VogueMe, Conde Nast Traveller, Wonderland, Nylon, GQ, Ok! and Marie Claire.
Philanthropy
In 2021, Zhang donated RMB 1 Million and supplies to aid the victims of flooding in Henan province. In the same year, Zhang Zhehan worked with the Volunteer League promoting T-shirt sales in support of children with autism. The T-shirt he promoted sold out in a matter of a few days.
Career
Zhang Zhehan began his acting career while still enrolled at the Shanghai Theatre Academy. He became a well-known actor in historical dramas, many of which were filmed in Hengdian Studio City. Prior to Word of Honor, he was best known for his roles in Demon Girl and Demon Girl II (2016), set during China's Republican era, as well as the historical dramas Legend of Yunxi (2018), based on the novel Poison Genius Consort (Chinese: 天才小毒妃) by Jie Mo, and costarring Jiu Jing Yi and Merxat, and its sequel The Blooms at Ruyi Pavillion (2020), adapted from the novel "Chong Hou Zhi Lu" (宠后之路) by Xiao Jia Ren, and co-starring Jiu Jing Yi and Liu Yi Chang. He had more recently appeared in the modern drama Everyone Wants to Meet You (2020) and had filmed several others which remain unreleased. He was a successful actor but gained significant fame with his appearance in Word of Honor (2021), a Chinese wuxia drama series based on the danmei novel "Faraway Wanderers" (天涯客) by Priest, playing the role of Zhou Zishu, an assassin turned wanderer.
In addition to his career as an actor, Zhang Zhehan is a successful singer-songwriter. He has sung on the original soundtracks for several of the dramas in which he appeared. He had also released two mini albums: "Light" and "Another Me," for which he wrote several of the songs. His last released independent single, 'Surround’ (环绕), spent a number of weeks atop the Neatease Music Popularity chart and was their fourth most popular song during the first half of 2021. He also sang
Filmography & Discography
Films
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes/Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Ni Shi Hen Mei | 逆时·恒美 | Xiao Zhi | 微电影"逆时恒美"感动上映 |
| Love For Hope | 爱缤纷 | Zou Xiang | 古天乐首演网络电影《爱缤纷》 化身爱情顾问 | |
| 2012 | Eager to Create | 为渴望而创 | Ah Le | |
| Haunting Love | 诡爱 | Li Ming Yan | 《诡爱》剧照-张哲瀚饰李明炎 | |
| 2019 | The Bravest | 烈火英雄 | Zheng Zhi | |
| 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 |
Television Series
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Network | Notes/Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Why Love You | 怎么会爱上你 | Xia Yanxi | Youku, LeTV | |
| 2013 | Crazy for Palace | 我为宫狂 | Xiao Hao | Tencent | |
| 2014 | Palace 3: The Lost Daughter | 宫锁连城 | Sun He Li | Hunan TV | |
| Incisive Great Teacher | 犀利仁师 | Jin Ren Bin | Dragon TV, Zhejiang TV, iQIYI | 《犀利仁师》将播 张哲瀚挑战高丽"求学少年" | |
| Cosmetology High | 美人制造 | Pei Yuntian | Hunan TV | ||
| The Romance of the Condor Heroes | 神雕侠侣 | Ye Lu Qi | |||
| Crazy for Palace 2 | 我为宫狂2 | Xiao Hao | Tencent | ||
| 2015 | Love Yunge from the Desert | 大汉情缘之云中歌 | Liu Xu | Hunan TV, Youku, iQIYI | |
| Nirvana in Fire | 琅琊榜 | Lin Shu (Young) | Beijing TV, Dragon TV, Tencent, iQIYI | ||
| Legend of Ban Shu | 班淑传奇 | Wei Ying | Youku | ||
| 2016 | ACG Hero | 动漫英雄 | Zhang Wei | Sohu TV | 《动漫英雄》春季版开播 张哲瀚变身英雄 |
| Decoded | 解密 | Han Bing | Hunan TV, Tencent, iQIYI | ||
| Demon Girl | 半妖倾城 | Ming Xia | Mango TV | ||
| 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 | ||
| 2017 | Above the Clouds | 云巅之上 | Ke Luo | iQiyi | 《云巅之上》张哲瀚与袁姗姗感情备受考验 |
| 2018 | Legend of Yunxi | 芸汐传 | Long Fei Ye | ||
| 2020 | Everyone Wants to Meet You | 谁都渴望遇见你 | Zhang Min | ||
| The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion | 如意芳霏 | Xu Jin | |||
| 2021 | Word of Honor | 山河令 | Zhou Zishu/Zhou Xu | Youku | 《天涯客》官宣主演 张哲瀚龚俊共同出演 |
| * | The Second Sight Fall in Love | 一见不倾心 | Yang Jing Yi | Not aired | |
| * | Castle in the Time | 爱雨满森林 | Gu Zhi Jun | Unaired due to Korean content ban at the time | |
| * | Zhao Ge | 朝歌 | Ji Fa | NRTA did not pass drama due to script issues | |
| TBD | Retro Detective | 复古神探 | Huang Wei Ping | Uncertain status | |
| *[N.B. It is not uncommon in China for filmed dramas not to air, as they may be rejected for many reasons (historical inaccuracy, issues with script content, etc.).] | |||||
Variety Shows
| 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 |
Albums
| 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 |
Singles
| 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 | 既是演员又是歌手！张哲瀚献唱《云巅之上》主题曲 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 | Template:N/a | For China Movie Channel Young Actors Project with 31 other actors |
| 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" | 环绕 | 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 |
Stage Performances
| 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 |
Concerts
| 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 | "Word of Honor" Concert Sells Out in Seconds, Brings Fans to Tears |
| 2020 | First Mini Concert | 首场小型音乐会 | Beijing (October 18, 2020) | ||
Awards and nominations
| 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 | |
| 2021 | Weibo Movie Night Awards | Most Watched/Followed Actor of the Year | Won |
Cancellation
Full story of Zhang Zhehan cancellation
Post-813
Full details of events from November 23, 2021 during Justice of the People to Li Xuezheng's account deletion.
In September 2022, Zhang Zhehan requested to dissolve a company he registered in 2019. In the paperwork, it is listed that the company is not under investigation, owed any debts, involved in any lawsuits, or listed as a bad creditor.
