Zhou Xun (born October 18, 1974) is a Chinese actress and singer. She is regarded as one of China's Four Dan Actresses. She rose to international prominence with her roles in Suzhou River (2000) and Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (2004). (2002). She became the first Chinese actor to win the "Grand Slam" in 2009, when she won the Golden Horse Awards, the Hong Kong Film Awards, and the Golden Rooster Awards.

Zhou has received Best Actress awards from Asian Film Awards, Asian Television Awards, Beijing College Student Film Festival, China Film Director's Guild Awards, China TV Golden Eagle Award, Chinese Film Media Awards, Golden Bauhinia Awards, Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, Golden Rooster Awards, Hong Kong Film Awards, Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards, Hundred Flowers Awards, Huading Awards, Shanghai Television Festival, and Shanghai Film Critics Awards, as well as Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards, Hundred Flowers Awards,
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Zhou was born in Quzhou, Zhejiang, to a middle-class family. Her father, Zhou Tianning (), was a local film projectionist, and her mother, Chen Yiqin (), worked as a department store salesperson. She attended Quzhou No.1 Middle School for her education. Zhou enrolled at the Zhejiang Arts Institute after graduation to pursue her interest in dramatic arts, against the wishes of her parents, who wanted her to graduate from a university. During her high school years, she was handpicked for a role in the film Strange Tales Among Old and Desolate Tombs.

Acting career from 1995 to 2004: Starting points and breakthroughs
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Zhou made her film debut in the comedy The Pampered Wife (1995). She then appeared in two Chen Kaige films, Temptress Moon (1996) and The Emperor and the Assassin (1997). (1999). But it wasn't until 2000 that Zhou was recognized in China. Zhou won the Audience Choice for Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards at the 18th China TV Golden Eagle Awards for her role as young Princess Taiping in the historical drama Palace of Desire.

Zhou made her big screen debut in Lou Ye's Suzhou River (2000), where she won Best Actress at the 15th Festival du Film de Paris. She was named one of the Four Dan Actresses that year, alongside Zhang Ziyi, Zhao Wei, and Xu Jinglei. She rose to international prominence after appearing in the Franco-Chinese romance drama film Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (2002).

Following that, a string of successful projects ensued. Zhou's performance in Fruit Chan's first Hong Kong film, Hollywood Hong Kong, impressed critics. According to Variety, Zhou is "superb," "moving with ease between her various personalities and always convincing in each." April Rhapsody (2000), Love Story in Shanghai (2001), and The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2003) are among Zhou's earlier notable works;

2005-2011: Critical acclaim

She went on to star in Feng Xiaogang's wuxia film The Banquet (2006), which was based on William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Zhou is the crown prince's girlfriend, the equivalent of Ophelia. Susie Au's film Ming Ming, which premiered at the 11th Pusan International Film Festival in 2007, starred her. Zhou portrayed twins with completely different characteristics and personalities.

She then played a taxi driver looking for her missing boyfriend in Cao Baoping's romantic thriller The Equation of Love and Death (2008). Critics praised Zhou once more, crediting the film's success to her performance as Li Mi. Zhou later won Best Actress awards at the Asian Film Awards, the Shanghai Film Critics Awards, the Golden Rooster Film Festival, and the Chinese Film Media Awards. The same year, she starred in Gordon Chan's horror-adventure film Painted Skin, a remake of the same-named classic supernatural thriller. The spy thriller The Message (2009) followed, about Japanese invaders in China attempting to find a spy among their Chinese collaborators.

Zhou was named Star of the Year at the CineAsia exhibition and distribution convention in Hong Kong in 2009. She was also named Asian Star of the Year by the Asia-Pacific Producers Network (APN) for her outstanding box office achievements. Zhou was named one of Asia's 25 greatest actors of all time in an interview with CNN.
Tsui Hark directed her in the wuxia film Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011).

2012–present: Directorial and Hollywood debuts, as well as a return to television

Zhou made her directorial debut in 2011 with the short film Five Demon Traps, starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai as a demon killer.

Zhou made her Hollywood debut in the science fiction film Cloud Atlas in 2012, playing multiple roles. The film surpassed the 700 million yuan ($109.8 million) mark, making it the highest-grossing Chinese-language film of all time at the time.

After ten years, Zhou returned to television in Red Sorghum, based on Nobel laureate Mo Yan's 1986/1987 novel of the same name. The author praised Zhou's performance in the series for her flawless grasp of the character's inner turmoil. Zhou won the Asian Television Award for Best Actress.

In 2018, she was nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Horse Awards for her performance in the romance film Last Letter, directed by Shunji Iwai.

Zhou appeared in the crime thriller film Remain Silent in 2019.

Zhou appeared in the fantasy film The Yinyang Master in 2021.

Zhou will appear in the wuxia film The Weary Poet as well as the family drama film The Eleventh Chapter.

Social gatherings

On Earth Day 2010, Zhou was named one of the 'Champions of the Earth' for her work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), becoming the world's first entertainer to receive this honor.

In 2008, Zhou Xun was named China's first United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador, with a special emphasis on promoting environmental sustainability. Zhou is a co-founder of the 'Our Part' campaign, which promotes "green living tips."

On April 22, 2010, she was named the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Champions of the Earth Laureate (Inspiration & Action). She was the world's first entertainer to receive this honor.

Fashion

Zhou was appointed as Miu Miu's global spokesperson in 2006. She was chosen as a Lancel brand ambassador for the Greater China region in 2008. Zhou has been a Chanel ambassador since 2011. Zhou Xun's strong fashion sense was noted by Chanel chief designer Karl Lagerfeld, who described the actress as "a synthesis of young Coco Chanel and Ballet Troupe Zizi Jeanmaire."

Vogue China and Vogue Taiwan, Chinese and Hong Kong Harper's Bazaar, Chinese and Hong Kong Elle, Chinese and Taiwanese Marie Claire, Chinese and Hong Kong Cosmopolitan, Chinese L'Officiel, Chinese Madame Figaro, Chinese Numéro, Chinese T, Chinese GQ, Chinese Esquire, Chinese Elle Men, Chinese Harper's Bazaar Men.

Private life

Marriage

Zhou Xun married American actor Archie Kao on stage after a charity event in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China on July 16, 2014. Zhou announced their divorce on her Sina Weibo account on December 23, 2020.

Zhou was granted Hong Kong citizenship in 2009 through the "Quality Migrant Admission Scheme."

Anecdote Zhou was terrified of water as a child after nearly drowning. However, most of the dramas in which she has appeared have underwater scenes. For example, she was required to soak in water for half a month while filming "Painted Skin: The Resurrection."

In an interview with several magazines in 2012, Zhou stated that receiving too much information was a burden for her because she was not good at expressing herself and rarely used the Internet, so she did not apply for accounts on popular social networking sites such as Weibo.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Short films

Voiced films

As producer

As director

Discography

Albums

Singles

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Zhou Xun

Forbes China Celebrity 100