Zhou Dongyu (Chinese: ) is a Chinese actress best known for her role in Zhang Yimou's film Under the Hawthorn Tree. She was also named one of the "Four Dan actresses of the Post-90s Generation" by Southern Metropolis Daily, alongside Zheng Shuang, Guan Xiaotong, and Yang Zi. With her performance in Soul Mate, she won the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress in 2016. With her performance in Better Days, she won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress and the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress in 2020.
In 2017, Zhou was ranked 71st on Forbes China Celebrity 100, 7th in 2019, and 3rd in 2020.
Childhood and education
Zhou was born into an ordinary working family in Shijiazhuang, Hebei. Her father died in a car accident when she was in third grade, and her mother later remarried. She began gymnastics as a child and joined the Shijiazhuang gymnastics team when she was 12 years old. She attended Shijiazhuang No. 27 Middle School Class 9 in 2004 and Shijiazhuang No. 12 Middle School Class 7 in 2007.
2010-2015: Increasing recognition
Despite having no acting experience prior to taking on the role, Zhang Yimou chose Zhou to star in his film Under the Hawthorn Tree in 2010. She rose to prominence as a result of her role in the film, and she received several awards, including Best Actress at the 56th Valladolid International Film Spain Festival, Outstanding New Actress at the 14th Huabiao Award, and Best New Performer at the 20th Shanghai Film Critics Awards.
In 2011, she appeared in Barbara Wong's romance film The Allure of Tears, as Yang Kaihui, the wife of political leader Mao Zedong, and in the war film The Road Of Exploring, as Yang Kaihui.
In 2013, she starred in the historical romance film The Palace, the fourth installment of Yu Zheng's Gong series. "Zhou holds the screen very well, turning an initially daft personality into an angsty but stoical heroine," Variety said of her performance.
She co-starred in the 2014 youth romance film My Old Classmate with Lin Gengxin. The film was a box office success in China, and Zhou was praised for her "acting breakthrough." She appeared in the comedy Breakup Buddies the same year. Zhou, in contrast to her usual pure and fresh image, challenged the role of a "Smart" in the film. In China, Breakup Buddies became one of the highest-grossing films of all time.
In 2015, she co-starred in the suspense film The Unbearable Lightness of Inspector Fan with Ethan Juan and the youth drama The Ark of Mr. Chow with Sun Honglei.
2016–present: acclaim from the critics
In June 2017, Zhou Dongyu (right) was named "Queen of Weibo Movie Night."
Zhou made a breakthrough with her performance in Soul Mate, a film based on Anni Baobei's novel of the same name. Zhou and her Soul Mate co-star Sandra Ma won Best Actress at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards, and she also won Best Actress at the 28th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award. She won Best Actress at the 8th Macau International Film Festival the same year for her performance in the South Korean-Chinese romance film Never Said Goodbye. Zhou also appeared in her first television series, Sparrow, a spy war drama. With a peak rating of 2.46 and 11 billion online views, the series was commercially successful and became the highest rated war drama to date. Both the audience and the director praised Zhou for successfully tackling a difficult role.
In 2017, Zhou co-starred in the romantic comedy This Is Not What I Expected with Takeshi Kaneshiro. The film made more than 100 million yuan and received an 8.9 out of 10 rating on Maoyan. Zhou was dubbed the "representative of Chinese chick flicks" following the success of Soul Mate. The same year, she co-starred with Zhang Yishan in the coming-of-age romance drama Shall I Compare You to a Spring Day, and she appeared in Tsui Hark's science fiction wuxia film The Thousand Faces of Dunjia.
Zhou co-starred in Rene Liu's romance film Us and Them with Jing Boran in 2018. It was a huge success in China, grossing $191 million in its first two weekends.
Zhou appeared in the 2019 youth film Better Days, directed by Soul Mate's Derek Tsang and dealing with school bullying. The film was a box office success and received positive reviews. Zhou's performance earned her the Best Actress award at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards. The same year, she appeared in the drama film On The Balcony, which she also co-produced. In 2019, Zhou was ranked seventh on Forbes China Celebrity 100, the highest for female celebrities.
Zhou appeared in the series Ancient Love Poetry alongside Xu Kai in 2021.
Zhou Dongyu was born in the Hebei province of Shijiazhuang.
Zhou received his diploma from the Beijing Film Academy.
She apologized in Mandarin for not speaking English at the 2010 Hawaii International Film Festival (unlike her co-star Shawn Dou who interpreted for her). She was able to speak in fluent English at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, however.
Political opinions
Zhou's contract with Burberry as a brand ambassador was terminated in March 2021 after the company announced that it would no longer purchase cotton from the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang due to concerns about forced labor of Uyghurs. Other Chinese celebrities imitated her actions.
Filmography
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Under the Hawthorn Tree | 山楂树之恋 | Jing Qiu | |
| 2011 | The Road of Exploring | 湘江北去 | Yang Kaihui | Guest appearance |
| The Allure of Tears | 倾城之泪 | Geilimei | ||
| 2013 | The Palace | 宫锁沉香 | Chen Xiang | |
| 2014 | My Old Classmate | 同桌的妳 | Zhou Xiaozhi | |
| Breakup Buddies | 心花路放 | Zhou Lijuan | ||
| 2015 | The Unbearable Lightness of Inspector Fan | 暴走神探 | Hui Lan | |
| The Ark of Mr. Chow | 少年班 | Zhou Lan | ||
| 2016 | Everybody's Fine | 一切都好 | Girl stopping the bus | Cameo |
| The New Year's Eve of Old Lee | 过年好 | Doa Yazi | Cameo | |
| Run for Love | 奔爱 | Bai Qiezi | Segment: "Stolen Heart" | |
| Lost in White | 冰河追凶 | Zhou Xinyi | ||
| Never Said Goodbye | 謊言西西里 | Gu Xiaoyou | ||
| Soul Mate | 七月与安生 | Li Ansheng | ||
| 2017 | A Nail Clipper Romance | 指甲刀人魔 | Emily | |
| This Is Not What I Expected | 喜欢你 | Gu Shengnan | ||
| The Founding of an Army | 建军大业 | Fan Guixia | Cameo | |
| City of Rock | 缝纫机乐队 | Lili | Guest appearance | |
| The Thousand Faces of Dunjia | 奇门遁甲 | Xiao Yuan | ||
| 2018 | Us and Them | 后来的我们 | Xiao Xiao | |
| Animal World | 动物世界 | Liu Qing | Special appearance | |
| Goddesses in the Flames of War | 那些女人 | Xiao Yu | Guest appearance | |
| Kung Fu Monster | 武林怪兽 | Xiong Jiaojiao | Special appearance | |
| 2019 | On The Balcony | 阳台上 | Lu Shanshan | Special appearance; also producer |
| My People, My Country | 我和我的祖国 | Nurse | Segment: "Passing by" | |
| Better Days | 少年的你 | Chen Nian | ||
| Youthful China in the Headlines | 头条里的青春中国 | Reporter | Short film | |
| 2021 | A Fangirl's Romance | 迷妹罗曼史 | Gao Bei | Guest appearance |
| The Year of the Everlasting Storm | 永恒风暴之年 | — | Segment: "The Break Away" | |
| Embrace Again | 穿过寒冬拥抱你 | Xia Xiao | Special appearance | |
| 2023 | Born to Fly | 长空之王 | Shen Tianran | Special appearance |
| TBA | Under the Light | 坚如磐石 | Li Huilin | |
| TBA | Moses on the Plains | 平原上的摩西 | Li Fei |
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Sparrow | 麻雀 | Xu Bicheng | |
| 2017 | Love & Life & Lie | 遇见爱情的利先生 | Liu Xintong | |
| Mo Du Feng Yun | 魔都风云 | Xiao Yao | ||
| Shall I Compare You to a Spring Day | 春风十里，不如你 | Xiao Hong | Also co-producer | |
| 2019 | Behind The Scenes | 幕后之王 | Bu Xiaogu | |
| 2020 | New World | 新世界 | Jia Xiaoduo | Cameo |
| 2021 | Ancient Love Poetry | 千古玦尘 | Shang Gu / Hou Chi |
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | We Are In Love | 我们相爱吧 | Cast member |
| 2017 | Chinese Restaurant | 中餐厅 | |
| 2018 | I Actor | 演员的品格 | Mentor |
| 2019 | The Protectors | 小小的追球 | Cast member |
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Little Windchime" | 小风铃 | Mr. Nian OST | |
| "Imperfect Girl" | 不完美女孩 | Promotional song for We Are In Love | ||
| 2017 | "If I Love You" | 如果我爱你 | Shall I Compare You to a Spring Day OST | with Zhang Yishan |
| 2018 | "Strong Country Generation I Am Here" | 强国一代有我在 | Promotional song for CCYL | |
| 2019 | "China Happy Events" | 中国喜事 | Performance for CCTV Spring Gala with Phoenix Legend, Wallace Chung, Dilraba Dilmurat, & Lay Zhang | |
| "My Motherland and I" | 我和我的祖国 | For People's Republic of China's 70th anniversary with Wei Daxun, Ma Tianyu, Guan Xiaotong, Xu Weizhou & Ju Jingyi | ||
| "My Motherland and I" | 我和我的祖国 | My People My Country OST | with Chen Feiyu, Liu Haoran, Ou Hao & Zhu Yilong | |
| "Starry Sea" | 星辰大海 | For China Movie Channel Young Actors Project with 31 other actors | ||
| 2020 | "Hello 2020" | 你好2020 | Performance for CCTV Spring Gala with Li Xian, Li Qin, Ma Sichun & Zhu Yilong |
| Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 23rd Harbin Ice and Snow Film Festival | Most Commercially Valuable Newcomer | Under the Hawthorn Tree | Won |
| 5th Asian Film Awards | Best Newcomer | Nominated | ||
| 20th Shanghai Film Critics Awards | Best Newcomer | Won | ||
| 14th Huabiao Awards | Outstanding New Actress | Won | ||
| 56th Valladolid International Film Festival | Best Actress | Won | ||
| 2015 | 6th China Film Director's Guild Awards | My Old Classmate | Nominated | |
| 15th Chinese Film Media Awards | Most Anticipated Actress | Won | ||
| 2016 | 8th Macau International Movie Festival | Best Actress | Never Say Goodbye | Won |
| 53rd Golden Horse Awards | Best Actress (with Ma Sichun) | Soul Mate | Won | |
| 2017 | 23rd Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award | Best Actress | Won | |
| 1st Malaysia International Film Festival | Nominated | |||
| 24th Beijing College Student Film Festival | Nominated | |||
| 8th China Film Director's Guild Awards | Nominated | |||
| 2nd Brics Film Festival | Won | |||
| 17th Chinese Film Media Awards | Won | |||
| 2nd Golden Screen Awards | Won | |||
| 36th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| 31st Golden Rooster Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| 22nd Huading Awards | Best Actress (Revolutionary-Era Drama) | Sparrow | Nominated | |
| 8th Macau International Television Festival | Best Actress | Shall I Compare You to a Spring Day | Nominated | |
| 14th Guangzhou Student Film Festival | Most Popular Actress | This Is Not What I Expected | Won | |
| 2018 | 12th Asian Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |
| 9th China Film Director's Guild Awards | Best Actress | Won | ||
| 34th Hundred Flowers Awards | Best Actress | Soul Mate | Nominated | |
| 18th Chinese Film Media Awards | Most Popular Actress | Us and Them | Won | |
| 12th Tencent Video Star Awards | Most Popular Film Actress | Won | ||
| 2019 | 10th China Film Director's Guild Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |
| 32nd Golden Rooster Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| 6th The Actors of China Award Ceremony | Best Actress (Emerald Category) | Behind The Scenes | Nominated | |
| Golden Bud - The Fourth Network Film And Television Festival | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| Cosmo Glam Night | Person of The Year (Dream) | — | Won | |
| 4th Macao Film Festival Awards | Best Actress | Better Days | Won | |
| Tencent Entertainment White Paper | Film Actress of the Year | Won | ||
| Jinri Toutiao Awards Ceremony | Brand Value Star of the Year | — | Won | |
| 2020 | Weibo Awards Ceremony | Influential Actor of the Year | — | Won |
| 26th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actress | Better Days | Nominated | |
| 31st Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild Awards | Won | |||
| 39th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Actress | Won | ||
| 11th China Film Director's Guild Awards | Actress of the Year | Won | ||
| 27th Huading Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| 35th Hundred Flowers Awards | Won | |||
| 14th Asian Film Awards | Won | |||
| 33rd Golden Rooster Awards | Best Actress | Won |
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 71st |
| 2019 | 7th |
| 2020 | 3rd |
| Body Measurements | 32-24-34 inches |
| Bodytype | Slim |
| Height | 5 feet 3 inches (1.6 m) |
| Weight | 46 kg (102 lbs) |
| Waist | 24 inches |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Shoe Size | 7 (US) |
| Dress Size | 4 (US) |
| Nickname | Zhou |
| Gender | Female |
| Age | 31 years old (in 2023) |
| Date of Birth | January 31, 1992 |
| Full Name | Zhou Dongyu |
| Profession | Actress |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Birthplace | Shijiazhuang, China |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
Qualification: Beijing Film Academy
Profession: Actress
Known For: Better Days (film)
Net Worth: $1.4 Million Approx
Hobbies: Dancing, Photoshoot, Painting
Favorite Destination: Germany
Favorite Food: Chicken
Favorite Color: Red, Pink
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