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10 of the most Popular Chinese Actors

China over the years has fed us with quality films and movies. It is mainly known for its Kung Fu movies. However, in recent years, it has morphed from that to embrace romantic and comedy dramas.

China has made tremendous growth in the film industry. It has come from far from the Kung-Fu days and continues to show great potential and feed the worldwide hunger for a good film.

This list will concentrate on the all-time actors both legends that shaped the film industry in China and the upcoming actors. It will specifically concentrate on three things; the actor’s short story, their most famous performance, and their net worth.

1. Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan. Photo by Gage Skidmore-

Datuk Fang Shilong , born Chan Kong-sang is known professionally as Jackie Chan. He is a Hong Kong-born Chinese actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for his slapstick acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically performs himself.

Chan started his acting career in the 1960s. He started at 5 years old playing minor roles and extras in films. He is one of the most popular actors in the world.

Chan’s first breakthrough was the 1978 film Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow. The film brought out the comedic Kung Fu genre. This was readily accepted by the Hong Kong audience because it was new and fresh. That same year, he starred in Drunken Master, which finally propelled him to mainstream success.

Jackie Chan’s net worth in 2022 is 520 million dollars.

2. Donnie Yen

Donnie Yen. Photo by Cecilia Wang-

Donnie Yen Ji-dan was born on 27^th July 1963. He is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director, producer, action director, and choreographer.

He is credited with bringing Mixed Martial Arts to Asian mainstream media. This is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling, and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.

In 2008, Yen starred in Ip Man, a semi-biographical account of Ip Man, the Wing Chun master of Bruce Lee. Ip Man became the biggest box office hit to date featuring Yen in the leading role.

Yen’s net worth in 2022 was estimated at 40 million dollars.

3. Chow Yun-Fat

Chow Yun Fat. Own work-

Chow Yun-fat was born on 18^th May 1955. He is previously known as Donald Chow, is a Hong Kong actor and singer.

Success finally came when he teamed up with director John Woo in the 1986 gangster action-melodrama A Better Tomorrow, which swept the box offices in Asia and established Chow and Woo as megastars. A Better Tomorrow won him his first Best Actor award at the Hong Kong Film Awards. It was the highest-grossing film in Hong Kong history at the time, and set a new standard for Hong Kong gangster films. Chow is known for playing villain.

Unfortunately this great legend has been inactive since the 2018. However he still remains in the top list of the most famous actor in China.

His net worth which is supplemented by other money making ventures is estimated at 100 million dollars.

4. Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee. Art by Giga Paitchadze –

This list would not be complete without mentioning Bruce Lee. Lee is a legend who shaped the film industry. Even though he passed on almost 50 years ago, his influence is still felt throughout the world.

He lived from November 27^th 1940 – July 20, 1973, He was a Hong Kong and American martial artist, martial arts instructor, actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and philosopher.

Lee started his acting career in America. Nevertheless he eventually became tired of all the supporting roles he was getting. He returned to Hong Kong where he played his first leading role in The Big Boss (1971), which proved to be an enormous box office success across Asia and catapulted him to stardom.

By the time he died in 1973, he was worth 10 million dollars.

5. Jet li

Jet Li. Photo by Robert Scoble-

Li Lianjie was born on 26^th April 1963. He is goes by his stage name Jet Li. He is a Chinese film actor, film producer, martial artist, and retired Wushu champion.

Li’s first role in a non-Chinese film was as a villain in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), and his first leading role in a Hollywood film was as Han Sing in Romeo Must Die (2000).

He has gone on to star in many international action films.

Recenntly he played the Emperor in Disney’s 2020 live-action remake of its 1998 animated feature Mulan, about a young Chinese woman who disguises herself as a man to become a warrior.

6.Liu Haoran

Liu Haoran was born on 10^th October 1997. He is also known as Turbo Liu. He is a Chinese actor.

Liu made his acting debut in the 2014 romance film Beijing Love Story, and was nominated for Best New Actor at the 2015 Beijing College Student Film Festival.

Liu ranked 18th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2020, 19th in 2019, and 89th in 2017

In 2021, Liu became the youngest actor to gross over approximately 2.32 billion dollars at the Chinese box office.

7.Yang Yang

Yangyang- Own work-

Yang Yang was born on 9^th September 1991. He is a Chinese actor.

He made his acting debut in the Chinese television drama The Dream of Red Mansions (2010). Since then, he has received recognition for his roles in various television dramas.

In 2015, Yang gained recognition for his performance in The Left Ear. The film was a box-office hit, and Yang received positive for his performance as Xu Yi.

Between the years 2017-2020 he has starred in various genres like romantic comedy, fantacy action drama, e-sports drama and an action movie alongside Jackie Chan.

He was ranked 5^th on the 2017 Forbes China Celebrity 100 list, 27th in 2019 and 44th in 2020.

8.Li Yifeng

Li Yifeng. Photo by Kissleeli-

Li Yifeng (born Li He, 4 May 1987) also known as Evan Li, is a Chinese actor and singer, who rose to fame after participating in the 2007 My Hero contest.

 He is best known for his roles in television dramas Swords of Legends (2014) which sky-rocketed his popularity.

Li’s booming popularity allowed him to rank 9th on Forbes China Celebrity list in 2015, 11th in 2017, and 26th in 2019.

9.Zhang Yi

Zhang Yi was born on 17^th February 1978. He is a Chinese actor.

Zhang made his drama debut and received widespread recognition as Comrade Shi Jin in the critically and commercially successful 2006 drama Soldiers Sortie.

His best known for his roles in films Dearest, Cock and Bull and Operation Red Sea and a television series Soldiers Sortie (2006), which was a critical hit.

He then starred in action war film Operation Red Sea, which became the second-highest-grossing-film ever in China in 2016.

Till then to date he has continued to star in various films winning a being nominated as Best Actor.

10.Shen Teng

Shen Teng was born on 23th October 1979. He is a Chinese comedian, actor and director.

He was the leading character in the film Goodbye Mr. Looser (2015). He won the Gold Aries Award for Best Actor at the Macao International Film Festival and landed on the iconic spot in China’s entertainment billboards overnight.

In 2019 and 2020 he won and has been nominated for a couple of films the award of Best Actor.

In 2020, He ranked 28th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.

He is one of the best in the stage of comedy drama.