2002–2004: Beginnings in Taiwan After starring in
Star (2002), Huo rose to fame for the idol drama
At Dolphin Bay (2003), which achieved a peak rating of 5.11 and became the most popular idol drama of the year. He was then in great demand and was cast in seven idol dramas at the same year (a record yet to be broken). In 2004, Huo released his first ever solo album
Start. Owing to his inability to cope with the promotion tour of the album, he decided to focus on acting thereafter.
2005–2014: Rising popularity in China In 2005, Huo starred in his first
wuxia drama
The Royal Swordsmen directed by
Wong Jing. His melancholic portrayal of Guihai Yidao received rave reviews from fans and audiences. It proved to be an important turning point of his career, as it introduced him to mainland audiences. The same year, Huo made his big screen debut in the movie
Hands in the Hair alongside actress
Rosamund Kwan. Huo then took the leading role in various dramas, including
Sound of Colors alongside actress
Ruby Lin,
Romance of Red Dust opposite
Shu Qi, and
Emerald on the Roof with
Sun Li. Huo expressed that his role in
Emerald on the Roof had taught him how to act, and has a deep impact on him. Huo also starred in
kungfu comedy
Love at First Fight, taking on an eccentric and crazy role. His exaggerated expressions and comedic acting showed his ability to take on different roles. In 2009, Huo rose to mainstream popularity with the hit
xianxia drama
Chinese Paladin 3, an adaptation from
the video game of the same title. In 2011, Huo starred in period action drama
The Vigilantes in Masks with
Cecilia Liu; and historical drama
The Glamorous Imperial Concubine wherein he played a cold and detached Emperor. Due to the success of the dramas, Huo was awarded Most Influential Actor at the 2011 Youku Television Awards. In 2012, Huo starred in the medical drama
Inspire the Life. In 2013, he starred in
Lord of Legal Advisors, a mystery series in the
Ming dynasty, and
Swordsman, a
wuxia series based on
Jin Yong's classic
novel of the same Chinese title. In 2014, Huo starred in
Perfect Couple, written by
Tong Hua. The project was Huo's first attempt at producing a drama series after the establishment of his own company Huajae Studio, and reunited him with
Chinese Paladin 3 co-star
Tiffany Tang. Huo won the Most Popular Actor in the ancient drama genre at the 2014 China Student Television Festival for the drama. Huo then starred in
Battle of Changsha.
Battle of Changsha was a critical success, as one of the highest rated dramas on
Douban.
2015–2017: Career peak In 2015, Huo starred in
xianxia drama
The Journey of Flower with
Zanilia Zhao. The drama was a huge success in China, achieving a peak rating of 3.89. It is also the first Chinese drama to surpass 20 billion online views. The success of
The Journey of Flower brought Huo's career to a new high. He then starred in crime thriller
Love Me If You Dare, which received positive reviews and an international following. Due to his success, Huo was chosen by
China Newsweek as Artist of the Year. He was distinguished as one of the Most Influential People in China for 2015, a remarkable distinction since he is the only recipient of this award in the field of Performing Arts. In 2016, Huo starred in historical medical drama
The Imperial Doctress, portraying
Zhu Qizhen. It was one of the highest rated dramas that year, and Huo was awarded Most Popular Actor and Most Marketable Artist for his performance in
The Imperial Doctress as well as
Love Me If You Dare at the 1st China Television Drama Quality Ceremony. He next starred in the crime
thriller Inside or Outside alongside Korean actor
Jang Hyuk and Hong Kong star
Simon Yam, as well as romantic comedy film
Suddenly Seventeen and suspense thriller
Hide and Seek. In 2017, Huo starred in the science fiction
suspense film Reset, produced by
Jackie Chan and directed by Korean director,
Chang; and war film
Our Time Will Come, directed by award-winning director
Ann Hui. In 2018, Huo returned to the small screen in the palace drama ''
Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace playing the role of Qianlong Emperor. In 2019, Huo starred in the period epic drama The Great Craftsman
, reuniting with his Chinese Paladin 3
and Reset
co-star Yang Mi. The same year, he starred in the romance drama film Somewhere Winter'' written by Rao Xueman.
2018–present: Hiatus and partial comeback In September 2018, Huo announced the closure of Huajie Studio's
Weibo and
Facebook accounts, which had been managed by his co-founder and manager, Lian Junjie, effectively shutting down Huo's only social media presence amid an acrimonious breakup with Lian. Since then, Huo has largely retired to family life in Taiwan. In December 2020, Huo shut down another production company under his name in
Hengdian. In 2021, he had a cameo in
Light the Light, a Taiwanese drama produced by his wife,
Ruby Lin. Huo returned to acting in 2024 with the Chinese drama
The Tale of Rose. ==Personal life==