Yuan starred in her first film
Rhapsody of Spring (1998), which won her the
Golden Rooster Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2002, Yuan won her second
Golden Rooster Award for her performance in
Pretty Big Feet by
Mo Yan, the first film that depicts contemporary western China. Though Yuan achieved success in films, it is on stage that Yuan has earned most fame and applause. She chose to become a professional drama actress at the National Theater of China after graduation and first attracted the audience and media in the 2001 production of
Hurricane. Yuan rose to prominence in 2005 when she starred in Meng Jinghui's musical drama
Amber, which was a hit; touring seven cities in Asia and attracting more than 100,000 audiences. Yuan won the China Golden Lion Award for Drama in 2010 and the Plum Blossom Award in 2012; both are considered high honors in theater. 2014 was a successful year for Yuan, who starred in two top-grossing films
Breakup Buddies and
The Continent. In 2017, Yuan co-starred in
The First Half of My Life, a drama that tells the inspirational story of a housewife-turned-career woman. The drama was a huge hit in China. ==Personal life==