2004–2014: Beginnings Zhang made his acting debut in 2004, acting as the younger version of the male protagonist in ''The Sea's Promise
. He first gained attention for his roles in Snow Leopard
(2010) and its companion series, Black Fox
(2011). He won the Most Popular New Actor award in 2010 for his performance in Snow Leopard
. Zhang took on his first lead role in war drama Sharp Sword''. In 2014, he starred in
New Snow Leopard, and won the Outstanding Actor award at the
China TV Drama Awards.
2015–2023: Rising popularity and breakthrough In 2015, Zhang starred in the web drama
Wu Xin: The Monster Killer. The series was popular in both China and Taiwan, and led to increased recognition for Zhang in the region. Zhang then starred in youth romance drama
Promise of Migratory Birds and fantasy dramas
Novoland: The Castle in the Sky and
Legend of Nine Tails Fox. In 2016, Zhang starred in the hit espionage drama
Sparrow. The popularity of the series propelled Zhang to mainstream popularity, and he won the Most Popular Actor award at the
China TV Drama Awards. He then headlined the web drama
Medical Examiner Dr. Qin. The series gained over 1.5 billion views on
Sohu TV, and earned praise for its storyline and his performance. The same year, Zhang starred in his first film,
Sky on Fire. In 2017, he was cast in the titular role of
Huo Qubing in
historical drama,
The Fated General. The name of the series was later changed to
Desert Wind (风起大漠). Zhang ranked 94th on
Forbes China Celebrity 100 list. In 2017–2018, Zhang took on the dual roles of Vladimir and Vershinin in the stage production
Three Sisters & Waiting for Godot, a contemporary experimental theatrical play directed by Lin Zhaohua. In 2018, Zhang starred in the
romantic comedy drama
The Evolution of Our Love. In 2019, Zhang starred in the spy drama
Awakening of Insects. This series received widespread acclaim and popularity, and he was nominated for the Audience's Choice for Actor at the 30th
China TV Golden Eagle Award. He then starred as the male lead in historical epic
Joy of Life based on the novel
Qing Yu Nian by
Mao Ni.
Joy of Life received positive reviews and was a hit. For his outstanding performance in
Joy of Life, Zhang earned his nomination for the
Magnolia Award for Best Actor in a Television Series. In 2020, Zhang was cast in the
legal drama Perfect Evidence, and the film
Escape from the 21st Century, which was only screened in 2024. During 2020, he teamed up once again with
Joy of Life screenwriter Wang Juan, this time for the
wuxia drama
Sword Snow Stride. The series premiered on December 15, 2021, on the CCTV Drama Channel and simultaneously aired on Tencent Video. By January 20, 2022,
Sword Snow Stride had already amassed a viewership of over 6 billion on Tencent. Zhang ranked 37th on
Forbes China Celebrity 100 list. In 2022, Zhang starred as the male lead in the urban police drama
Ordinary Greatness. This series received widespread acclaim. In 2023, Zhang took on the lead role of Shuai Jiamo, a mathematical genius with Asperger's syndrome, in
Under The Microscope, a production adapted from
Ma Boyong's historical book "Under the Microscope of the Ming Dynasty". That same year, Zhang starred as the lead, Lei Ming, in the drama
The Hope, which tells the story of a passionate teacher helping students rediscover their purpose. After the airing of the series finale in January 2024, Zhang published a heartfelt reflection on his Weibo account，where he recalled his emotional journey playing the role of Lei Ming and shared his unique insights into this character.
2024-present: Continued success and mainstream recognition Before 2024, Zhang was already recognized for his versatility and impressive performances across a wide range of characters. His breakthrough came in 2019 with the immensely popular series
Joy of Life, where his portrayal of Fan Xian received critical acclaim. His success continued with every subsequent drama, spanning both historical and modern settings, where he demonstrated a remarkable ability to bring characters to life. After a four-year hiatus since
Joy of Life, filming for
Joy of Life 2, in which Zhang reprised his role as the lead character Fan Xian, commenced in May 2023. When the TV series aired a year later, in May 2024, it achieved remarkable success, setting several records on Tencent Video, including the highest-ever popularity score.
Joy of Life 2 also became the most-watched drama from mainland China on Disney+, and it gained considerable attention on platforms like
YouTube and Viki, drawing two to three times the viewership of other highly regarded Chinese dramas. That same year, for his outstanding performance in
Ordinary Greatness, Zhang earned his nomination for
China TV Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor. == Personal life ==