62 Notable alumni of Central Academy of Drama
Updated: June 05, 2026 EliteDegrees
Central Academy of Drama is ranked #6,217 in the world and #502 in China by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 62 notable alumni from Central Academy of Drama sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Central Academy of Drama won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Yilin Zhong
writer
novelist
Yilin Zhong is a British-Chinese journalist, screenwriter and bestselling novelist. She is the author of eighteen novels, two film screenplays, ten books and many other work including poems and literary reviews. She currently lives in London.
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2. Zhang Meng
1975-. (aged 51)
film producer
screenwriter
film director
Zhang Meng is a Chinese director and screenwriter. He graduated from the Chinese Central Academy of Drama. In 2007, he made his directorial debut with Lucky Dog (Erduo Da You Fu). His first documentary was called Mr. Zhang and His Dog (2008). The Piano in a Factory (Gang de qin) won the Grand Jury Prize at the Miami International Film...
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3. Zhang Yibai
1963-. (aged 63)
film director
film producer
Zhang Xiaoling, known professionally as Zhang Yibai, is a Chinese filmmaker.
4. Dai Yuqiang
1963-. (aged 63)
opera singer
Dai Yuqiang is a Chinese operatic tenor. He was the first and only Chinese student of Luciano Pavarotti. With Wei Song and Warren Mok he has performed abroad as "China's Three Tenors."
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5. Cai Shangjun
1967-. (aged 59)
film director
screenwriter
Cai Shangjun is a Chinese film director and screenwriter, part of the Chinese sixth generation of cinema. Most known for his 2011 film People Mountain People Sea, which won the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the 68th Venice International Film Festival.
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6. Zheng Zhenyao
1936-2023 (aged 87)
actor
film actor
Zheng Zhenyao was a Chinese film and television actress. Zheng started her career in the theater stage, but rose to fame through her role as a middle-aged lady in Sparkling Red Star (1974). For her performance in My Memories of Old Beijing (1982), Zheng won Golden Rooster Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2004, she won Golden Rooster Award for...
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7. Chen Maiping
1952-. (aged 74)
translator
writer
Chen Maiping is a Chinese-Swedish writer and poet, known by the pen name Wan Zhi (万之). He has written mostly short stories, and has also translated literature from English and Swedish to Chinese.
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8. Lin Peng
1986-. (aged 40)
actor
singer
Lin Peng is a Chinese actress. Peng began her career by appearing in a Jackie Chan film Little Big Soldier.
9. Ai Jing
1969-. (aged 57)
painter
singer
actor
Ai Jing is a Chinese singer, actress and painter. China's Northeast News called her "China's most talented female folk rock singer."
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10. Liu Yun
1983-. (aged 43)
actor
performing artist
Liu Yun is a Chinese actress.
11. Zhao Jiamin
1998-. (aged 28)
singer
Zhao Jiamin is a Chinese idol singer and actress. She is a former member of the female idol group SNH48, and came in first during SNH48's second general election.
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12. Gong Beibi
1978-. (aged 48)
actor
Beibi Gong is a Chinese film and television actress. Beginning her acting career as a teenager after she was discovered for the lead role in the film You Are Not Sixteen, Gong later studied and graduated from the nationally prestigious Central Academy of Drama. She first gained recognition among audiences in China after starring in several popular TV series and...
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13. E Jingwen
1989-. (aged 37)
actor
film actor
E Jingwen, also known as Vin E or E Bo (Chinese: 鄂博), is a Chinese actress. E is considered a "Sing girl"—an actress who first received media attention through starring in the movie directed by Stephen Chow, after she has known for her role as "Ru Meng" in The New King of Comedy (2019).
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14. Katherine Rose Morley
1990-. (aged 36)
actor
film actor
Katherine Rose Morley is an English actress. She is best known for her television roles in The Mill (2013–2014), Vera (2015), Thirteen (2016), Last Tango in Halifax (2013–2020), Clink (2019), The Syndicate (2021), and the Black Mirror episode "Demon 79" (2023).
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15. Lü Liping
1960-. (aged 66)
actor
Lǚ Lìpíng is a Chinese actress.
16. Hu Xianxu
2000-. (aged 26)
child actor
television actor
Hu Xianxu is a Chinese actor.
17. Tao Hong
1972-. (aged 54)
swimmer
actor
Tao Hong is a Chinese actress and former synchronised swimmer. A National Games of China champion, Tao was part of the Chinese national team at several synchronised swimming competitions from 1987 to 1991, including the 1991 World Aquatics Championships.
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18. Wang Qianyuan
1972-. (aged 54)
actor
television actor
Wang Qianyuan is a Chinese actor who graduated from the Central Academy of Drama. He won Best Actor at the 23rd Tokyo International Film Festival for his role in the movie, The Piano in a Factory.
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19. Chen Baoguo
1956-. (aged 70)
film actor
actor
television actor
Chen Baoguo is a Chinese actor, President of the China Film Performance Society (CFPS) and a Chairman of China TV Artists Association (CTAA) Actor's Committee. He graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in 1977 and has since acted in many films and television series, including The Emperor in Han Dynasty, Da Zhai Men and Rob-B-Hood. He is married to...
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20. Ren Suxi
1988-. (aged 38)
actor
Ren Suxi is a Chinese actress. She made her acting debut in the drama film The Eighth Clay Man (2006), and has since gone on to appear in numerous movie and film titles such as Mr. Donkey (2016) and Looking Up (2019).
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21. Guo Tao
1969-. (aged 57)
film director
television actor
film producer
actor
film actor
Guo Tao is a Chinese actor.
22. Edward Zhang
1980-. (aged 46)
television actor
film actor
Zhang Luyi, also known as Edward Zhang, is a Chinese actor and director.
23. Zhou Yun
1978-. (aged 48)
actor
Zhou Yun is a Chinese actress.
24. Zhang Ming'en
1995-. (aged 31)
actor
television actor
Zhang Ming'en, is a Chinese actor. He made his official acting debut in 2016 with the tomb-raiding series The Mystic Nine. He has also acted in the series Tientsin Mystic and Nice to Meet You.
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25. Xia Yu
1976-. (aged 50)
actor
television actor
Xia Yu is a Chinese actor. At the age of 18 years, he rose to international prominence after winning the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival in 1994 for his leading role in the film In the Heat of the Sun and became the youngest actor to win that award in the history of the Venice Film Festival.
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26. Ma Ke
1990-. (aged 36)
actor
television actor
Ma Ke is a Chinese actor.
27. Duan Yihong
1973-. (aged 53)
actor
television actor
Duan Yihong is a Chinese actor best known for his role as Yuan Lang in Soldiers Sortie (2006), Long Wenzhang in My Chief and My Regiment (2009), and Hei Wa in White Deer Plain (2011).
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28. Vicky Chen
2003-. (aged 23)
television actor
film director
actor
film actor
Wenqi “Vicky” Chen, better known by her stage name Wen Qi (Chinese: 文淇; pinyin: Wénqí), is a Taiwanese actress. In 2017, she won the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful (2017) and became the second youngest actress who was nominated Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress for Angels...
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29. Qin Hailu
1978-. (aged 48)
screenwriter
film director
singer
actor
Qin Hailu is a Chinese actress, screenwriter and singer. She has won Best Actress at the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award and Golden Bauhinia Awards.
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30. Zhang Hanyu
1964-. (aged 62)
actor
television actor
voice actor
Zhang Hanyu is a Chinese actor. He is known for starring in the films Assembly (2007), The Message (2009), The Chef, the Actor, the Scoundrel (2013), The Taking of Tiger Mountain (2014), Operation Mekong (2016), The Captain (2019), and Chinese Doctors (2021), as well as the television series All Men Are Brothers (2011).
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31. Yuan Quan
1977-. (aged 49)
singer
actor
Yuan Quan, also known as Yolanda Yuan, is a Chinese actress and singer. She graduated from the Central Academy of Drama where she majored in drama.
32. Chen Shu
1977-. (aged 49)
actor
singer
Chen Shu is a Chinese singer and actress.
33. Xinyi Zhang
1981-. (aged 45)
actor
film director
Zhang Xinyi is a Chinese actress and director. She ranked 95th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2013, 99th in 2014, and 80th in 2015.
34. Rosina Lam
1987-. (aged 39)
actor
Rosina Lam is a Hong Kong actress currently signed with Shaw Brothers Pictures.
35. Wei Daxun
1989-. (aged 37)
actor
television actor
Wei Daxun is a Chinese actor, singer, and host. Wei ranked 85th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2019, and 56th in 2020. He graduated from the Central Academy of Drama.
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36. Tong Yao
1985-. (aged 41)
actor
Tong Yao, also known as Tanya Tong, is a Chinese actress, best known in film for portraying Chen Shu in A Big Deal (2011), May in Snowfall in Taipei (2012) and Annie Yang in To Love Somebody (2014), and has received critical acclaim for her television work, particularly as Meng Xizi in Militia Ge Erdan (2012), Zhou Xiaobei in Three...
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37. Chen Jianbin
1970-. (aged 56)
director
film director
television actor
pedagogue
actor
Chen Jianbin is a Chinese actor and director. He is best known for his roles in television series, including Cao Cao in Three Kingdoms (2010) and the Emperor Yongzheng in Empresses in the Palace (2011). In 2014, he broke a Golden Horse Awards record by winning the best actor, best supporting actor, and best new director all on the same...
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38. Chen Daoming
1955-. (aged 71)
actor
television actor
Chen Daoming is a Chinese actor. He has served as president of China Film Association since 2018.
39. Hu Jun
1968-. (aged 58)
actor
television actor
Hu Jun is a Chinese actor best known for playing dramatic roles in various films and television series. He has acted in a number of Hong Kong films.
40. Zhang Jingchu
1980-. (aged 46)
actor
Zhang Jingchu is a Chinese actress. She first gained recognition for the film Peacock (2005), which won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. Zhang is also known for her roles in the films Protégé (2007), Red River (2009), and Aftershock (2010).
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41. Jin Dong
1976-. (aged 50)
actor
television actor
Jin Dong is a Chinese actor. He is known for his television roles in Legend of Entrepreneurship (2012), The Disguiser (2015), Candle in the Tomb (2016), Surgeons (2017), and The First Half of My Life (2017).
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42. Zhao Jinmai
2002-. (aged 24)
actor
film actor
Zhao Jinmai is a Chinese actress. She is known for her role in the films Balala the Fairies franchise, and The Wandering Earth; in the series Growing Pain, A Little Thing Called First Love, Reset, The Princess Royal, Amidst a Snowstorm of Love, Drifting Away and Shine on Me. In 2019, Forbes China listed Zhao under "30 Under 30 Asia"...
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43. Wang Kai
1962-. (aged 64)
politician
Wang Kai is a Chinese actor. He is known for his television roles in All Quiet in Peking (2014), The Disguiser (2015), Nirvana in Fire (2015), Ode to Joy (2016), When a Snail Falls in Love (2016), Stay With Me (2016), Like a Flowing River (2018-2024), and Flight To You (2022), as well as his film role in The Devotion...
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44. Xin Zhilei
1986-. (aged 40)
actor
Xin Zhilei, born Xin Lei (Chinese: 辛蕾; pinyin: Xīn Lěi), is a Chinese actress. She is known for her roles in the television series Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (2018), Joy of Life (2019), and Blossoms Shanghai (2023). Her notable films include Crosscurrent (2016), Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield (2017), and The Sun Rises on Us All...
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45. Chen Xingxu
1996-. (aged 30)
actor
television actor
Chen Xingxu, also known as Oliver Chen, is a Chinese actor and model. He is known for his roles as Yang Kang in The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017), Gu Xiaowu / Li Chengyin in Goodbye My Princess (2019), Tan Xuan Lin in Fall In Love (2021), and Shaodian Youqin in The Starry Love (2023).
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46. Liu Ye
1978-. (aged 48)
television actor
stage actor
actor
film actor
Liu Ye is a Chinese actor. He made his feature film debut in Postmen in the Mountains (1999), and later on won recognition through critically acclaimed film Lan Yu (2001), which earned him the Best Actor award at the Golden Horse Awards. His other notable works include the film Cock and Bull (2016), as well as the television series Blood...
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47. Deng Chao
1979-. (aged 47)
actor
television actor
screenwriter
voice actor
film director
Deng Chao is a Chinese actor and director. Deng received recognition for the television series The Young Emperor (2003) and Happiness as Flowers (2005). He later shifted his focus to films, starring in the box office hits Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010), American Dreams in China (2013), The Dead End (2015), for which he won...
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48. Chen Xiao
1987-. (aged 39)
singer
actor
television actor
Chen Xiao is a Chinese actor. He is known for his roles in TV series Swordsman (2013), Legend of Lu Zhen (2013), The Romance of the Condor Heroes (2014), Nothing Gold Can Stay (2017), A Dream of Splendor (2022), and Legend of the Magnate (2025).
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49. Tong Liya
1984-. (aged 42)
actor
Tong Liya is a Chinese actress of Xibe ethnicity. She first gained recognition in The Queens (2008), followed by roles in the television series Palace (2011), Beijing Love Story (2012), Ordinary World (2015), Nirvana in Fire 2 (2017), Great Expectations (2018), as well as the film How Long Will I Love U (2018).
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50. Mao Xiaotong
1988-. (aged 38)
actor
Mao Xiaotong, also known as Rachel Momo, is a Chinese actress. She is best known for her supporting roles in Empresses in the Palace (2012), Love O2O (2016), and The Princess Weiyoung (2016).
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51. Jiang Wen
1963-. (aged 63)
film screenwriter
film actor
film director
television actor
singer
Jiang Wen is a Chinese actor and filmmaker. As a director, he is sometimes grouped with the "Sixth Generation" that emerged in the 1990s. His representative works include In the Heat of the Sun (1994), Devils on the Doorstep (2000), The Sun Also Rises (2007), and Let the Bullets Fly (2010). Jiang is also well known internationally as an actor,...
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52. Bai Baihe
1984-. (aged 42)
actor
Bai Baihe is a Chinese actress. She is best known for her roles in films Love Is Not Blind (2011), Personal Tailor (2013), Monster Hunt (2015), and Go Away Mr. Tumor (2015), as well as the television series Surgeons (2017) and Sunshine by My Side (2023).
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53. Tiffany Tang
1983-. (aged 43)
actor
television producer
Tang Yan, also known as Tiffany Tang, is a Chinese actress and singer. She is known for her roles in the television series Chinese Paladin 3 (2009), My Daughters (2011), Perfect Couple (2014), My Sunshine (2015), The Princess Weiyoung (2016), and Blossoms Shanghai (2023).
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54. Jackson Yee
2000-. (aged 26)
singer
actor
television actor
Yi Yangqianxi, also known as Jackson Yee, is a Chinese actor, singer, and member of the boy band boygroup TFBoys. After gaining fame as a member of the boy group TFBoys, his breakthrough performance in Better Days (2019) earned him multiple Best New Actor awards, including the Hong Kong Film Awards, the Hundred Flowers Awards, and the Asian Film Awards....
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55. Cheng Yi
1990-. (aged 36)
actor
television actor
Fu Shiqi, known professionally by his stage name Cheng Yi (Chinese: 成毅), is a Chinese actor and singer. He made his television debut in Chinese television drama Beauty World (2011) and graduated from Central Academy of Drama in 2012. He first gained recognition for his role in Noble Aspirations (2016). He is also known for his roles as Yu Sifeng...
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56. Zhang Ziyi
1979-. (aged 47)
actor
model
film actor
dancer
stage actor
Zhang Ziyi, sometimes credited Ziyi Zhang, is a Chinese actress, known for playing independent and strong-willed characters. Born and raised in Beijing, Zhang was admitted to the Central Academy of Drama in 1996. That year, she made her acting debut in the television film Touching Starlight (1996). After her breakout role in Zhang Yimou's The Road Home (1999), which won...
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57. Yang Yang
1976-. (aged 50)
short-track speed skater
politician
Yang Yang is a Chinese actor. He is known as one of the "Big Four" or "Four Major Traffic Stars" alongside Li Yifeng, Lu Han and Kris Wu, due to their immense popularity and influence in mainland China. He made his acting debut in the Chinese television drama The Dream of Red Mansions (2010). Since then, he has received recognition...
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58. Gong Li
1965-. (aged 61)
actor
film actor
Gong Li is a Chinese-born actress. Known for her versatility and naturalistic performances, she is regarded as one of the best actresses in Chinese cinema. She starred in three of the four Chinese-language films that have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
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59. Liang Jie
1994-. (aged 32)
actor
Liang Jie is a Chinese technology executive and entrepreneur. He is currently the Chief Technology Officer of UCWeb Inc., a Chinese mobile Internet and software company he co-founded in 2004. UCWeb was acquired by Alibaba Group in June 2014 in the largest Chinese Internet merger deal ever. He is also the president of Shenma Inc., a joint venture formed by...
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60. Chen Hao
1979-. (aged 47)
model
singer
actor
film actor
Chen Hao is a Chinese politician. He served as Governor of Yunnan from 2014 to 2016 and also Party Secretary of Yunnan from 2016 to 2020. He was formerly Governor of Yunnan and vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.
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61. Yu Xiaoguang
1981-. (aged 45)
composer
television actor
Yu Xiaoguang, also known as Ethan Yu, is a Chinese composer and actor. Yu is a former swimmer and sprint canoer. In 2006 he made a crossover from sports to films. Yu made appearances on many television series, most notably My Kung Fu Girlfriend (2006), Fighting in Peking (2009), Mao Anying (2010), The Happy Time of the Spicy and Hot...
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62. Tang Wei
1979-. (aged 47)
model
actor
Tang Wei is a Chinese actress. She rose to international fame for her role in Golden Lion-winning Lust, Caution (2007) by Ang Lee, for which she was banned by the Chinese government due to the explicit sexual nature of her performance, until her comeback in Crossing Hennessy in 2010. She gained further acclaim for her performances in Late Autumn (2010),...
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