Wen Zhang

Wen Zhang

Wen Zhang, an up-and-coming Chinese actor, was born in Xi'an, Shanxi Province.

After graduating from China's Central Academy of Drama in 2006, he starred in many popular TV dramas including "You Are Smiling, While I am Weeping," "Bloom of Youth" and "The Song of Youth."

During 2007 and 2008, Wen became well-known for his roles as Xiang Nan in hit TV drama "Struggle" and as Xiao Bei in "Dwelling Narrowness." His upcoming TV works "The National Anthem" and "Snow Leopard" are highly anticipated by audiences and Wen's fans alike.

In recent years, Wen has started to focus on his film career. In 2008, he starred in director Li Dawei's comedy "A Tale of Two Donkeys" and received wide acclaim from college students. "Ocean Heaven" is his fifth film in which he plays an autistic son and stars alongside Jet Li, who plays Wen's father. Wen married Chinese actress Ma Yili, who is eight years his senior, and has a two-year-old daughter.

Role in Oceans Heaven

In his role for 'Ocean Heaven' playing the autistic character of 'Dafu', acted extremely realistically which saw many people believing the actor to in fact be autistic. He is seen continually swimming with ease and playing with dolphins in the aquarium which have become some popular aspects of the film.

In order to portray this character well, Wen Zhang (playing Dafu) went swimming every day. He previously did not know how to swim, but because swimming and diving are his character’s strong points, he became an expert swimmer. He also visited an autism school every day, working to understand the students’ way of thinking. Thanks to this, we may have another Jet Li in our hands (at least, with the charity aspect, not the martial arts), as he says about his experience: “I found something that is more important than performing.”

In reality already a father of one, Wen Zhang plays meticulously the relationship between his autistic character and his father. Actually he put in a lot of hard work before hand. "Before and during the shoot, I kept in contact with autistic people and studied their behavior. In the film I had less than ten lines. Later I thought of gestures as a channel to express happiness or sorrow. Honestly, after making this film, I really didn't want to speak for 1 or 2 months!" Was studying the character was the most difficult? "No, this is what an actor should do. Instead playing a swimming expert in the film was hard for me because I don't know how to swim! Before the shoot I spent a month, along with 5 or 6 year classmates I swam for several thousand meters nonstop daily. Finally I learned!"

Wen Zhang was also quoted saying "No, I had no idea what autism was before this film," the 26-year-old actor said. "Initially, I thought autism was all about not talking much," said Wen. "Director Xue Xiaolu didn't like my reaction when I first met her. She has volunteered for many, many years at an autism center. She required me to visit autistic children. So I did. I was plain shocked when I saw them."

In Ocean Heaven, you will see many scenes in which Dafu, Wen's character, unconsciously raises his shaky left hand. "Each autism sufferer has some symptoms that show in his or her behaviors. I was thinking I needed to mimic a typical gesture," said Wen, who eventually picked hand-trembling after watching many documentaries about autism. "That is a beautiful gesture," he said. "I met many parents of autistic children who came up and said to me, 'Wen Zhang, are you autistic as well?'" Wen took that as a compliment.

He goes on to say "You need to be a good man before you are a good father." Wen, who became a father in 2008, had this to say about defining a good father: "A good father is a role model for his children. He must have something worthy of respect."

Other Works

Jet Li along with actor Wen Zhang and some staffers from The One Foundation charity organization spoke to locals who are suffering from the drought in southwestern China. They donated drinking water and brought plant seedlings of coffee and grape for the locals.

TV Series

• Dwelling Narrowness (2009)
• Love at Sun Moon Lake (2009)
• Prominent Family (望族) (2009)
• An Liu (暗流) as Duan Yi Fei (2008)
• Xiong Di Men (兄弟门) as Hua Xiao Wen (2007)
• Struggle as Xiang Nan (2007)
• Qing Chun Zhi Ge (青春之歌) as Lin Dao Feng (2007)
• Jin Yi Wei (锦衣卫) as Zhu You Xiao (2007)
• Yu Qing Chun You Guan De Ri Zi (与青春有关的日子) as Zhuo Yue (2006)
• Ni Zai Wei Xiao Wo Que Ku Le (你在微笑我却哭了) as Chen Chen (2004)

Movies

• Oceans Heaven (2010)
• Wait and See as Ma Jie (2008)

Awards

• won Shanghai Media Awards 2010 Best Actor: Wen Zhang for Ocean Heaven
• Won TV Actor Style Icon of the Year 2010
• Won Fashion Weekly magazine Beijing: Breakthough Actor award 2008 & 2009
• Won Elle Style Awards: TV Actor of the Year 2010