The most compensated Chinese TV actress among her contemporaries is Zhao Liying, a Chinese actress who works in both television and movies. Zhao, who had a very modest upbringing, was well aware of her attractiveness and the acting talent she possessed, but she lacked the confidence to succeed in the entertainment business. When she finally gave in to her desires and entered the performing industry, fate had other ideas for her. Century Endless Love, a series that was never broadcast, served as the launch pad for her acting career. She made her acting debut in 2007’s “Nanyue King,” and the following year, she made an appearance in “Mudan Pavilion.” The TV series “The Legend of Lu Zhen” gave her incredible exposure in the industry after she had performed in a number of significant and minor roles in movies and on television. She portrayed the show’s lead character. She then made appearances in back-to-back popular TV shows, gradually becoming one of the top Chinese TV actors of the modern era. She has received numerous honors in recognition of her performances.
Early Childhood & Life
Zhao Liying was born on October 16, 1987, into a middle-class family in Langfang, Hebei Province, China. She was raised in her hometown as an average child with no real aspirations of entering the entertainment industry. But some time in high school, she started to show a growing interest in a future in cinema and television.
She was talented in the classroom, participated in a few plays in high school, and wanted to pursue acting, but her parents forbade her, forcing her to enroll at Langfang School to pursue a degree in electronic information engineering. She held a position as a secretary for a nearby business while simultaneously beginning to apply for roles in movies and television shows.
She experienced a major turning point in her life in 2006 when she was selected as the overall winner of the “Yahoo Search Star Game.” She received extensive exposure, and talent companies flocked to sign her because of her contented “girl next door” looks. She later joined Huayi Brothers as a new talent and received some early advertising work. In one of her earliest commercials, she appeared alongside well-known Chinese actress Zhou Xun and picked up some acting skills from her.
Zhao received offers as expected and was cast in small roles in a few TV series that were never broadcast. Zhao experienced a brief moment of acute discouragement since, despite the fact that she continued to receive proposals, most of them were for little, unimportant components. She nevertheless said “yes” to them and eventually made her acting debut in the 2007 television series “Nanyue King.”
Zhao liying’s Career
She began her career in 2007, and in addition to participating in “Nanyue King,” she also had a supporting role in “Golden Marriage.” Despite the fact that neither drama earned great reviews, Zhao was nevertheless eager to play these roles in order to expand his relationships and visibility. She made her cinematic debut the same year with “Mudan Pavilion.”
She had somewhat larger roles in the TV shows “Spring Goes, Spring Comes” and “Four Women Conflict” as well as the movies “Love Killed Nine River Hall” and “Ten Warriors in Washi Mountain,” which made 2008 a better year for her. She was learning a lot from these early jobs, but she wasn’t receiving the results she wanted. Nevertheless, she realized that this was the only way to advance in the acting industry.
With the television series “The Dream of Red Mansions,” which was based on the same-named popular Chinese novel, she experienced her first taste of mainstream popularity in 2010. In 2011, the popularity of “New My Fair Princess” grew even more, and her unforgettable cameo in “Palace II” was also considered to be a strong performance.
Zhao’s acting career was solidly established in 2013 after a sudden change in everything. The finest aspect of Zhao’s TV series, “The Legend of Lu Zhen,” which became a popular hit, was that she portrayed the series’ star role for the first time.
As a result of her outstanding accomplishments, Zhao gained popularity in neighboring nations like Japan and South Korea. The show also scored big during that year’s awards season, as Zhao won numerous honors for New Actress at ceremonies like the China TV Drama Awards, the LeTV Awards, and the Tudou Young Choice Awards.
Zhao followed up her recent triumph with the movie “Palace: Lock Sinensis,” in which she took a risk that few other major Chinese actors did by playing a villain. A series of strong performances followed, further solidifying her place in the public eye.
She also starred in the comedic drama series “Boss & Me” in 2014, which was based on the hugely popular novel “Shan Shan Comes to Eat” and became a huge hit both domestically and internationally. Her subsequent drama, “The Legend of Chasing Fish,” was one of the highest-viewed series of that year.
Zhao appeared in the opening ceremony of the China Golden Eagle TV Art Festival, where she was given the “Golden Eagle Goddess” award for her outstanding performances. She had one more successful appearance in “The Romance of the Condor Heroes” at the end of 2014, bringing her to the pinnacle of her career.
With the enormously popular drama “The Journey of Flower,” her career continued to flourish. A record amount of Chinese viewers watched this show, and Zhao later won the Best Actress in a TV Drama prize at the Macau International TV Festival. She then had some success with the show “Best Get Going,” where viewers praised her for her performance.
In 2016, she put more of an emphasis on her acting career, making back-to-back appearances in the films Royal Treasure, The Rise of a Tomboy, and Life of Our Own. She also continued to have success on television, making appearances in the hit shows The Mystic Nine and Noble Aspirations. She received some recognition for her work in the former while the latter went on to become one of the year’s most popular dramas.
She made an appearance in the mediocrely successful war drama “Rookie Agent Rogue” in 2016. Zhao was the most successful actor of the year by the end of the year, according to data that had accumulated. Her total viewership for the year exceeded 110 billion views.
She starred in the 2017 movie “Duckweed,” which had modest expectations but ended up being a sleeper smash at the box office and receiving praise from reviewers. With the historical action drama series “Princess Agents,” Zhao then made an appearance on television. The show was a financial success and received favorable reviews from drama reviewers, who appreciated the acting and the plot in particular.
Zhao was named one of Forbes China’s 30 Under 30 Asia 2017 list and received the CCSmart Star Value List Release Ceremony award for Most Valuable Actress of the Year in July.
Zhao’s Individual Life
Gao Ziqi and Zhao Liying were rumored to be dating around 2010. Although the couple refuted the rumors, some close to them gave hints that they might be in love. Although there was never any confirmation, she has been linked to several of her co-stars. Wang Hao, Zhao’s longtime boyfriend, was rumored to be married in 2016.
Estimated Net Worth
Currently, Zhao Liying is one of China’s most sought-after actresses. Her net worth is thought to be around $30 million as of 2019.