The world is no stranger to the wide-spreading wings of the Chinese drama world. We are all aware that Asian dramas and actors have taken up ample space in people's hearts. And when it comes to the rising actors, people are always excited to see what the actor has to offer to the world in the coming years. This past year, we saw multiple Chinese actors who left a long-lasting impact and proved their talent to the whole world. Here are the top 10 rising Chinese actors who stood out from the rest in 2021:
1. Xiao Zhan
With his name frequently trending on Weibo's top trending topics, Xiao Zhan (Sean Xiao) has made his way to becoming a big star. Known for his beautiful, heartwarming smile, Xiao is also a part of the Chinese boy band, X Nine. He made his acting debut in 2016 with the online fantasy drama "Super Star Academy" in the leading role and received widespread recognition for consecutive hit dramas he did. With his latest drama, "Douluo Continent," becoming part of his hit drama list, Xiao started 2021 beautifully. The actor is prepared to take stronger steps to reach higher in his acting career, and we're here for it!
2. Wang Yibo
Wang Yibo has taken not only China by storm, but the whole world has fallen for his charms. The actor was one of the most popular actors in China in 2020. This man doesn't have just one but multiple talents, he's an actor, singer, rapper, TV host, professional motorcycle racer, and if that's not enough, he is also multilingual. With already being a part of the Chinese boy group Uniq since 2014, Wang reached new heights with his breakout role on the historical xianxia (supernatural or immortal characters) drama series "The Untamed" in 2019. After being awarded "Hot Figure of the Year" for two consecutive years at the most recent Weibo Awards Ceremony and winning "Douyin God" and "All-Around Artist of the Year" at Douyin Night 2021, Wang received the award for "Most Popular Artist among Overseas Fans" in Weibo Starlight Awards 2021. This rising star full of talents will take concrete steps toward his successful and bright future.
3. Song Wei Long
He is best known for his role as Yuan Song in "Find Yourself" and Ling Xiao in "Go Ahead." Song Wei Long is a Chinese actor and model. This handsome man started rising towards success in 2019 when he starred in the youth romance film "Love the way you are." After that, the actor only went up the stairs, won the best new actor award at China Movie Channel Media Awards, and was listed in the list by Forbes China of most influential people under 30 who have had substantial effects in their field. In 2020, he ranked 45th in Forbes China Celebrity 100 list after the tremendous success of his dramas "Find Yourself," "In a class of her own," and "Go Ahead." The actor is gearing up to grace our screens with yet another drama, "A league of the Nobleman," in 2021. He is worthy of all our attention, and his rising popularity is what he deserves.
4. Zhang Xin Cheng
Also known by his English name Steven Zhang, Zhang is one of 2020's biggest Chinese rising stars. After starting his acting career with the short film School Bus in 2013, the actor has reached greater heights in recent years. The talented Chinese actor is known for his impressive acting skills and memorable roles. After giving constant hit dramas, the actor became a huge sensation. He gained millions of fans after playing the role of a passionate hockey player in a popular sports Chinese romance drama, "Skate into Love." His popularity kept rising, and his drama "Go Ahead" in 2020 was like the cherry on top. He portrayed a heartwarming, kindhearted, and affectionate personality, gave one of his best performances, and left people with complete admiration. Let's keep our hearts ready for his upcoming work in the future.
5. Cheng Yi
Cheng had already made his acting debut in 2011, playing a supporting role in the television series "Beauty World" before graduating in 2012. The actor started to receive broader attention after playing an upright and sober senior apprentice in the hit drama "Noble Aspirations." His success touched new heights when he landed the lead role in one of his most recent dramas, "Love and Redemption," in August 2020, where he showed commendable acting skills with half covered because of the concept of the character. The actor started filming for his upcoming drama in March 2021, and we are all very excited to see how he will amaze us more with his acting skills.
6. Luo Yun Xi
One of the most interesting facts of Luo Yun Xi is that he graduated majoring in ballet, fascinating, right? In 2012, he made his acting debut in a romance film, he was cast in the drama "Flip in Summer" in 2013, released much later in 2018. His role in the hit drama, "My Sunshine," of the younger self of the male protagonist, caught the audience's attention. The actor's career breakthrough came with the hit fantasy drama "Ashes of Love," which topped television ratings and became the most-watched drama online in 2018. After his hit romance dramas, "And the Winner is Love" and "Love is Sweet" in 2020, Luo received the award for "Popular Actor of the Year" at the 2020 iQiyi Scream Night, which also highlighted his popularity among people. Luo has multiple dramas lined up that will be released sometime soon this year.
7. Ding Yu Xi
This handsome Chinese actor made his acting debut in March 2017. Ding Yuxi gained much attention after playing the supporting role in the drama "New Smiling Proud Wanderer" in 2018. In 2020, he started rising to fame when he starred in the historical romance drama "The Romance of Tiger and Rose," which became a huge success and received praises for an exciting storyline and fantastic acting. With his increasing popularity, Ding received the title "My Boyfriend" after his hit dramas in the summer of 2020. The actor became a part of another hit drama, "Moonlight," which received high ratings and astounding reviews earlier in 2021 and is now all set for his next release for the year.
8. Xu Kai
Xu Kai is a well-known Chinese actor and model. This handsome actor took the world by surprise with acting skills not too long after his debut. The actor received mainstream recognition in 2018 after he starred in the historical romance drama "Untouchable Lovers" and a palace drama "Story of Yanxi Palace" just after that, which became a massive hit in China and increased his popularity. In 2019, Xu became unstoppable and gave big hits one after the other. At the Hengdian Film and TV Festival of China, he was awarded the 'Best Actor Award' for his role in the military drama, "Arsenal Military Academy." His most recent dramas "Dance of the Sky Empire (2020)" and "Falling into your Smile (2021)" gave him huge recognition and proved to be one of the best in his career. Xu is stepping fast towards his success, and we are all looking forward to that.
9. Gong Jun
The world is no stranger to our "good boy," who managed to make a beautiful place in the hearts of millions of people. Gong Jun, known by Simon Gong is a Chinese actor and model. After debuting in 2015 in the historical drama "Sword Chaos," the actor didn't take too long to show the world how much of a marvelous actor he is. The actor achieved huge recognition from all over the world after doing several dramas in 2019. He played the lead role in a sweet campus love story drama, "The Love Equations," with another drama in a row, "Begin Again," which increased his popularity to more than a billion on MangoTV. Gong Jun's breakthrough came in 2021, and he dominated the Chinese drama world in the first half of 2021 only, with his roles in the dramas, "Word of Honor," "Dream Garden," "The flaming Heart," and the most recent "The Legend of Anle" and went viral on social media. There's no doubt that Gong Jun will only go up in his career with the steps he's taking forward.
10. Lin Yi
If you haven't watched "Put your head on my shoulder" yet, you are missing out. This 22-year-old Chinese actor and model rose to popularity just after his acting debut in the popular rom-com web drama "Put your head on my shoulder," in which he played the lead role of a cute nerd who warmed so many hearts. His popularity increased, touching the sky, and he gained millions of fans. The drama was an immense success in China and overseas and received stunning reviews. After being cast in a leading role in historical fantasy drama "Ling Long" and romance drama "Love Scenery," Lin is all set to make a comeback to our screens with his charming aura. This young actor is full of surprises and has high potential, so his acting career is worth looking forward to in the future.
