Zhou Lijing

Biography

Zhou Lijing is a Chinese actor, director, and screenwriter, born in Beijing in 1954 with ancestral roots in Shaoxing, Zhejiang. After graduating from a secondary school affiliated with Beijing Normal University in 1972, he joined a drama troupe in Gansu and became one of its leading actors. Following the resumption of the national college entrance exams in 1978, he was admitted to the Acting Department of the Beijing Film Academy and graduated in 1982, staying on as a faculty member. He made his film debut in 1980 with *Young Friends* and rose to fame in 1984 through his role in the TV drama *Garland on the Mountain*, for which he won the Best Actor award at the Golden Eagle Awards, as well as through the film *Life* based on Lu Yao's novel. His career peaked in 1986 with the TV series *New Star*. Known for playing tough, stoic characters with a restrained acting style, he was dubbed the "Chinese Takakura Ken."