Zheng Zhenyao

Biography

Zheng Zhenyao was born in 1936 in Lingbi, Anhui Province. At age 12, she joined the China Welfare Institute Children's Art Theatre. She graduated in 1958 from the Central Academy of Drama and became an actor at the Central Experimental Theatre. She was celebrated for stage roles in "Princess Wencheng," "Peach Blossom Fan," and "The Storm," and was hailed as a "wonderful flower" on the stage. During the Cultural Revolution, she was persecuted and sent to work in factories and rural areas until 1975. She entered film after the Cultural Revolution with "Flight Symphony" and gained recognition with her role as Song Ma in "My Memories of Old Beijing" (1982), winning the Best Supporting Actress award at the Golden Rooster Awards. She appeared in over ten films and TV series, served as president of the Central Experimental Theatre, and held positions in the China Theatre Association and the China Film Performance Association. She married dancer You Haihai in 1958 and had a daughter in 1962. She passed away on May 22, 2023.