Xu Zheng (actor)
# Xu Zheng (actor)

Xu Zheng (simplified Chinese: 徐峥; traditional Chinese: 徐崢; pinyin: Xú Zhēng; born 18 April 1972) is a Chinese actor and director best known for acting in comedic roles. Xu directed, co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in Lost in Thailand (2012) and Lost in Hong Kong (2015), two of the highest-grossing films in China. He also co-produced and starred in Dying to Survive (2018).

Xu found fame with the TV series Sunny Piggy (2000), co-starring his future wife Tao Hong. He gained further recognition after other comedy TV dramas Li Wei the Magistrate (2001) and Love Through Different Times (2002), as well as comedy films Call for Love (2007) and Lost on Journey (2010). Xu has acted in most of Ning Hao's films including No Man's Land (2013) and Breakup Buddies (2014).

Xu ranked 38th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2013, 68th in 2015, 92nd in 2017, 4th in 2019, and 2nd in 2020.

## Biography

Growing up in Shanghai, Xu Zheng performed regularly in Children's Palace theatres. After graduating from Shanghai Theatre Academy in 1994, Xu portrayed mostly minor roles on television and film for years. His big break came in 2000 with the romance TV series Sunny Piggy, in which he portrayed the dimwitted protagonist Zhu Bajie. Sunny Piggy received high ratings nationally, paving way for other popular TV dramas such as Li Wei the Magistrate (2001) and Love Through Different Times (2002). Since appearing in Ning Hao's Crazy Stone (2006), Xu also began to turn more and more to comedy films, starring in Call for Love (2007) and One Night in Supermarket (2009). He also worked with Ning Hao again in Crazy Racer (2009) and No Man's Land (2013).

Xu had wanted to try his hands in filmmaking since acting was, in his words, "too passive". After the success of the comedy road film Lost on Journey (2010), Xu invited his co-star Wang Baoqiang to join his directorial debut Lost in Thailand, a film with the same premise. However, as a first-time director, Xu had a difficult time selling his story, meeting with 3 different production companies before convincing Beijing Enlight Pictures to invest US$4 million. Huang Bo, Xu's good friend and frequent co-star in Ning's films, also joined the project. Released in December 2012, Lost in Thailand raked in over US$200 million from about 40 million people to become the highest-grossing domestic film in China's history. Shot mainly in Thailand, the film greatly boosted tourism to the country, and Xu even received a private meeting with the Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2013.

In 2014, Ning's comedy road film Breakup Buddies starring Xu and Huang Bo grossed over US$195 million to become the highest-grossing domestic film of the year. Xu's second directorial feature Lost in Hong Kong (2015), which he again starred in, co-wrote and co-produced, broke Lost in Thailand's Chinese 2-D film grossing record with US$250 million.

## Personal life

Xu Zheng first shaved his head while in college, and has been bald ever since.

Xu married his Sunny Piggy co-star Tao Hong in 2002. They have portrayed a married couple in Unfinished Girl (2007) and Lost in Thailand. Other collaborations include Sky Lovers (2002 TV series), No Lonely Angels (2002 film), The Last Red Hot Lover (2005–06 theatre production), No Man's Land, and How Long Will I Love U. Tao also made a cameo in Lost in Hong Kong. Their daughter was born on December 30, 2008, in Beijing.

## Filmography

### Film

| Year | English title | Original title | Role | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1989 | In One Married Year | 结婚一年间 | Tiantian | TV film |
| 1992 | Their Marriages | 父子婚事 | Xiao Sheng | |
| 1998 | The Soul of the Sea | 海之魂 | Xiaoman | |
| 1999 | Something About Secret | 说出你的秘密 | Zhang | |
| 2002 | No Lonely Angels | 天使不寂寞 | Zhao | |
| 2003 | A Surprise Victory | 出奇制胜 | Sanduo | TV film |
| 2006 | The Happy Fate of Love | 家和万事兴之快乐情缘 | Ding Zihan | TV film |
| 2006 | Crazy Stone | 疯狂的石头 | Feng Hai | |
| 2007 | Call for Love | 爱情呼叫转移 | Xu Lang | |
| 2007 | Unfinished Girl | 第三个人 | He Wei | |
| 2007 | Crossed Lines | 命运呼叫转移 | Dr. Sun | Segment 1: "The Misunderstanding" (误会) |
| 2008 | Fit Lover | 爱情左右 | Xu Lang | |
| 2009 | Crazy Racer | 疯狂的赛车 | Cemetery manager | |
| 2009 | One Night in Supermarket | 夜·店 | He Sanshui | Also administrative producer |
| 2009 | Mars Baby | 火星没事 | Ma Zhihao | |
| 2010 | Lost on Journey | 人在囧途 | Li Chenggong | |
| 2010 | The Swordman Dream | 嘻遊記 | Tang Sanju | |
| 2011 | The Founding of a Party | 建黨偉業 | Xu Shuzheng | Some scenes were deleted |
| 2011 | Legend of a Rabbit | 兔俠傳奇 | Crocodile bandit | Only has voice role |
| 2012 | Love in the Buff | 春嬌與志明 | Sam | |
| 2012 | Meet the In-Laws | 搞定岳父大人 | Fan Jianqiang | Also the supervising producer |
| 2012 | Lost in Thailand | 人再囧途之泰囧 | Xu Lang | Also the director, co-producer, and co-writer |
| 2013 | Fake Fiction | 摩登年代 | Ou Dawei | |
| 2013 | One Night Surprise | 一夜惊喜 | He Fengfeng | |
| 2013 | No Man's Land | 无人区 | Pan Xiao | |
| 2014 | The Great Hypnotist | 催眠大师 | Xu Ruining | Also the executive producer |
| 2014 | Breakup Buddies | 心花路放 | Hao Yi | |
| 2015 | Lost in Hong Kong | 港囧 | Xu Lai | Also the director, co-producer, and co-writer |
| 2016 | Xuanzang | 大唐玄奘 | Li Daliang | |
| 2018 | A or B | 幕后玩家 | Zhong Xiaonian | Also executive producer |
| 2018 | Ash Is Purest White | 江湖儿女 | Man from Karamay | |
| 2018 | How Long Will I Love U | 超时空同居 | Noodle chef | Also the original story and producer |
| 2018 | Dying to Survive | 我不是药神 | Cheng Yong | Also the co-producer |
| 2018 | The Island | 一出好戏 | | Cameo |
| 2019 | Crazy Alien | 疯狂的外星人 | Alien | |
| 2019 | Robosaur Wars | | | |
| 2019 | My People, My Country | 我和我的祖国 | | Director of Part 3: The Champion |
| 2020 | Lost in Russia | 囧妈 | Xu Ivan | Also the director |
| 2020 | My People, My Homeland | 我和我的家乡 | Xiao Fan | Also the director |
| 2021 | My Country, My Parents | 我和我的父辈 | Zhao Pingyang | Also the director of Part 3: AD MAN |

### Miniseries

| Year | English title | Original title | Role | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2006 | It's So Good to Be In Love | 恋爱真好 | Dou Ding | Sitcom |
| 2010 | Unusually Crazy for Love | 非常爱情狂 | President Xu | Web sitcom |
| 2018 | The Island | 好戏一出 | | Web miniseries |

### TV series

| Year | English title | Original title | Role | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1994 | Little Stories from the Orient | 東方小故事 | Bao Xuan | Episode: "Bao Xuan Gets Married" (鮑宣娶親) |
| 1996 | Hu Xueyan | 胡雪巖 | Huang Zuoqing | |
| 1997 | Soaring to the Sky | 风生水起 | | Segment: "The Stock Market" (股市) |
| 1997 | Zhou Enlai in Shanghai | 周恩來在上海 | Wang Ming | |
| 1998 | Vicissitude of Shanghai | 上海滄桑 | Tang Boye | |
| 1998 | The Beauty of the Warring States | 戰國紅顏 | Shi Sha | |
| 1999 | It's So Annoying at Home | 家里比较烦 | Xiaogua | Sitcom |
| 2000 | Red Dust from the Past | 紅塵往事 | Li Xinzhi | |
| 2000 | Sunny Piggy | 春光燦爛豬八戒 | Zhu FengchunZhu Bajie | |
| 2001 | Imperial Envoy of the 7th Grade | 七品欽差 | Zhou | |
| 2001 | Li Wei the Magistrate | 李衛當官 | Li Wei | |
| 2002 | Love Through Different Times | 穿越时空的爱恋 | Zhu Yunwen | |
| 2002 | Sky Lovers | 天空下的缘分 | Flatfish | Segment 5: "Sun Tanning" (日光浴) |
| 2002 | Daddy's Name is Hongqi | 爸爸叫红旗 | Feng Yong | |
| 2003 | The Return to Shanghai Bund | 重返上海灘 | Zhu Shijun | |
| 2003 | The Eight Hilarious Gods: Sunü's Story | 笑八仙之素女的故事 | Lü Dongbin | |
| 2003 | The Showroom Tales | 售楼处的故事 | Deng Feng | Sitcom |
| 2004 | Thirteen Sons of Heaven Bridge | 天橋十三郎 | Shi Yukun | |
| 2004 | Li Wei the Magistrate II | 李衛當官II | Li Wei | Also the co-director; sequel to the 2001 series |
| 2004 | The Execution of Chen Shimei | 新鍘美案 | Emperor Renzong of SongEmperor Zhenzong | Emperor Zhenzong only appears in flashbacks |
| 2004 | The Perfect Banquet | 滿漢全席 | Zhang Dongguan | |
| 2004 | My Way | 起跑天堂 | Gym customer | |
| 2005 | Thrice Revealing the Emperor's Edict | 三揭皇榜 | Fu Yingxing | |
| 2005 | The Lucky Stars | 福祿壽·三星報喜 | Zhang Guolao | |
| 2006 | Crazy King and General Iron | 鐵將軍阿貴 | Hongzhou, Prince He | |
| 2006 | To Live to Love | 长恨歌 | Kang Mingxun | |
| 2007 | Be a Man | 好男当家 | Zhou Feng | |
| 2008 | The Melody of Wedding | 结婚进行曲 | Yao Xiang | |
| 2008 | Firewall 5788 | 防火墙5788 | He Nian | |
| 2009 | Distant Mountain | 遠山 | Commissioner Xie | |
| 2009 | I'm a Boss | 我是老板 | Xu Tianlai | |
| 2010 | Run Daddy Run | 老爸快跑 | Zhang San | |
| 2010 | The Amateur Imperial Bodyguard | 大內低手 | Li ChuanweiZhao Sanfa | |
| 2012 | The Bachelor | 大男当婚 | Cao Xiaoqiang | |
| 2017 | A Splendid Life in Beijing | 生逢灿烂的日子 | Passenger | |
| 2018 | The Drug Hunter | 猎毒人 | Wu Xiong | |

### Reality shows

* 2016: Twenty-Four Hours (二十四小时) on Zhejiang Television
* 2016: Lost in Food (食在囧途) on Zhejiang Television
* 2018: I Am an Actor (我就是演员) on Zhejiang Television

## Theatre

A member of the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, Xu was a stage star before finding fame in television and film. He starred in Chinese versions of The Liar (as Lelio), Long Day's Journey into Night (as Jamie), Much Ado About Nothing (as Antonio), and Art (as Serge), as well as many Chinese plays in both Mandarin and Shanghainese. He also directed at least 3 plays as early as 1998. In 2005, he and Tao Hong starred in a 2-person play adapted from the Broadway comedy Last of the Red Hot Lovers, which caused a sensation in Beijing. The couple subsequently performed the play over 30 times in 10 major cities, receiving overwhelming support everywhere that they canceled their holiday travel plans for more performances.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | # | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Film & TV ||||||
| 2008 | 29th | Hundred Flowers Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Crazy Stone | Nominated |
| 2009 | 6th | China Movie Channel Media Awards | Favourite Actor | One Night in Supermarket | Won |
| 2010 | 4th | Huading Awards (TV Drama) | Best Supporting Actor | I'm a Boss | Nominated |
| 2012 | 4th | TV Drama Awards Made in China | Best Actor | The Bachelor | Nominated |
| 2013 | 15th | Huabiao Awards | Outstanding Young Director | Lost in Thailand | Won |
| 2013 | 9th | Huading Awards (Film) | Best New Director | Lost in Thailand | Won |
| 2013 | 20th | Beijing College Student Film Festival | Favourite Director | Lost in Thailand | Won |
| 2013 | 4th | Youth Film Handbook Awards | Best New Director | Lost in Thailand | Won |
| 2013 | 4th | Youth Film Handbook Awards | Best Actor | Lost in Thailand | Nominated |
| 2013 | 4th | China Film Director's Guild Awards | Best Director | Lost in Thailand | Nominated |
| 2013 | 4th | China Film Director's Guild Awards | Best Screenwriter | Lost in Thailand | Nominated |
| 2013 | 4th | China Film Director's Guild Awards | Best Actor | Lost in Thailand | Nominated |
| 2014 | 32nd | Hundred Flowers Awards | Best Actor | Lost in Thailand | Nominated |
| 2014 | 5th | China Film Director's Guild Awards | Best Actor | No Man's Land | Won |
| 2015 | 11th | Chinese American Film Festival | Best Actor | Lost in Hong Kong | Won |
| 2018 | 14th | Changchun Film Festival | Best Actor | Dying to Survive | Won |
| 2018 | 55th | Golden Horse Awards | Best Actor | Dying to Survive | Won |
| 2019 | 13th | Asian Film Awards | Best Actor | Dying to Survive | Nominated |
| 2019 | 26th | Beijing College Student Film Festival | Best Actor | Dying to Survive | Won |
| 2019 | 17th | Golden Phoenix Awards | Society Award | Dying to Survive | Won |
| 2019 | 32nd | Golden Rooster Awards | Best Actor | Dying to Survive | Nominated |
| Theatre ||||||
| 1998 | 10th | Magnolia Stage Awards | Best Actor | Color of Shares | Co-winner |
| 1999 | 3rd | Zuolin Drama Arts Awards | Best Actor | Color of Shares | Won |
| 2002 | 6th | Zuolin Drama Arts Awards | Best Actor | Art | Won |
| 2008 | 12th | Zuolin Drama Arts Awards | Best Actor | Brothers | Co-winner |
| 2008 | 18th | Magnolia Stage Awards | Best Actor | Brothers | Co-winner |
| 2011 | 15th | Zuolin Drama Arts Awards | Best Actor | Das Kapital | Nominated |
| 2011 | 2nd | One Drama Awards | Best Actor | Das Kapital | Won |
