Despite ongoing turbulence in the Chinese entertainment industry, a select group of actors managed to rise above the crisis and deliver exceptional achievements throughout 2025. Among the year’s most prominent names are Yang Mi, Xin Zhilei, Song Jia, Jackson Yee, Liu Haoran, and Xiao Zhan. Their success spans international film accolades, domestic television breakthroughs, and record-shattering box-office performances.
Xin Zhilei: The Most Unexpected and Defining Success of 2025
The most surprising yet groundbreaking achievement of the year belongs to Xin Zhilei.
Her historic win as Best Actress at the Venice International Film Festival reshaped the hierarchy of the Chinese acting landscape. China had gone years without an international “Best Actress” accolade, while many 1980s-born stars were frequently criticized for lacking the acting depth required for major film awards. Meanwhile, the once-dominant generation of the “Four Dan Actresses” (Zhou Xun, Zhao Wei, Zhang Ziyi, Xu Jinglei) and the “Fan Bingbing + Shu Qi + Tang Wei” cohort had shifted into different career directions.
Following her Venice win, Xin Zhilei was immediately ranked as the leading actress of the 1980s generation, surpassing household names such as Liu Yifei, Zhao Liying, and Yang Mi, all of whom have yet to secure a major international film award. Even domestic award-winning actresses like Zhang Xiaofei are now positioned behind her.
It is therefore no exaggeration to call Xin Zhilei the brightest figure in Chinese entertainment in 2025.
Song Jia: Dominating Domestic Film and Television
While Xin Zhilei excelled internationally, Song Jia became the most acclaimed actress in the domestic market. In 2025, she starred in two productions rated above 9.0 on Douban, a rare achievement in recent years. In television, she won Best Actress (TV Queen) for She and Her Girls, surpassing strong contenders such as Ma Yili, Yan Ni, Yang Zi, and Liu Yifei.
Song Jia also claimed her second Golden Rooster Best Actress Award for the film The Good Things. Although her victory stirred debate, many media outlets, including QQ, noted that both Song Jia and Ni Ni delivered award-worthy performances, with Song Jia simply “having a slight edge.”
After a difficult 2024 during which three of her dramas flopped within a single month Yang Mi was widely believed to be past her prime. With six consecutive years lacking a critically successful project, her career seemed to stall.
However, 2025 marked an impressive comeback. Her iQIYI series This Thriving Land topped the platform’s ratings and online engagement charts, earning her the title “Performer of the Year.” In film, her roles in She’s Got No Name and The Litchi Road received praise for freshness and clear improvement in acting technique.
This resurgence significantly boosted her reputation, leading to 14 new endorsement deals in 2025, including becoming a global ambassador for luxury fashion brand Prada.
Jackson Yee: The Youngest Golden Rooster Best Actor
For male actors, Jackson Yee achieved one of the most remarkable milestones of the year becoming the youngest Best Actor in Golden Rooster Awards history. After multiple past nominations without a win, 2025 finally marked his breakthrough.
Jackson Yee remains an unmatched box-office phenomenon. All his starring films Better Days, A Little Red Flower, Nice View, Full River Red, Big World and others have surpassed 1 billion RMB in revenue. He is China’s only actor with a 100% record of billion-RMB films.
Before even entering 2025, he had already starred in eight consecutive films that crossed 100 million RMB in presales. Amid an industry slowdown where even top comedians struggle to attract audiences, Jackson Yee has exceeded 15 billion RMB in cumulative box-office revenue, cementing his status as China’s leading young actor.
Liu Haoran: A Triumphant Return
According to 163, Liu Haoran staged a powerful comeback in 2025. His Chinese New Year blockbuster Detective Chinatown 1900, co-starring Wang Baoqiang, exceeded 3.6 billion RMB (approx. 501 million USD). This success ended Liu Haoran’s streak of box-office disappointments following several critically panned films such as The Breaking Ice, Fire on the Plain, and Decoded.
Later in August, his film Dead to Rights surpassed 3 billion RMB and went on to represent mainland China in the Academy Awards race. With this momentum, Liu Haoran rose to third place on China’s all-time box-office actor ranking with 25.5 billion RMB, trailing only Shen Teng and Wu Jing.
Xiao Zhan: Television’s Most Influential Star of 2025
In television, Xiao Zhan dominated 2025 with the drama The Legend of Zang Hai, which achieved over 2.9 billion views, making it the most-watched Chinese drama of the year according to Maoyan.
The drama earned 7 out of 8 nominations at the 16th Macau International Television Festival (Golden Lotus Awards).
Xiao Zhan remains the male star with the strongest fanbase in China, holding numerous high-value endorsement contracts. In cinema, his film Gezhi Town reached over 200 million RMB within just three days, further proving his commercial strength.
Sources: TP