Sun Honglei ( zh, s=孙红雷; born 16 August 1970) is a Chinese actor. His critically acclaimed television series ''
Lurk'' (2008) earned him the Best Actor trophy at the three most prestigious
Chinese-language television awards including the
Feitian Award, the
Golden Eagle Award and the
Magnolia Award.
Early life
Sun was born in
Harbin
Harbin, ; zh, , s=哈尔滨, t=哈爾濱, p=Hā'ěrbīn; IPA: . is the capital of Heilongjiang, China. It is the largest city of Heilongjiang, as well as being the city with the second-largest urban area, urban population (after Shenyang, Lia ...
,
Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang is a province in northeast China. It is the northernmost and easternmost province of the country and contains China's northernmost point (in Mohe City along the Amur) and easternmost point (at the confluence of the Amur and Us ...
, on 16 August 1970. Sun developed an interest in acting and performances at a young age. He often skipped school to learn
breakdancing
Breakdancing or breaking, also called b-boying (when performed by men) or b-girling (women), is a style of street dance originated by African Americans and Nuyorican, Puerto Ricans in The Bronx borough of New York City.
Breakdancing consist ...
on the streets and eventually gave up his studies entirely to pursue
dancing
Dance is an art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire of movements or ...
as a career, eventually performing with a modern dance troupe for several years. Later, Sun became a popular local nightclub singer and host before going into acting. In 1995, Sun attended the
Central Academy of Drama
The Central Academy of Drama () is a national public drama school in Beijing, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education (China), Ministry of Education. The academy is part of the Double First-Class Construction.
Information
The sch ...
, where he graduated in 1997. He has since gone on to star in numerous
TV dramas and
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
s, winning many awards for his stage work. Sun is probably best known to
Asian cinema fans for his supporting performances in ''
Seven Swords'', ''
Triangle
A triangle is a polygon with three corners and three sides, one of the basic shapes in geometry. The corners, also called ''vertices'', are zero-dimensional points while the sides connecting them, also called ''edges'', are one-dimension ...
'' and ''
Blood Brothers''. Since October 2011, Sun has played the starring role in the popular Chinese series 'Nanren Bang' (男人帮), portraying urban romantic life from a male perspective.
Acting career
In 1998, Sun played a minor character in the drama ''Never Close The Eye'' adapted from Hai Yan's novel of the same name. In 1999, Sun starred in his first film, ''
The Road Home'', and officially entered the film industry.
From 2001 to 2002, the TV dramas ''Like Fog, Like Rain, Like Wind'' and ''Behind the Glamour'' were broadcast successively, gradually making the audience familiar with his portrayal of the elder brother role.
Sun rose to fame for his role in the youth television series ''
Love Story in Shanghai'' directed by Zhao Baogang. He gained further recognition with his role as a cold-blooded murderer in the crime drama ''Conquer''.
Sun won his first major award at the
Beijing College Student Film Festival
Beijing College Student Film Festival, first held in 1993, is an annual event organized by Beijing Normal University and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio, Film and Television. It is held in April or May, and is one of the biggest film festivals ...
with his role in the film ''
Zhou Yu's Train''.
In 2005, Sun co-starred in Tsui Hark's martial arts film ''
Seven Swords''.
In 2006, Sun headlined the television series ''Halfway Couple'', which earned high ratings and acclaimed. Sun won the Best Actor at the
Shanghai Television Festival
The Shanghai Television Festival (), abbreviated STVF, also known as the Shanghai International Television Festival is the first and one of the largest television festivals in East Asia. Held since 1986, STVF has become one of the most influential ...
for his performance.
In 2008, Sun starred alongside
Zhang Ziyi in the arthouse film ''
Forever Enthralled''.
In 2009, Sun starred in the spy war drama ''
Lurk'' which was a major hit in China. The series propelled him as one of the top television actors in China, earning him Best Actor accolades at the
Shanghai Television Festival
The Shanghai Television Festival (), abbreviated STVF, also known as the Shanghai International Television Festival is the first and one of the largest television festivals in East Asia. Held since 1986, STVF has become one of the most influential ...
,
Flying Apsaras Awards and
China TV Golden Eagle Award. The same year, he starred in the epic historical drama ''
The Road We Have Taken'' based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Jiang Qitao; which earned high acclaim when it aired.
In 2010, Sun starred in the romantic comedy film ''
If You Are the One 2'' directed by Feng Xiaogang.The film was released on June 22 and topped the weekly box office chart in its first week with a revenue of 25 million yuan.
In 2011, Sun starred in the historical film ''
The Warring States'' as military strategist Sun Bin.
In 2015, Sun starred in the youth film ''
The Ark of Mr. Chow'' directed by Xiao Yang.
On January 15, 2016, the comedy-mystery film ''Extreme Challenge: Royal Treasure'', starring Sun Honglei, was released.The film's box office exceeded 100 million yuan within six days of its release.In the same year, Sun Honglei starred in the Chinese version of the crime detective film ''Old Hand'', playing the role of Huang Zhengmin.
In February 2021, Sun Honglei provided the voice for the character Haifangzhu in the film ''The Yinyang Master''.
In October 2022, ''Literature and Art in the War of Resistance'', the first original documentary drama by the China National Theatre Company, premiered at the National Centre for the Performing Arts Drama Theatre. Sun Honglei played the role of Mr. Jinshan and admitted in an interview that the role was quite a challenge.
Personal life
On 1 October 2014, Sun announced he and Wang Jundi ( zh, s=王骏迪, labels=no) are tying the knot and the wedding was held in Paris. Their daughter was born on 16 December 2017.
Filmography
Film
Television series
Awards
References
External links
*
Sun Honglei Biography @ LoveHKFilm.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sun, Honglei
Male actors from Heilongjiang
1970 births
Male actors from Harbin
Living people
Central Academy of Drama alumni
Chinese male stage actors
20th-century Chinese male actors
21st-century Chinese male actors
Chinese male film actors
Chinese male television actors
Best Supporting Actor Asian Film Award winners