Wang Zhiwen
Personal details
  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1966-06-26
    • Born Place: Shanghai, China
  • Also Known As:

    Zhiwen Wang, Wang Zhi-Wen, Wang Zhi Wen

Wang Zhiwen

Wang Zhiwen (born June 26, 1966) is a legendary Chinese actor and singer from Shanghai, celebrated as one of the most intellectually profound and technically skilled performers of his generation. A graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, he is famously the first Chinese actor to achieve the "Grand Slam" of Chinese television by winning Best Actor at the Feitian, Golden Eagle, and Magnolia Awards. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, he has delivered iconic performances in films such as Chen Kaige’s Together (2002) and The Emperor and the Assassin (1998), as well as modern classics like The Message (2009). Known for his "magnetic voice" and a signature "lazy yet sharp" acting style, Wang is often cast as complex, cynical, or high-intelligence characters, making him a household name across China. In the 2025 historical epic 731 (also released as Evil Unbound), Wang Zhiwen plays Cunshan Du, a long-term inmate and survivor within the horrific Unit 731 facility. His character provides a crucial psychological anchor for the protagonist, Wang Yongzhang (played by Jiang Wu); having been imprisoned for a significant amount of time, Du has learned to survive in the "house of horrors" and even trains a pet rat named Mao Mao to communicate with prisoners in adjacent cells. Wang's portrayal is hailed for its quiet intensity, capturing the "geniuses and plucky spirits" of the prisoners who attempted to maintain their humanity amidst inhumane biological experiments.

Person History