Zhang Yu

Acting

Zhang Yu

Born 1982-09-25 · Guizhou, China

Zhang Yu (born September 25, 1982, in Guizhou, China) is a prominent actor from Mainland China, known for his transformative roles and deep commitment to independent cinema. Formerly credited under the name Zhang Xin, he is celebrated for embracing complex characters and unconventional projects, earning the reputation of being a "drama addict" within industry circles. With over a decade dedicated to supporting and promoting independent films, Zhang has become an influential figure among contemporary Chinese actors. He rose to international attention with his powerful performance as Yu Cheng in An Elephant Sitting Still (2018), followed by widely praised roles in Dying to Survive, A Cool Fish, and Back to the Wharf. His work often explores themes of morality, societal pressure, and emotional nuance, setting him apart as a master of subtle intensity. Zhang Yu has continued to expand his creative reach, appearing in more than 29 productions including film and television. He also serves as a part-time visual artist and script consultant, further reflecting his multifaceted approach to storytelling.

Acting credits

Nice View poster
6.4

Desperate to pay for his little sister's surgery, a young man takes part in a risky business venture - only to encounter some serious setbacks.

Nice View

2022

An Elephant Sitting Still poster
7.7

In the northern Chinese city of Manzhouli, they say there is an elephant that simply sits and ignores the world. Manzhouli becomes an obsession for the protagonists of this film, a longed-for escape from the downward spiral in which they find themselves.

An Elephant Sitting Still

2018

Her Story poster
7.6

Wang Tiemei, a single mother, loses her job and moves, befriending neighbor Xiaoye who appears cheerful but is depressed. Their bond grows as Tiemei navigates relationships with her ex-husband causing trouble.

Her Story

2024

Dying to Survive poster
8.2

A Chinese leukaemia patient smuggles cheap but untested pharmaceuticals from India to help hundreds of Chinese people suffering from cancer.

Dying to Survive

2018

She's Got No Name poster
4.5

A bizarre case caused thousands of waves. There are different opinions on the truth. When the whole story of the case was gradually restored like pieces of a puzzle, people realized that the truth was not that important anymore.

She's Got No Name

2025

My People, My Homeland poster
6.2

In different parts of rural China, various people explore what makes their communities unique.

My People, My Homeland

2020

Snipers poster
6.9

The story of sharpshooter Zhang Taofang, a young army recruit who at age 22 sets a record during the Korean War by reportedly killing or wounding 214 American soldiers with 435 shots in just 32 days.

Snipers

2022

A Cool Fish poster
7.0

Two criminals hide in the apartment of a quadriplegic woman after a failed robbery attempt. Her brother, a disgraced officer, exploits the situation to return to the police force.

A Cool Fish

2018

A Cool Fish 2 poster
5.7

Sanjin, the little brother of Yiwu-based businessman Chen, ventures to Southeast Asia to expand his business and prove his mettle. Just as he strikes a deal with a television station, his business is hit by a global recession and a terrorist attack. Will Sanjin choose to be devoured by darkness, or will he be reborn from the ashes?

A Cool Fish 2

2025

Are You Lonesome Tonight? poster
5.6

On a dark night, Xueming hits a pedestrian with his car and flees the scene. Desperate to escape his feelings of guilt, he decides to approach the dead man's wife, Mrs. Liang. He develops an ambiguous relationship with the widow, while a policeman tries to resolve the investigation that will change his life forever.

Are You Lonesome Tonight?

2021

No One is Closer Than We poster
5.5

When Li Weiyang's motorcycle crash left his girlfriend with missing front teeth, he struggled to afford implants by negotiating with the at-fault driver and insurers, upending their modest but stable life.

No One is Closer Than We

2026

Manchurian Tiger poster
5.5

A dark comedy follows a Siberian tiger, a dog, a forklift driver, a middle school teacher, a poet, a debt collector and a pregnant woman. Beneath the absurdities of an owner trying to avenge his dog and his pregnant wife is a story about reality.

Manchurian Tiger

2022

Shanghai Dreams poster
6.5

In 1980s China, the country is beginning to reform and workers who had been moved with their families to the provinces in the 60s now long to return to Shanghai. For one displaced family a conflict arises when their 19-year-old daughter finds love with a local boy, threatening their chance of a return to the city.

Shanghai Dreams

2005

Love, My Way poster
NR

Qian was bent on experiencing love and fully committed to every relationship, but all the men she met were unreliable. Qian's best girlfriend, Tingting, also suffered in love, but as time goes by, Qian and Tingting gradually went on to different life trajectories…

Love, My Way

2023

Record Without Words poster
5.8

In the early 1990s, "Public Order Defence Squads" in China — usually made up of discharged military personnel, unemployed young adults and local hooligans — were supposed to maintain public order in villages and towns. Most of the time, however, they ended up dealing with all sorts of mundane matters in their towns. The story begins with a mysterious case of serial dog killings. LI Lizhong, leader of the local defence squad, starts an investigation into the case, following a set of strange clues and studying them using piecemeal knowledge of primitive criminology and ichnology. After a string of hijinks, the squad catches the dog killer. However, the evidence also shows that the case is closely related to the accidental death of Lizhong’s father.

Record Without Words

2023

She Said poster
NR

When her boyfriend proposes, a migrant worker living in Singapore confesses that she is the mother of a little green elf.

She Said

She's Got No Name: Part Two poster
NR

A sprawling true-crime case illuminating the fates of ordinary people amid the tides of changing times.

She's Got No Name: Part Two

The Year of the Everlasting Storm poster
6.4

Featuring seven stories from seven auteurs from around the world, the film chronicles this unprecedented moment in time, and is a true love letter to the power of cinema and its storytellers.

The Year of the Everlasting Storm

2021

Back to the Wharf poster
5.6

A man wanted for negligent homicide returns to his hometown after 15 years, only to be haunted by his past, and getting mixed up in a scheme involving the daughter of his victim.

Back to the Wharf

2020

Ciao Ciao poster
4.8

A free and wild young woman has to come back from the big city to her village in the mountains.

Ciao Ciao

2017

The Old Dog poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

The Old Dog

2026

Tainted Love poster
5.9

Following a woman’s search for truth after being cheated in a romance scam.

Tainted Love

2023

The Break Away poster
NR

Over the course of 45 days, a relationship begins to break apart as confinement tests its bonds.

The Break Away

2021

Betwixt and Between poster
NR

Sanzhe, who was released from prison, broke into the lives of a family of three, and the fate of the four people was intertwined.

Betwixt and Between

2024