Yang Zi (Chinese: 杨紫; pinyin: Yáng Zǐ; born 6 November 1992), also known as Andy Yang, is a Chinese actress and singer. Known for her roles in film and television, she has received several accolades including a Magnolia Award. Yang has ranked among China's most influential and highest paid actresses and was named as one of the Four Dan Actresses of the post 90s generation by Southern Metropolis Daily. Yang was listed by Forbes as an honoree on the Forbes China 30 under 30 list in 2017 and on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021. In 2020, Forbes also named her as one of the most influential star in Asia on their Asia's 100 Digital Star list.
Yang has attended the Performing Arts School of Beijing Film Academy. As a child, she rose to fame after acting in the popular sitcom Home with Kids. Transitioning to adult roles, she earned critical acclaim with Love Comes Knocking on the Door (2011), Battle of Changsha (2014), Yangko Dance (2015) and Insistence (2012) for which she won the Best Newcomer Award at the 14th Golden Phoenix Awards. Her breakthrough came with the xianxia drama Noble Aspirations (2016) and the urban drama Ode to Joy (2016). For her performance in Ode to Joy, she was nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards in the 29th China TV Golden Eagle Award and 23rd Shanghai Television Festival respectively.
Yang continued to rise to mainstream fame with a string of successful television series including Ashes of Love (2018), Go Go Squid! (2019), The Oath of Love (2022), Immortal Samsara (2022), Lost You Forever (2023), Best Choice Ever (2024), Flourished Peony (2025) and Born to Be Alive (2026). For her performance in Born to Be Alive, she won the Best Actress award at the 31st Shanghai Television Festival. She also became the first actress to earn three consecutive Best Actress nomination at the Shanghai Television Festival for Lost You Forever, Flourished Peony and Born to Be Alive.
She also made her mark on the big screen with the films YOLO (2024), Bodies at Rest (2019) and The Bravest (2019) for which she got a Best Supporting Actress nomination in the 35th Hundred Flowers Awards. Yang was named "Actress of the Year" by the Chinese magazine People (人物). She was one of the torchbearers for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
