Zhang Ruonan (Chinese: 章若楠, born 14 November 1996) is a Chinese actress and model. She is known for her roles in the films Cry Me a Sad River (2018), My Love (2021), and Love Life Light (2023); for the series A Date with the Future (2023), Love is Panacea (2023), My Boss (2024), The First Frost (2025), and Live Up to Your Youth (2026). She received nomination for Best Actress at the notable Asian Television Awards for her role in The First Frost.
Zhang ranks among the highest-grossing Chinese film actresses and is top 1 among actresses born after 1995; her movies My Love and Love Life Light, both collectively surpassed ¥1 billion at the box office.
In 2025, she was awarded at the Dragon TV Drama Quality Festival and iQIYI Night. She is regularly ranked in the "Top 10 C-Drama Artists in Global Market".
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Early life
Zhang was born in Wenzhou, Zhejiang. She completed her primary education in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei province, where her parents ran a business.
In 2015, Zhang studied graphic design at the Hangzhou Dianzi University. She worked as a model during college years and shared her portfolio on Weibo. She participated in a campus beauty contest and was selected among the "Top 30 Finalists", which led to modeling opportunities. She filmed a short movie advertisement for a Chinese airline during this time.
Career
2018–2019: Beginning
In 2017, Zhang was invited via a private message from the official Weibo account of the film Cry Me a Sad River to play a role in the project. The film is a realistic youth film focusing on the theme of school bullying, in which she portrayed "Gu Senxiang", who meets a tragic end after being bullied. The film won an award at the 4th German-Chinese Film Festival and received significant media attention. On 21 September 2018, the film, directed by Guo Jingming, was nationwide released, marking her lead debut.
2020–present: Breakthrough and rising popularity
In 2020, Zhang made her small screen debut in iQIYI's romantic series Everyone Wants to Meet You, produced by Zhao Wei. The drama explores how emotional healing can emerge when people face their past wounds and learn to trust again, with Luo Xi—played by Zhang—portrayed as a bright, cheerful girl who helps the workaholic Zhang Min.
She starred in Youku's historical romantic comedy Love is All, where she portrayed Tan Lingyin, a writer and government official. The series shows how growth, trust and love are gradually established through misunderstandings and partnership, as two mismatched individuals navigate challenges together beneath a surface of light-hearted humour. In the realistic short film College Entrance Examination 2020, she portrayed as an aspiring student; this aired during the "National Day Gift: Hunan TV's Blue Moon Mid-Autumn Festival".
In December 2020, her fantasy romance film The End of Endless Love exceeded ¥200 million within five days, and the total box office revenue was ¥334 million. In the film, Zhang played Ji Ze, a folk singer struggling with depression who was healed by the character Xin Tang. She performed a song "Diary of Love" alongside Wei Daxun during Hunan TV's "Pinduoduo 12.12 Super Fighting Night".
In 2021, Zhang starred as Liang Nuo in the army-themed series The Glory of Youth, aired on Jiangsu Satellite TV. The series centers on a group of young people enlisting in the army, their gradual understanding of responsibility, sacrifice and collective honour in strict training and mission tests, and finally completes the transformation from ordinary youth to qualified soldiers and the firmness of faith.
She appeared in the emotional youth film My Love, alongside Greg Hsu, she played a character insecure due to a broken family. The film follows a love story that spans many years but has been misplaced, reflecting youth's choices, growth, reality, and the emotional process of learning to let go. My Love premiered across China, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Brunei, North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand and was a commercial success, grossing ¥822 million at the box office.
She starred in the revolutionary historical film The Pioneer, directed by Xu Zhanxiong. In August 2021, she starred in the female-oriented drama Be Yourself, portraying a girl raised in luxury who exhibits "princess syndrome". The series tells the story of four girls starting university and traces their growth and experiences over four years on campus. For this role, she won the Breakthrough Actress of the Year at the first New Horn TV Drama Directors Awards. She also appeared in Youku's emotional inspirational drama Psychologist.
Endorsements
In August 2025, Zhang was appointed as China's ambassador for Givenchy, the French luxury fashion brand. Zhang has been attending Givenchy fashion shows in Paris since March.
In 2019, Maybelline New York appointed Zhang as its ambassador. In the same year, Zhang was introduced as the smile healing ambassador for Amore Pacific's IOPE and Shu Uemura's Brand Colour Friend. She became a brand ambassador for Guming Tea this year.
In 2021, Lola Rose Watch London confirmed Zhang as its new brand ambassador. She was the spokesperson for the Chery eQ1 Ant car. Zhang also appeared in campaigns of Sephora, Lancome, and SkinCeuticals as a brand friend in 2021.
In 2022, Zhang was chosen as the hair care ambassador for Pantene and the Brand Attitude Ambassador for Dove. She collaborated with Dior as a brand friend for the campaigns in 2022. Zhang had been the ambassador for Proya Skincare from 2022 to February 2026.
In 2023, Zhang was confirmed as the spokesperson for the high-end fragrance DearIrean and a shoes brand.
In April 2025, Zhang was selected as the image ambassador for OPPO Find X8 and a brand spokesperson for Junlebao Jianchun Yogurt. In September, Zhang was named a brand ambassador for Gaode Maps (Amap) of AutoNavi, the high-end personal care ABC brand, and Basement FG. In October, Zhang became the ambassador for Realme Mobile Image and launched the Realme GT8 Pro. In November, she participated in the Double 11 Crazy Good Six Nights show for the Tmall platform. Zhang also expanded her local ambassadorship portfolio by partnering with additional brands.
In January 2026, Zhang was announced as a brand ambassador for MLB Korea. In the same month, she presented as the New Year Festival ambassador for JD e-commerce. In March, Helena Rubinstein, a luxury avant-garde skincare brand, announced Zhang as its brand ambassador. That same month, Jeanswest unveiled Zhang as the global brand ambassador. In April, she was chosen as the brand ambassador for Davena watch. Zhang became the ambassador for Tmall 618 in May and Zhuan Zhuan e-commerce platform in July 2026. In August 2026, Zhang expanded her brand endorsement portfolio with a new ambassador appointment.
Influence
Social activities
In May 2019, Zhang joined China Movie Report's "Youth Season Entering Campus", visiting China Agricultural University to promote environmental awareness. In June 2019, she supported the "Yi Hu Bai Xing" campaign, raising awareness of respiratory health and pneumoconiosis.
In May 2020, she joined China Youth Network virtually to promote the use of AI technologies to combat the pandemic, such as managing hospital shifts, security monitoring, and infection tracking.
In 2021, she involved in health advocacy during the COVID-19 pandemic by joining a nationwide charity screening of the documentary Wuhan Days and Nights to raise public awareness of frontline efforts and honour healthcare workers. In the same year, Zhang participated in Lancome's charity project 'Write Her Future" to support female university students' employment and career development.
In 2022, Zhang joined the campaign of the National Fire and Rescue Administration calling for supervision and attention to children's fire safety.
In 2023, Zhang supported relief efforts for the 2023 Jishishan earthquake through the One Foundation. That same year, she participated in “Bird Love Week” activities, visiting Star Wish Park and encouraging people to enjoy nature, raise environmental awareness, protect wildlife, and support ecological conservation.
In 2024, as a public welfare ambassador, she participated in Sina Zhejiang’s "Let Love Come Home" campaign, encouraging people to express their love and reunite with their families. In August, she spoke at a children's nature writing camp organised by the China Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology Organisation and CM Charity Communication, encouraging children to use poetry to protect nature and safeguard the habitats of rare species. Later that year, she participated in China Charity Day events, advocating "Everyone's Charity Day" to promote a sustainable clean water future.
In January 2025, Zhang donated to Tibet earthquake relief. In September, she endorsed the "Nature Protection and Free Growth" charity event in Hunan province, organised by the Changsha Women's and Children's Development Foundation in partnership with the ABC brand.
Media image
In 2024, Zhang ranked 16th on the Top 500 Chinese Youth Brands.
In 2025, she rose to 15th on the list, as announced at the 19th China Brand Festival at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center. 2026 marked Zhang’s third consecutive year appearing on this list.
Zhang has been featured on magazines, such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Elle, Grazia, L'Officiel, InStyle, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, So Figaro, Nylon, OK!, Jalouse, Glass Magazine,
Ellemen New Youth, and Push Push Magazine.
She also appears on the covers and is presented in local magazines, including Ray Li Magazine, NeufMode, iDest Magazine, LifeStyle, Mars Magazine, Bobosnap, V Magazine, and Shang Cheng Shi.