Sun Li (Chinese: 孙俪, born 26 September 1982),[1] also known as Susan Sun,[note 1] is a Chinese actress. In 2018, she became the youngest Chinese actress to win the TV "Grand Slam", after winning the three biggest television awards, the Flying Apsaras Awards, Golden Eagle Awards and the Magnolia Awards.[2][3]
Career
Sun first entered show business by participating in 2001's Star Search, held by Singapore's MediaCorp.[4] She reached the finals and earned the praise of judge Andy Lau. Following the competition, Sun joined Hairun Media as their first flagship artist.
In 2003, author and TV producer Hai Yan selected her for the female lead in the television series Goddess of Mercy.[5] Sun received overwhelmingly positive feedback from audiences for her portrayal of An Xin, and rose to fame in China as one of the most promising young actresses.[citation needed]
Sun starred in Gordon Chan's horror-adventure film Painted Skin (2008), and was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance as a young and inexperienced demon hunter at numerous award ceremonies.[9] The same year, she starred in Gao Xixi's military-romance drama Tian Mi Mi. The series was chosen by the Chinese Radio & Television Association as one of the Top Ten television series of the year.
Sun then starred in Iron Road (2009), the second joint venture created under Canada/China co-production treaty established in the 1960s.[10] She plays a poor Chinese girl in search of her father who works at a railroad in North America, and challenged speaking in English for the film. For her performance, Sun was
crowned Best Actress at the 2nd Roma FictionFest and the 25th Gemini Awards.[11][12] The same year, Sun played the title character in the television series, Auntie Duohe, based on the novel of the same name by acclaimed writer Geling Yan.[13]
Sun gained widespread recognition by playing Zhen Huan in the critically acclaimed historical drama, Empresses in the Palace. She was nominated for an International Emmy Award in the Best Actress category for her role.[14] Praised for being one of the best historical dramas in China, the series garnered high ratings throughout its run and also sparked trends in dialogue quotes and plastic surgery.[15] The same year, she reunited with Painted Skin director Gordan Chan in Mural (also known as Painted Skin 2).[16] She also starred in martial arts film The Lost Bladesman alongside Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen.[17]
In 2017, Sun played the lead character in the period drama Nothing Gold Can Stay, based on a real-life story of Zhou Ying, a budding businesswoman who takes on the responsibilities from her dead husband and starts rebuilding their business empire from scratch.[25][26] For her performance in the role, Sun was awarded the Outstanding Actress award at the Flying Apsaras Awards.[27]
In 2018, Sun starred in Zhang Yimou's historical film, Shadow as the female lead. She was nominated in the Best Actress category at the Golden Horse Awards for her performance.[28]
Sun and actor Deng Chao registered their marriage in 2010 and held an official wedding ceremony in 2011 when she was five months pregnant. They have two children, a son named Deng Han Zhi (born in November 2011) and a daughter named Deng Han Yi (born in May 2014).[30]
She has a half sister, Sun Yan, who is also an actress. Her sister is 19 years younger than Sun Li.[31]
^Geng Lingbo (耿凌波); Wu Jingjing (吴净净) (2022). 孙俪:爱是我最大的宝座 [Sun Li: love is my greatest throne]. Modern Youth (in Chinese). 469. Haikou, Hainan: Modern Youth Press: 12–15. ISSN1004-2555.
^"邓超孙俪《影》飙戏引期待-新华网" [Deng Chaosun Li's "Shadow" is expected - Xinhuanet.com]. m.xinhuanet.com (in Chinese). 5 June 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
^"《我和我的家乡》之《回乡之路》阵容官宣" [The "Road Back Home" lineup of "Me and My Hometown" was announced]. m.yunnan.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 29 April 2024.
^"《中国乒乓》在京首映 邓超、孙俪分享再次合作感受" ["Chinese Ping-pong" premiered in Beijing, Deng Chao and Sun Li shared the feeling of cooperation again]. m.chinanews.com (in Chinese). 19 January 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
^"孙俪主演《后宫·甄嬛传》" [Sun Li stars in Legend of Zhen Huan]. m.bjnews.com.cn (in Chinese). 7 July 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
^"《辣妈正传》开播 孙俪火辣登场展现疯狂_浙江卫视官网" ["Hot Mom is True Story" premiere Sun Li hot debut show crazy _ Zhejiang TV official website]. m.zjstv.com (in Chinese). 14 September 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
^"《那年花开月正圆》孙俪脾气火爆"怼"遍全组-新华网" ["That year blooming moon is round" Sun Li temper hot "against" all over the group - Xinhua Net]. m.news.cn (in Chinese). 25 August 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
^"聊《安家》 孙俪"抖搂"了自己的拍戏经" [Talk about "Home" Sun Li "shake" their own shooting classics]. m.chinanews.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 29 April 2024.
^"抗疫剧《在一起》扩展到10个单元,孙俪、邓伦、张嘉译新鲜加盟" [The anti-epidemic drama "Together" has been expanded to 10 units, with Sun Li, Deng Lun and Zhang Jiayi joining fresh]. www.163.com (in Chinese). 15 June 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
^"热依扎获第33届飞天奖优秀女演员奖" [Reyizha won the Outstanding Actress Award at the 33rd Feitian Awards]. China News. 1 November 2022. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022.
^"第28届白玉兰奖提名揭晓, 张译朱一龙赵丽颖等入围" [Nominations for the 28th Magnolia Awards announced, Zhang Yi, Zhu Yilong, Zhao Liying and others are shortlisted]. DianYingJie. 27 May 2023. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
In 2010, the list started to include Chinese celebrities born in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other countries. Prior to that it only included celebrities born in mainland China.