Yang Zi, also known as Andy Yang, is a Chinese actress. She is regarded as one of the "Four Dan Actresses of the post-90s Generation", along with Zheng Shuang, Zhou Dongyu and Guan Xiaotong. Yang is noted for her roles in Home with Kids, Battle of Changsha, Ode to Joy, Noble Aspirations, Ashes of Love and Go Go Squid!. Yang ranked 73rd on ForbesChina Celebrity 100 list in 2017, and 21st in 2019.
In 1999, Yang made her acting debut in Ru Ci Chu Shan, playing Zhou Qiong. In 2002, Yang had a minor role as little Consort Donggo in Xiaozhuang Epic. In 2003, Yang made her big-screen debut in the youth romance film Girl's Diary, for which she received a Best Young actor nomination at the Tongniu Film Awards. In 2005, Yang rose to prominence for playing Xia Xue in the popular Chinese sitcom Home with Kids. The series reached number one in ratings when it aired in China, and won the Outstanding Television Series award at the Flying Apsaras Awards and the Golden Eagle Awards. Yang reprised her role as Xia Xue in the sequel Home with Kids 2, though not in the subsequent installments. Yang released her first solo album titled Home with Snow, which is a named after her character's name in Home with Kids in 2008.
2009–2013: Transition to teenage roles
In 2009, Yang played her first leading role in the youth romance dramaGirl Rushes Forward. She also performed the voice dub for the animation film Mo's Mischief: Teacher's Pet. In 2011, she starred in family drama Love Comes Knocking on the Door, based on the novel Stepmother by Geling Yan. Her role as a rebellious teenager allowed her to successfully shed her image of a "child star". In 2012, Yang starred in the medical dramaAngel Heart, portraying a kind-hearted nurse. The same year she starred in the horror mystery filmInsisrence, and won the Best Newcomer Award at the Golden Phoenix Awards. In 2013, Yang starred in romance drama Flowers in Fog, written by acclaimed writer Chiung Yao. The same year she played the lead role in the period comedy dramaKing Rouge. In 2014, Yang starred in her first war drama Battle of Changsha, directed by Magnolia Award-winner Kong Sheng. The series was voted Best Drama of 2014 in major streaming website Douban after being broadcast on CCTV-8 beginning mid-July 2014. In 2015, Yang starred in period drama Yangko Dance, which received positive reviews and topped television ratings. The same year, she co-starred in the horror mystery web series The Ferryman.
2016–present: Rising popularity and breakthrough
In 2016, Yang starred in the metropolitan romance drama Ode to Joy, which depicts the stories of five young women who comes from different social and educational backgrounds, but share a common goal. The series received critical acclaim and commercial success, and Yang gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of Qiu Yingying, a simple-minded girl from a small town. Yang was nominated for the Best Actress award at the China TV Golden Eagle Award for her performance. She then portrayed Lu Xueqi, one of the two female protagonists in the television series adaption of the Xianxia novelZhu Xian. The drama was a commercial success and accumulated 23 billion views online, the highest record held by a Chinese drama at that time. Yang gained wider popularity as a result, and was nominated at the 22nd Huading Awards as Best Actress in the ancient drama category for her performance. The same year, she co-starred with Oho Ou and Zhang Huiwen in Crying Out in Love, a film based on the romance novel Socrates in Love by Japanese novelist Kyoichi Katayama. She reprised her role as Qiu Yingying in the second installment of Ode to Joy in 2017; and also starred in the historical romance comedy drama Legend of Dragon Pearl. In 2018, Yang starred in the fantasy romance drama Ashes of Love, playing an innocent and lively fairy maiden. The series is a commercial success, topping both television and web ratings; and received positive reviews. Yang received acclaim for her acting, and experienced a new high in popularity. The same year, Yang starred in The Destiny of White Snake, a fantasy romance drama based on the renowned Chinese folktale. Yang's portrayal of the innocent and naive snake spirit; as well as her voice-dub for the character, received positive reviews. Forbes China listed Yang under their 30 Under 30 Asia 2017 list which consisted of 30 influential people under 30 years old who have had a substantial effect in their fields. In 2019, Yang starred in the romantic comedy drama Go Go Squid!, playing a talented computer major who is also a popular online singer. The drama topped television ratings in it timeslot, and has been streamed more than 9.6 million times, and was praised for its transmitting positive and uplifting messages such as the pursuit of dreams as well as patriotism. The success of Go Go Squid reaffirmed Yang's popularity. The same year, Yang featured in the disaster filmThe Bravest as the wife of a firefighter, and won the Most Popular Supporting Actress award 16th Guangzhou Student Film Festival. She then starred in the crime suspense film Bodies at Rest playing a forensics scientist, and romance environmental drama My Mowgli Boy where she played a marketing executive. Yang was awarded the iQiyi Goddess Award at the iQiyi All-Star Carnival, and Weibo Queen at the Weibo Awards Ceremony. In 2020, Yang is set to star in the romance drama The Oath of Love, playing a violinist. She is also set to star in the historical mystery drama The Golden Hairpin as a detective.
