Actress Zhu Yuanyuan died of cancer. Her husband Xin Baiqing released an obituary on May 21, saying: "Yuanyuan left us forever at 11:39 am on May 17, 2025. During the nearly five years of fighting cancer, she did not become pessimistic or depressed, but remained firm and confident in facing difficulties."
Full obituary
Zhu Yuanyuan, born on March 18, 1974 in Qingdao, Shandong Province, is a Chinese actress and a first-class actress of the China National Theatre. She graduated from the undergraduate class of the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama in 1997. Her representative works include "The Happy Life of Poor Mouth Zhang Damin", "Romantic Things", "Tengu", "Send You a Little Red Flower", "My Sister" and other film and television works.
In 1995, Zhu Yuanyuan's first TV series "A Pile of Chicken Feathers" was broadcast.
Stills from "A Place Full of Chicken Feathers"
In 1998, she won the Outstanding Actress Award at the 10th Beijing Television Art Spring Swallow Award and the Audience Favorite Actress Award at the 18th China TV Golden Eagle Award for her role as Li Yunfang in the TV series "The Happy Life of Poor Mouth Zhang Damin".
Stills from "The Happy Life of Poor Mouth Zhang Damin"
In 2004, Zhu Yuanyuan was nominated for the Outstanding Actress Award at the 24th China TV Drama Feitian Awards and the Audience Favorite Actress Award at the 22nd China TV Golden Eagle Awards for her starring role in the TV series "Romantic Things".
In 2005, she starred in the drama "Red Dust" which was performed in Shanghai.
Stage photo of the drama "Red Dust". Photo courtesy of Visual China
In 2006, Zhu Yuanyuan won the Audience Favorite Actress Award at the 23rd China TV Golden Eagle Awards for her role as Chu Qifeng in the TV series "Nine Phoenixes in the Family".
In 2007, she won the Performance Society Award at the 11th China Film Performance Art Society Golden Phoenix Award for her starring role in the movie "Tengu", and was nominated for the Outstanding Actress Award at the 12th China Film Huabiao Awards and the Best Actress Award at the 26th China Film Golden Rooster Awards.
In 2013, Zhu Yuanyuan played the roles of Huang Chun, Yang Jiuhong and Li Xiangxiu in the drama "The Mansion Gate".
In 2016, the TV series "Little Farewell" starring her was broadcast.
In 2021, Zhu Yuanyuan won the Most Media-Focused Supporting Actress Award at the 18th Film Channel Media Awards for her role in the movie "Send You a Little Red Flower".
Stills from "Send You a Little Red Flower"
In the same year, the movie "My Sister" in which she starred was released.
Stills from My Sister
For her outstanding performance in "My Sister", she won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 34th China Film Golden Rooster Awards and the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 36th Popular Film Hundred Flowers Awards.
In December 2021, Zhu Yuanyuan won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 34th China Film Golden Rooster Awards for her role as Aunt An Rongrong in the movie "My Sister".
In 2023, she starred in the film "Ocean Legend" directed by Liu Hongmei. On August 27, 2024, the urban comedy "How Big of a Thing" starring her was broadcast.
On May 1 this year, Zhu Yuanyuan promoted her new drama "City Builder" on social media. This drama, which has not yet been broadcast, has also become her posthumous work.
"The City Builder"
This was also Zhu Yuanyuan's last Weibo post. After the news of her death came out, her fans expressed their condolences under this Weibo post.
Director Tian Qinxin posted a message on WeChat Moments: "Thinking of her voice, her smile, her cleverness, her humor and intelligence, her cheerfulness and confidence."
Liang Guanhua, the actor who played Zhang Damin in "The Happy Life of Poor Mouth Zhang Damin", posted a message of mourning: "Yuanyuan! Rest in peace! Your voice, appearance and smile will be forever in this world. I can't believe it! I can't believe it! I don't want to believe it!"
