2013–present: Breakthrough in China, Theater debut and continued success
Joe rose to mainstream popularity in China after starring in the Chinese wuxia drama Swordsman, adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. She portrayed the anti-heroine Dongfang Bubai. Though there were initial doubts to her characters (as Dongfang Bubai is a male in the original novel), Joe later won the hearts of the audience through her complex and rich portrayal of her character. Joe experienced a rise in popularity, and won the Most Popular Actress award at the 5th China TV Drama Awards.
The same year, Joe made her debut in musical theater, starring as the female lead in The Woman on the Breadfruit Tree, based on Amy Cheung's novel of the same name. She was nominated as Best New Actress at the 4th One Drama Presentation for her performance.
In 2014, Joe starred in The Monkey King, portraying Princess Iron Fan. The film was a huge commercial success, grossing US$180 million internationally. She also featured in the road-trip comedy film The Continent, directed by Han Han.
In 2015, Joe starred in her first period drama, Cruel Romance alongside Huang Xiaoming. Cruel Romance achieved high ratings and was extremely popular during its run.
Joe won the Best Actress in the Modern drama award at the 17th Huading Awards for her performance. Joe then starred in another period drama, Destined to Love You, written by Tong Hua. The same year, Joe returned to theater and reprised her role in The Woman on the Breadfruit Tree. She received acclaim for her performance, and was awarded Best Actress at the 4th Denny Awards. She also made a cameo appearance in the popular youth film, Our Times as the adult version of the female protagonist.
In 2016, Joe paired up with Wang Kai for modern romance drama Stay with Me, which she co-produced. She co-starred with Jin Dong in the web drama Candle in the Tomb, adapted from the novel Ghost Blows Out the Light. Candle in the Tomb was a critical success, and received acclaim for its performance and faithful adaptation.
In 2017, Joe starred alongside Tong Dawei in the romance comedy drama Love Actually, which topped ratings and trending topics during its run. She subsequently returned to the big screen with two films – action comedy Big Brother alongside Donnie Yen and romance film Let's Cheat Together where she played the role of a mistress alongside frequent co-star Ming Dao.
In 2019, Joe starred alongside Chen Xiao in the historical television series Queen Dugu, playing the role of Dugu Qieluo. The same year, she was cast as Di Wu, a pilot in the aviation TV series New Horizon. However, due to the influence of COVID-19, New Horizon finally released on 27 May 2021 on iQiyi, Youku, and Tencent.
