Zhang Tielin (born 15 June 1957) is a Chinese-British actor and film director. He is best known for portraying the Qianlong Emperor in the first two seasons of My Fair Princess and in the four seasons of The Eloquent Ji Xiaolan.
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Early life and education
Zhang was born in Tangshan, China and grew up in Weinan. In 1973, he was sent to Lintong District, Xi'an to perform agricultural labour as part of the Chinese government's Down to the Countryside Movement. Three years later, he became a construction worker in Xi'an.
In 1978, Zhang enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and graduated in 1982, after which he worked in the television station Tianjin Television. In 1984, Zhang made his debut in the films The Burning of Imperial Palace, Reign Behind a Curtain and Under the Bridge, of which the third one propelled him to fame.
Career
In 1987, Zhang went to England to further his studies at the British Film Institute and he graduated in 1990. He became a British citizen in 1997. In the early 1990s, Zhang went to Hong Kong to expand his career and signed a contract with film producer Tsui Hark, working together with Tsui on the Once Upon a Time in China film series. He joined the Hong Kong television network Phoenix Television in 1996 and worked there briefly before returning to the Chinese entertainment industry. His portrayal of the Qianlong Emperor in the first two seasons of the television series My Fair Princess boosted his fame. Zhang starred together with actors Wang Gang and Zhang Guoli in many television series and they are collectively known as the "Iron Triangle" in the Chinese entertainment industry.
In 2007, Zhang became the dean of the art school of Jinan University in Guangzhou.
Personal life
In 1987, Zhang met a Polish girl while studying at the British Film Institute. In September 1991, she gave birth to a daughter on the Mid-Autumn Festival and Zhang named her daughter "Zhang Yueliang" (张月亮).
