Zhou Yun

Zhou was born in a merchant family in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, she was raised by her grandmother. At the age of 15, Zhou attended the Miss Wenzhou pageant and won the competition. Zhou graduated from Central Academy of Drama, where she majored in acting.

Zhou's first film role was uncredited appearance in the film Love Season (2000).

In 2003, Zhou had a cameo appearance in Warriors of Heaven and Earth - an action film starring Zhao Wei, Jiang Wen and Kiichi Nakai - where she played the role of the male Buddhist monk. She shaved her head for the role. She would later marry its star, Jiang Wen.

In 2007, Zhou appeared in The Sun Also Rises, a Chinese film directed, produced and co-written by Jiang Wen starring Joan Chen, Anthony Wong, Jaycee Chan, and Jiang Wen.

In 2009, Zhou participated as A Chun in Bodyguards and Assassins, which grossed over US$5,837,674 on a budget of only US$23 million.

After playing minor roles in various films and television series, Zhou received her first leading role in a series called Golden Marriage 2, for which she received nominations at the 6th Huading Awards and won Best Actress Award at the Asia Rainbow TV Awards. That same year, Zhou co-starred with Chow Yun-fat and Jiang Wen in the 2008 film Let the Bullets Fly as Hua Jie.[6][7] She received positive reviews.

In 2014, two films she headlined Gone with the Bullets and The Assassin.[8][9]