Xiao Zhan Profile: Age, Family, Career & Unknown Facts

📝 Profile Summary / Career Journey

Since his participation in X-Fire in 2015, Xiao Zhan has continuously expanded his artistic horizons. Starting as a member of the group X Nine, he gradually explored various fields, from music to acting. A major turning point came when Xiao Zhan took on the role of Wei Wuxian in The Untamed (2019), a drama that reached over 10 billion views by the end of 2021.

Overcoming early career challenges, Xiao Zhan faced a major public backlash in 2020 due to the AO3 controversy, when his fans’ mass reporting of a fan fiction work led to the ban of Archive of Our Own in China and widespread boycotts against him (The Straits Times, 2024), resulting in a temporary decline in public favor. However, he demonstrated remarkable resilience by releasing “Spotlight” (2020)-a record-breaking single that sold over 54 million copies and set multiple Guinness World Records-and, through his versatility and professionalism, gradually rebuilt his reputation and reestablished his standing in the industry.

Artistic Identity & Performance Style

Whenever he appears on stage or screen, Xiao Zhan demonstrates a serious commitment to every role. In The Untamed, he transformed into Wei Wuxian with a wide range of emotions, from playful to tragic, creating a vivid and deeply layered character. In performances such as “Running to You with All I Have” on Actors, Please Stand By or “The Luckiest Fortune” at the Tencent Video All Star Awards 2020, he captivated audiences with his expressive vocals and natural stage presence. Xiao Zhan always maintains a friendly demeanor, frequently shares about his work process, thanks his fans, and builds a positive, inspiring image for his fan community.

Script Selection Style

The projects Xiao Zhan chooses always reflect careful consideration of character depth and content value. He has ventured into the xianxia genre with The Untamed, historical dramas like Joy of Life and Jade Dynasty, modern dramas such as The Oath of Love, and even stage plays like A Dream Like A Dream (2021). His roles often involve journeys of growth, inner struggles, or convey positive messages, such as Dr. Gu Wei in The Oath of Love-a character model close to real life. Xiao Zhan’s criteria for choosing roles do not follow trends but focus on challenging himself, prioritizing sustainable development and artistic quality.

Fashion Style & Image

Participating in numerous campaigns for major brands such as Gucci, Tod’s, Zenith, Estée Lauder, Audi, NARS, L’Oréal PRO, Yves Saint Laurent, and Pepsi, Xiao Zhan has become a new-generation fashion icon. The 2023 campaign with Tod’s alone brought in over $19.8 million in media value (Jing Daily, 2024). His personal fashion style leans toward minimalism and elegance while remaining youthful, often appearing in leather jackets, ripped jeans, or classic suits. Promotional posts like Gucci Ancora on Weibo consistently garner millions of interactions, demonstrating his strong influence in the field.

Strengths & Artistic Style

• Expressive Vocals: OSTs such as “Song Ends with Chen Qing” and “The Luckiest Fortune” have affirmed Xiao Zhan’s position as a capable singer.
• Dance Ability: Although not the main dancer, he continually practices and performs well in both group and solo stages.
• Versatile Acting: From historical to modern roles, film to theater, Xiao Zhan consistently receives positive reviews from critics.
• Multi-talented & Charismatic: Besides singing and acting, Xiao Zhan is skilled in painting and photography; he once co-founded a graphic and photography studio with friends and was the lead designer before establishing XZ Studio to manage his artistic career.
• Stage Presence: Every appearance, especially as Wei Wuxian in The Untamed, showcases his confidence and poise, giving audiences and partners a sense of assurance.

Fun Facts / Trivia

• Nicknames “Zhan Zhan” and “Rabbit Xiao” are associated with his rabbit-like teeth and gentle personality.
• He is passionate about Chongqing hotpot, particularly enjoys sliced fish, tripe, and beef.
• Once opened a photography studio with university friends, loves taking photos and collecting phone cases.
• Drawing helps him relieve stress; he once dreamed of being a painter or owning a bakery.
• A cat lover, currently has a pet cat, and has expressed a desire to own a Shiba Inu.
• Fans call him a “walking bread” because he loves trying different kinds of bread and is skilled at cooking, especially Sichuan cuisine.
• Enjoys horror movies, sunbathing on the balcony, and is a true movie buff.
• Won singing awards in college, plays violin, guitar, harmonica, speaks English, and knows some Korean.
• Frequently changes phone cases, loves collecting memes, and admits he isn’t good at expressing affection verbally.
• An introvert who prefers staying home and avoids crowds, but is always hardworking and maintains a humble attitude.

Notable Quotes

“For every single thing, if you want to do it, you do your best for it.”
“If you have the time to discuss, why not just do it?”

Family & Personal Life

Born into a middle-class family in Chongqing, Xiao Zhan is an only child. His father works for Changan Suzuki, and his mother is a homemaker. He currently lives in Beijing, is unmarried, and has no children. He once shared about his first love in college and hopes for a gentle, family-oriented partner.

Career Milestones

• 2015: Participated in X-Fire, made the top 16, and debuted with X Nine.
• 2019: His role as Wei Wuxian in The Untamed elevated him to A-list status; the drama surpassed 10 billion views.
• 2020: “Spotlight” set a Guinness World Record for digital single sales and ranked in the global top 10.
• 2021: Starred in the stage play A Dream Like A Dream, expanding his artistic range.
• 2022: Played Gu Wei in The Oath of Love, earning multiple major awards.
• 2023: Won Outstanding Young Actor at the Chinese-American Film & TV Festival for The Youth Memories.
• 2024: Released his debut solo album “Us” with 10 tracks, marking a new milestone in his music career.

A special highlight is the establishment of XZ Studio in 2019, allowing Xiao Zhan to manage his career independently and shape the model of an independent artist.

Notable Songs / Films

Song List

Music	Year	Streams/Sales (Wikipedia)
Spotlight (光点)	2020	54 million sold
Song Ends with Chen Qing (曲尽陈情)	2019	OST The Untamed, Top 10 drama OSTs
Unrestrained (无羁)	2019	OST The Untamed, millions of streams
Remaining Years (余年)	2019	OST Joy of Life, Top 10 drama OSTs
Righteous Youth on Horseback (策马正少年)	2021	OST Douluo Continent
The Luckiest Fortune (最幸运的幸运)	2022	OST The Oath of Love
Made to Love (Spotlight, iTunes)	2022	Top 2 Worldwide iTunes Song Chart
Us (album)	2024	10 tracks, sales not yet announced

Film List

Film/Drama	Year	Role	Rating (MyDramaList)
The Untamed (陈情令)	2019	Wei Wuxian	9.0/10
Jade Dynasty (诛仙)	2019	Zhang Xiaofan	400 million RMB box office
Joy of Life (庆余年)	2019	Yan Bingyun	8.0/10
The Wolf (狼殿下)	2020	Ji Chong	1 billion views
Douluo Continent (斗罗大陆)	2021	Tang San	7.5/10
The Oath of Love (余生，请多指教)	2022	Gu Wei	8.0/10
A Dream Like A Dream (如梦之梦, play)	2021	Patient No.5	Positive reviews
The Youth Memories (梦中的那片海)	2023	Xiao Chunsheng	Outstanding Young Actor
Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants	2025	Guo Jing	Updating

Awards & Achievements

• Guinness World Record: “Spotlight” – fastest-selling digital track & best-selling digital single in China, global top 10 in 2020.
• Most Popular Actor at Golden Tower Award and Sina Film & TV Awards for Wei Wuxian (The Untamed).
• Forbes China “30 Under 30 Asia 2019”: Honoring Asia’s most outstanding young talents.
• Outstanding Young Actor at the Chinese-American Film & TV Festival 2023 (The Youth Memories).
• Global Actor of the Year 2021 (Nubia Magazine): Voted from 91 countries.
• TCC Asia’s Most Handsome Faces 2019: Topped Asia’s beauty rankings.
• Weibo King 2019: The most influential artist on Weibo.

Agency & Partnerships

Currently, Xiao Zhan operates under the management of XZ Studio (which he founded) and collaborates with Wajijiwa Entertainment. He is a brand ambassador for major companies such as Gucci, Tod’s, Zenith, Estée Lauder, Audi, NARS, L’Oréal PRO, Yves Saint Laurent, and Pepsi, directly contributing to sales growth and brand value for these partners.