Acting

Zhao Benshan plays a role in Zhang Yimou's movie "You hua hao hao shuo" (Keep Cool).

In 1982, Zhao started to appear in opera-themed TV series. In 1987, he acted in his first movie, "Bie jiao wo ba li" (Don't Kid Me).

In 1990s, Zhao's immense popularity pushed his acting career to another height. He played roles in Zhang Yimou's movie, "You hua hao hao shuo" (Keep Cool). He also appeared in Chen Kaige's epic "Jing Ke ci Qin Wang" (The Assassin).

In 2000, he played the leading role in Zhang Yimou's "Xingfu shiguang" (Happy Times). In 2009, he got a cameo role in Zhang's blockbuster "San qiang pai an jing qi" (A Simple Noodle Story).

Zhao Benshan stars in the movie "Luo ye gui gen" (Getting Home).

In 2010, Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai offered Zhao a part in his upcoming movie about kung fu master Ip Man, "The Grand Master."

During promotion of "San qiang pai an jing qi" in January 2010, Zhao said he planned to direct his first movie with Wong Kar Wai as the producer. The movie will be about errenzhuan.

It is Zhao's works about rural life which have captivated a massive audience. In 1998, he played the leading role in "Nan fu nu zhu ren" (Male Sorority Director), a comedy about the rural society. This role earned his the best leading actor prizes at Huabiao Film Awards and Hundred Flower Awards for Public, two of China's major film awards.

In 2007, Zhao was nominated for the Best Actor Awards at the 2007 Golden Horse Awards, also known as Chinese Oscars for his role in the movie "Luo ye gui gen" (Getting Home). Unfortunately, he lost to Tony Leung Chiu-Wai for his work in "Lust, Caution."

A poster of the TV series "Liu Laogen"

Zhao's TV series of the same kind were mostly hits. In 2001, he made his directorial debut in the TV series "Liu Laogen," which he also starred in and produced. It was an instant success on CCTV. Later he and his collaborators made more TV series on the same subjects such as "Ma Dashuai," "Xiang cun ai qing" (Love Stories in the Countryside) and their sequels.