Zhao Jinmai


Zhao Jinmai is a Chinese actress. She is known for her role in the films Balala the Fairies franchise, and The Wandering Earth; in the series Growing Pain, A Little Thing Called First Love, Reset, The Princess Royal, Amidst a Snowstorm of Love, Drifting Away and Shine on Me. In 2019, Forbes China listed Zhao under "30 Under 30 Asia" category, for her professional contributions.

Early life and education

Zhao was born in Shenyang, Liaoning, China on 29 September 2002. Her father is a chemistry teacher. She maintained strong academics while working as a child actress.
In 2020, Zhao was admitted to the Central Academy of Drama, ranking first in the Department of Acting, and graduated in 2024.

Career

2010–2021: Early roles and transition to lead roles

In 2010, Zhao started her acting career as a child actress. She appeared in several television series and films, including the fantasy children’s film Balala the Fairies. In 2016, she appeared in the urban family drama A Love for Separation, which gained popularity and increased her recognition. In 2017, she starred in the modern drama My! Physical Education Teacher; and in 2018, in the comedy film Go Brother! adapted from Chinese manhua Please Take My Brother Away!.
In 2019, Zhao starred as "Han Duoduo" in the sci-fi film The Wandering Earth, adapted from Liu Cixin's novel; one of China's highest-grossing films that brought her wider recognition. She further gained recognition in the family drama Growing Pain. She as lead starred in the romance drama A Little Thing Called First Love.

2022–present: Rising popularity

In 2022, Zhao starred as "Li Shiqing" in Reset, a time loop series. It exceeded 1.8B views, and achieved 30,000 popularity index on Tencent Video. In 2024, her historical series The Princess Royal and the sports romantic drama Amidst a Snowstorm of Love were commercially successful. In 2025, her crime suspense drama Drifting Away was critically acclaimed, and exceeded 10,000 popularity index on iQIYI.