Acting career
Zhang entered the entertainment industry after finishing first runner-up in the Malaysian edition of talent-search contest Star Search in 2001. He was previously a model and had done various commercials in Malaysia before joining MediaCorp. He made his small screen debut in the sixth season of popular sitcom, Don't Worry, Be Happy.
After seven years in the industry, Zhang was awarded his first lead role in Happily Ever After . [2] He has since played lead roles in series such as The Greatest Love of All , Your Hand in Mine and several Malaysian co-productions. He has been dubbed by many as the "Chinese Michael Jackson" as he bears a strong resemblance to the late singer.
In the Star Awards 2007, Zhang won the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes award, his first award in his acting career and was also nominated for the Best Actor Award, his first ever nomination in the acting category. [3] Zhang won the Top 10 award once again in 2010. In his speech, he thanked veteran artistes and mentors Huang Wenyong, Huang Biren and Chen Hanwei.
Zhang left MediaCorp in mid-2012 as he chose not to renew his contract with his last work being the 2012 anniversary drama Joys of Life . [2] He planned to further his career in China but did not rule out a possibility of returning to MediaCorp. [4] He signed a new contract with Mediacorp in 2015 [2] and has since starred in Mind Game as well as long-running drama Life - Fear Not .
Zhang has won 6 Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes in 2007, 2011–2013, 2016 and 2024 respectively.
In 2025, after revealing he had two daughters, Zhang was not longer employed by Mediacorp. [5] Zhang was nominated for Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes for the 2025 Star Awards despite leaving Mediacorp and had no media presence. [6] However, as he had performed in an eligible programme within the qualifying period (2024), he remained a valid nominee for public voting categories. [6]
Business career
Zhang with fellow Mediacorp actor, Terence Cao, opened a stall, Restoran Selayang, selling roast meat in SIngapore. Zhang also opened a Taiwanese beef noodles restaurant, Niu Taste, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [7] Both had since closed down. [7] In 2017, Zhang with three other partners, two of whom are Vietnamese, opened a Japanese-Vietnamese fusion restaurant, Maru, in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore. The restaurant had since been closed also. [8]
In 2019, Zhang in an interview, said he had pulled out of all his eateries due to his busy filming commitment. [9]
In 2025, Zhang owned a seafood zi char stall l in a Tampines Industrial Park coffee shop. [8]
