Yu Hewei

Yu Hewei (Chinese: 于和伟; born 4 May 1971) is a Chinese actor of Hui ethnicity. He is known for his roles as Liu Bei in Three Kingdoms (2010), Cao Cao in The Advisors Alliance (2017), Shi Qiang in Three-Body (2023), and Chen Duxiu in The Age of Awakening (2021), for which he won the Best Actor award at the 27th Shanghai Television Festival (白玉兰奖).

Early Life and Education

Yu Hewei was born on 4 May 1971 in Fushun, Liaoning, China. After graduating from a preschool music teacher program, he joined the Fushun Drama Troupe. In 1992, he enrolled at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, where he majored in acting, graduating in 1996. He subsequently joined the Nanjing Military Region Frontline Drama Troupe.

Career

Yu made his television debut in 1999 in the historical series Cao Cao, playing the role of Xun Yu. In the early 2000s, he appeared in several television dramas directed by Gao Xixi, including The Grand Mansion Gate 2 (2003) and Historic Sky (2004).

In 2010, Yu gained national recognition for his portrayal of Liu Bei in the historical drama Three Kingdoms, adapted from Luo Guanzhong's classical novel. He later played Qin Shi Huang in King's War (2012).

A major career breakthrough came in 2017 with his performance as Cao Cao in The Advisors Alliance, which earned him the Best Supporting Actor award at the 24th Shanghai Television Festival. That same year, he won the Best Supporting Actor at the 31st Golden Rooster Awards for his role in Feng Xiaogang's film I Am Not Madame Bovary.

In 2021, Yu received widespread acclaim for his portrayal of Chen Duxiu in The Age of Awakening, winning the Best Actor award at the 27th Shanghai Television Festival (白玉兰奖). He also appeared in Zhang Yimou's spy thriller Cliff Walkers (2021), for which he was nominated for Best Actor at the 34th Golden Rooster Awards.

In 2023, Yu starred as Shi Qiang in the science fiction television series Three-Body, an adaptation of Liu Cixin's award-winning novel. He also played the villain Li Zhitian in Zhang Yimou's crime thriller Under the Light (2023).

In 2024, Yu starred in the financial drama City of the City and the crime drama I am a Detective (我是刑警). In 2025, he starred in and served as producer for the television series Silent Honor.

In 2026, Yu won the Tiantan Award for Best Actor at the 16th Beijing International Film Festival for his performance in the film All The Good Eyes (森中有林).

Personal Life

Yu met his wife Song Linjing in 1991 while working at the Fushun Drama Troupe. The couple has a daughter. Yu is a National First-Class Actor (国家一级演员) and serves as Vice Chairman of the Beijing Film Association.

Selected Filmography

Film

• I Am Not Madame Bovary (2016) – Zheng Zhong
• The Founding of an Army (2017) – Chen Duxiu
• Crazy Alien (2019) – Brother Liu
• Cliff Walkers (2021) – Zhou Yi
• Under the Light (2023) – Li Zhitian
• World's Greatest Dad (2023) – Ma Yinbo
• Article 20 (2024) – Wang Jian
• All The Good Eyes (2026) – Lian Jiahai

Television

• Three Kingdoms (2010) – Liu Bei
• The Advisors Alliance (2017) – Cao Cao
• The Age of Awakening (2021) – Chen Duxiu
• Three-Body (2023) – Shi Qiang
• City of the City (2024) – Zhao Hui
• I am a Detective (2024) – Qin Chuan
• Silent Honor (2025) – Wu Shi

Major Awards