Yuan Li (Chinese: 袁立; pinyin: Yuán Lì; born 12 July 1973) is a Chinese actress and philanthropist.[1][2]
Yuan rose to fame for her role in the television drama Never Close Eyes (1998), for which she won the Supporting Actress at the 18th Golden Eagle Awards. She starred in the four seasons of television series The Eloquent Ji Xiaolan (2002–2008) and won the Best Supporting Actress at the 20th Hundred Flowers Awards for her performance in the film Pure Sentiment (2002).
Since 2011, Yuan has shifted her focus to charitable work, including establishing the Yuan Li Foundation for pneumoconiosis patients—a sensitive topic in China due to its link to government negligence regarding workers’ rights. She converted to Christianity around 2013[3]. Following years of increasingly outspoken views on social issues, religion, and the COVID-19 pandemic, her Weibo account was suspended in 2020, effectively blacklisting her in China. In 2021, her Twitter account was suspended after she expressed support for Donald Trump while attacking Joe Biden and his family[4]
Yuan had her first experience in front of the camera in 1996, and she was chosen to act as a support actor in History of Han Dynasty, a film starring Zhang Tielin.
After playing minor roles in various films and television series, Yuan rose to fame after portraying Ouyang Lanlan in the television series Never Close Eyes, alongside Lu Yi, she won the "Best Supporting Actress" at the 18th China Golden Eagle Awards.
In 1993, Yuan met businessman Xu Wei (徐威), with whom she had a 12-year relationship until 2005. They had a rumored son born in the late 1990s, but they never confirmed.[6][7]
Yuan married her first husband Zhao Ling (赵岭), a Chinese actor, on September 9, 2005. They divorced in 2007.[6]
