# Sun Li (actress)

Sun Li (Chinese: 孙俪, born 26 September 1982), also known as Susan Sun, is a Chinese actress. In 2018, she became the youngest Chinese actress to win the TV "Grand Slam", after winning the three biggest television awards, the Flying Apsaras Awards, Golden Eagle Awards and the Magnolia Awards.

## Career

Sun first entered show business by participating in 2001's Star Search, held by Singapore's MediaCorp. She reached the finals and earned the praise of judge Andy Lau. Following the competition, Sun joined Hairun Media as their first flagship artist.
In 2003, author and TV producer Hai Yan selected her for the female lead in the television series Goddess of Mercy. Sun received overwhelmingly positive feedback from audiences for her portrayal of An Xin, and rose to fame in China as one of the most promising young actresses.
In 2006, Sun won the Best Newcomer award at the 28th Hundred Flowers Awards for her performance in Huo Yuanjia co-starring Jet Li. She then starred alongside Huang Xiaoming in Shanghai Bund (2007), a mainland remake of the 1980 television series The Bund.
Sun starred in Gordon Chan's horror-adventure film Painted Skin (2008), and was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance as a young and inexperienced demon hunter at numerous award ceremonies. The same year, she starred in Gao Xixi's military-romance drama Tian Mi Mi. The series was chosen by the Chinese Radio & Television Association as one of the Top Ten television series of the year.
Sun then starred in Iron Road (2009), the second joint venture created under Canada/China co-production treaty established in the 1960s. She plays a poor Chinese girl in search of her father who works at a railroad in North America, and challenged speaking in English for the film. For her performance, Sun was crowned Best Actress at the 2nd Roma FictionFest and the 25th Gemini Awards. The same year, Sun played the title character in the television series, Auntie Duohe, based on the novel of the same name by acclaimed writer Geling Yan.
Sun gained widespread recognition by playing Zhen Huan in the critically acclaimed historical drama, Empresses in the Palace. She was nominated for an International Emmy Award in the Best Actress category for her role. Praised for being one of the best historical dramas in China, the series garnered high ratings throughout its run and also sparked trends in dialogue quotes and plastic surgery. The same year, she reunited with Painted Skin director Gordan Chan in Mural (also known as Painted Skin 2). She also starred in martial arts film The Lost Bladesman alongside Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen.
For her role as an independent mother in Hot Mom! (2013), Sun won the Best Actress award at the 20th Shanghai Television Festival. She also won the Most Popular Actress award at the 10th China Golden Eagle TV Arts Festival.
In 2015, Sun played Queen Dowager Xuan, the first stateswoman in China, in historical drama The Legend of Mi Yue. The series was a commercial success, and recorded the highest ratings of the year. Sun won her second Best Actress trophy at the 22nd Shanghai Television Festival. The same year, Sun challenged her first comedy role in Devil and Angel, directed by her husband Deng Chao.
In 2017, Sun played the lead character in the period drama Nothing Gold Can Stay, based on a real-life story of Zhou Ying, a budding businesswoman who takes on the responsibilities from her dead husband and starts rebuilding their business empire from scratch. For her performance in the role, Sun was awarded the Outstanding Actress award at the Flying Apsaras Awards.
In 2018, Sun starred in Zhang Yimou's historical film, Shadow as the female lead. She was nominated in the Best Actress category at the Golden Horse Awards for her performance.
In 2019, Sun was cast in the drama I Will Find You a Better Home as a star property agent, and was nominated for the Best Actress award at the Shanghai Television Festival.

## Personal life

Sun and actor Deng Chao registered their marriage in 2010 and held an official wedding ceremony in 2011 when she was five months pregnant. They have two children, a son named Deng Han Zhi (born in November 2011) and a daughter named Deng Han Yi (born in May 2014).
She has a half sister, Sun Yan, who is also an actress. Her sister is 19 years younger than Sun Li.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | English Title | Chinese Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | Fearless | 霍元甲 | Yue Ci (Moon) | |
| 2008 | Painted Skin | 画皮 | Xia Bing | |
| 2009 | Iron Road | 金山 | Little Tiger | |
| 2009 | Kung Fu Cyborg | 机器侠 | Zhou Sumei | |
| 2010 | Just Another Pandora's Box | 月光宝盒 | Rose | |
| 2011 | The Lost Bladesman | 关云长 | Qilan | |
| 2011 | Mural | 画壁 | Shao Yao | |
| 2014 | Just Another Margin | 大话天仙 | Jin Ling | |
| 2014 | The Breakup Guru | 分手大师 | Herself | Cameo |
| 2015 | Devil and Angel | 恶棍天使 | Zha Xiaodao | |
| 2018 | Shadow | 影 | Xiao'ai | |
| 2020 | My People My Homeland | 我和我的家乡 | Stewardess | |
| 2023 | Ping Pong: The Triumph | 中国乒乓之绝地反击 | Wang Ying | |

### Television series

| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role |
| 2001 | Romance in the Rain | 情深深雨蒙蒙 | Dancer |
| 2003 | Goddess of Mercy | 玉观音 | An Xin |
| 2003 | Yi Shuang Xiu Hua Xie | 一双绣花鞋 | Lin Ying |
| 2004 | A Ray of Sunshine | 一米阳光 | Yi Aiyuan/Yi Chuanxia |
| 2004 | Hong Fen Shi Jia | 红粉世家 | Yao Zhi |
| 2004 | Crimson Romance | 血色浪漫 | Zhou Xiaobai |
| 2005 | Feng Yu Xi Guan | 风雨西关 | Xie Tianhui |
| 2005 | Days and a Bureau | 天和局 | Zhu Wanqiu |
| 2005 | Happiness as Flowers | 幸福像花儿一样 | Du Juan |
| 2005 | Emerald on the Roof | 屋顶上的绿宝石 | Mo Jiaqi |
| 2007 | Shanghai Bund | 新上海滩 | Feng Chengcheng |
| 2007 | Yi Shi Qing Yuan | 一世情缘 | Ji Wen |
| 2008 | Tian Mi Mi | 甜蜜蜜 | Ye Qing |
| 2009 | Auntie Duohe | 小姨多鹤 | Duo He |
| 2011 | The Legend of Zhen Huan | 甄嬛传 | Zhen Huan |
| 2013 | Hot Mom! | 辣妈正传 | Xia Bing |
| 2015 | The Legend of Mi Yue | 芈月传 | Mi Yue |
| 2017 | Nothing Gold Can Stay | 那年花开月正圆 | Zhou Ying |
| 2020 | I Will Find You a Better Home | 安家 | Fang Sijin |
| 2020 | Together | 在一起 | Fang Zhuren |
| 2021 | Medal of the Republic | 功勋 | Wei Suping |
| 2021 | The Ideal City | 理想之城 | Su Xiao |

## Discography
### Albums

| Year | English title | Chinese title | Language |
| 2006 | Love is like the Air | 爱如空气 | Mandarin |
| 2008 | A Little Dream | 小小的梦想 | Mandarin |
| 2010 | Beautiful Signal | 美俪暗号 | Mandarin |

### Singles

| Year | English title | Chinese title | Album | Notes |
| 2003 | "Happier Than Me" | 比我幸福 | Goddess of Mercy OST | |
| 2006 | "Even If There is No Tomorrow" | 就算没有明天 | Shanghai Bund OST | with Huang Xiaoming |
| 2007 | "The Moon Represents My Heart" | 月亮代表我的心 | Tian Mi Mi OST | with Deng Chao |
| 2009 | "Memory" | 记忆 | Kungfu Cyborg OST | with Alex Fong |
| 2010 | "Slowly Be Happy" | 慢慢快乐 | — | with Mo Yan Lin |
| 2011 | "Mural" | 画壁 | Mural OST | with Deng Chao |
| 2013 | "A Stable Happiness" | 稳稳的幸福 | Hot Mom OST | with Zhang Yi |
| 2013 | "How Can You Bear to Hurt Me" | 你怎么舍得伤害我 | — | Charity song; with Gigi Leung & Valen Hsu |
| 2017 | "Can't Forget" | 忘不掉 | Nothing Gold Can Stay OST | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2004 | 24th Flying Apsaras Awards | Outstanding Actress | Goddess of Mercy | Nominated |
| 2004 | 22nd China TV Golden Eagle Award | Audience's Choice for Actress | Goddess of Mercy | Won |
| 2004 | 22nd China TV Golden Eagle Award | Most Popular Actress | Goddess of Mercy | Won |
| 2005 | 14th Chunyan Awards | Best Actress | Goddess of Mercy | Won |
| 2006 | 28th Hundred Flowers Awards | Best Newcomer | Fearless | Won |
| 2007 | 2nd Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild Awards | Best Newcomer | Fearless | Won |
| 2007 | 26th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best New Performer | Fearless | Nominated |
| 2007 | 13th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Actress | Shanghai Bund | Nominated |
| 2007 | 26th Flying Apsaras Awards | Outstanding Actress | Happiness as Flowers | Nominated |
| 2008 | 2nd Roma FictionFest | Best Actress | Iron Road | Won |
| 2008 | 24th China TV Golden Eagle Award | Audience's Choice for Actress | Yi Shi Qing Yuan | Nominated |
| 2009 | 27th Flying Apsaras Awards | 60th Anniversary Outstanding Contribution Award | — | Won |
| 2009 | 28th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Painted Skin | Nominated |
| 2009 | 2nd Iron Elephant Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Painted Skin | Nominated |
| 2009 | 27th Golden Rooster Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Painted Skin | Nominated |
| 2010 | 30th Hundred Flowers Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Painted Skin | Nominated |
| 2010 | 25th Gemini Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | Iron Road | Won |
| 2011 | 3rd Macau International Movie Festival | Best Actress | The Lost Bladesman | Nominated |
| 2012 | 18th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Actress | Empresses in the Palace | Nominated |
| 2012 | 3rd Macau International Television Festival | Best Actress | Empresses in the Palace | Won |
| 2012 | 4th China TV Drama Awards | Best Actress | Empresses in the Palace | Won |
| 2013 | 41st International Emmy Awards | Best Actress | Empresses in the Palace | Nominated |
| 2014 | 2nd Asia Rainbow TV Awards | Best Actress | Empresses in the Palace | Won |
| 2014 | 20th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Actress | Hot Mom! | Won |
| 2014 | 13th Huading Awards | Best Actress | Hot Mom! | Nominated |
| 2014 | 27th China TV Golden Eagle Award | Audience's Choice for Actress | Hot Mom! | Won |
| 2014 | 10th China Golden Eagle TV Arts Festival | Most Popular Actress | Hot Mom! | Won |
| 2016 | 22nd Shanghai Television Festival | Best Actress | The Legend of Mi Yue | Won |
| 2016 | 3rd Asia Rainbow TV Awards | Best Actress (Ancient Drama) | The Legend of Mi Yue | Nominated |
| 2018 | 31st Flying Apsaras Awards | Outstanding Actress | Nothing Gold Can Stay | Won |
| 2018 | 24th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Actress | Nothing Gold Can Stay | Nominated |
| 2018 | 29th China TV Golden Eagle Award | Best Actress | Nothing Gold Can Stay | Nominated |
| 2018 | 55th Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards | Best Leading Actress | Shadow | Nominated |
| 2020 | 26th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Actress | I Will Find You a Better Home | Nominated |
| 2020 | 30th China TV Golden Eagle Award | Best Actress | I Will Find You a Better Home | Nominated |
| 2020 | 30th China TV Golden Eagle Award | Audience's Choice for Actress | I Will Find You a Better Home | Nominated |
| 2020 | 7th The Actors of China Award Ceremony | Best Actress (Sapphire) | — | Nominated |
| 2022 | 33rd Flying Apsaras Awards | Outstanding Actress | The Ideal City | Nominated |
| 2023 | 28th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Actress | The Ideal City | Nominated |

### Forbes China Celebrity 100

| Year | Rank |
| 2013 | 22nd |
| 2014 | 30th |
| 2015 | 6th |
| 2017 | 13th |
| 2019 | 22nd |
| 2020 | 25th |