Lin Gengxin (, born 13 February 1988), also known as Kenny Lin, is a Chinese actor. Lin rose to fame for his role in ''

Scarlet Heart ''Scarlet Heart'' (, lit. ''Startling by Each Step'') is a 2011 Chinese television series based on the novel '' Bu Bu Jing Xin'' by Tong Hua. It premiered in China on Hunan Broadcasting System (HBS) on 10 September 2011. The series tells the s ...

'' (2011), and has starred in several #1 box office hits such as '' Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon'' (2013), ''

My Old Classmate ''My Old Classmate'' () is a 2014 Chinese coming-of-age drama film directed by Frant Gwo and starring Zhou Dongyu and Lin Gengxin. It tells of the romance between two deskmates spanning across 20 years. The film was released on April 25, 2014. ...

'' (2014), ''

The Taking of Tiger Mountain ''The Taking of Tiger Mountain'' () is a 2014 Chinese-Hong Kong epic action film directed by Tsui Hark, produced by Huang Jianxin and Yu Dong, and based on the novel ''Tracks in the Snowy Forest'' by Qu Bo. The story is based on a conflict be ...

'' (2014) and '' Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back'' (2017) as well as television series ''

Princess Agents ''Princess Agents'' () is a 2017 Chinese television series based on the novel ''11 Chu Te Gong Huang Fei'' (11处特工皇妃) written by Xiao Xiang Dong Er (潇湘冬儿). It stars Zhao Liying, Lin Gengxin, Shawn Dou and Li Qin. The series aired ...

'' (2017). Lin ranked 77th on ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

China Celebrity 100 The ''Forbes'' China Celebrity 100 is a list published annually by ''Forbes'' that ranks the influence of Chinese celebrities. First published in 2004, it is similar to Celebrity 100 also published by ''Forbes''. Factors that are taken into acco ...

list in 2015, 43rd in 2017, and 84th in 2019.

Early life

Lin was born in Shenyang, Liaoning, China. He enrolled in the

Shanghai Theatre Academy Shanghai Theatre Academy () is a public university in Shanghai, People's Republic of China dedicated to dramatic art education. Its predecessor was Shanghai Municipal Experimental Theatre School cofounded by the famous educator Gu Yuxiu ( 顾� ...

in 2007. During his college years, Lin appeared in low-budget films, television shows, short films and advertisements.

Career

2011–2013: Rising popularity

In 2011, Lin rose to fame with the hit drama ''

'', playing the role of 14th Prince Yinti. In 2012, Lin co-starred in xianxia drama '' Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky'', which was extremely popular during its run and raised his profile. In 2013, Lin successfully made his crossover to film with his role in

Tsui Hark Tsui Hark (, vi, Từ Khắc, born 15 February 1950), born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong film director, producer and screenwriter. Tsui has directed several influential Hong Kong films such as '' Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' (1983), the ...

's '' Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon''. He was nominated for the Best New Actor award at the 33rd

Hong Kong Film Awards The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, is an annual film awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremonies are typically in April. The awards recognise achievement in various aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, ...

2014–present: Commercial success

In 2014, Lin starred in youth romance film ''

'' with

Zhou Dongyu Zhou Dongyu () is a Chinese actress, who gained recognition after appearing in Zhang Yimou's film '' Under the Hawthorn Tree''. She was also chosen by '' Southern Metropolis Daily'' as one of the " Four Dan actresses of the post-90s Generation" ...

. The film was a commercial success, and won the Jury Prize at the 21st

Beijing College Student Film Festival Beijing College Student Film Festival, first held in 1993, is an annual event organized by Beijing Normal University and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio, Film and Television. It is held in April or May, and is one of the biggest film festivals i ...

. The same year, he starred in crime action film '' Black & White: The Dawn of Justice''; and reunited with Tsui Hark in the period action film ''

''. ''The Taking of Tiger Mountain'' was a success, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time in China with US$150 million. In 2015, Lin was cast in Chinese historical drama ''

God of War, Zhao Yun ''God of War, Zhao Yun'', also known as ''Chinese Hero Zhao Zilong'', released under the title ''Dynasty Warriors'' in Indonesia, is a 2016 Chinese television series directed by Cheng Lidong and produced by Zhejiang Yongle Entertainment Co., Ltd. T ...

'', based on the Chinese novel ''

Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD ...

''. He plays General

Zhao Yun Zhao Yun ( ) (died 229), courtesy name Zilong (), was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the northern warlord Gongsun Zan, Zhao Yun later came ...

, who falls in love with a girl named Xiahou Qingyi (played by

Girls' Generation Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piece ens ...

Im Yoona Im Yoon-ah (; born May 30, 1990), known mononymously as Yoona, is a South Korean singer and actress. After training for five years, she debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation (and later its subgroup Girls' Generation-Oh!GG) in Augu ...

). The drama premiered in April 2016, and reached viewership ratings as high as 2%, and recorded more than 10 billion hits through various Chinese online videos sites. The same year, Lin headlined action comedy ''

For a Few Bullets ''For a Few Bullets'' is a 2016 Chinese comedy western film directed by Peter Pan Anzi and starring Lin Gengxin, Zhang Jingchu and Liu Xiaoqing. It was released in China by Wanda Shengshi Film Distribution in IMAX on July 15, 2016. Plot When a ...

'' and martial arts film '' Sword Master''. He also featured in

Zhang Yimou Zhang Yimou (; born 2 April 1950) is a Chinese film director, producer, writer, actor and former cinematographer.Tasker, Yvonne (2002). "Zhang Yimou" i''Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers'' Routledge Publishing, p. 412. . Google Book Search. Retriev ...

's historical fantasy epic '' The Great Wall''. In 2017, Lin starred in

Stephen Chow Stephen Chow Sing-chi (, born 22 June 1962), known professionally as Stephen Chow, is a Hong Kong filmmaker, former actor and comedian, known for '' Shaolin Soccer'' and '' Kung Fu Hustle''. Early life and education Stephen Chow was born in Hong K ...

's '' Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back'', playing

Sun Wukong The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong ( zh, t=孫悟空, s=孙悟空, first=t) in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary mythical figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel '' Journey to the West'' ( zh, ...

. The film grossed $239.5 million, becoming the highest grossing film among the ''

Journey to the West ''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the greatest Classic Chinese Novels, and has been described as arguably the most popul ...

'' novel adaptations. The same year, he starred in historical action drama ''

''. The drama was a massive hit, and Lin gained renewed recognition for his portrayal of the male lead, Yuwen Yue. In 2018, Lin reprised his role as Shatuo Zhong in '' Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings'', the third installment of the ''Detective Dee'' film series by

. In 2019, Lin was cast in the crime suspense drama ''Lost and Love'' as a policeman.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Variety show

Discography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lin, Gengxin 1988 births Living people Male actors from Shenyang Shanghai Theatre Academy alumni Chinese male film actors Chinese male television actors 21st-century Chinese male actors