Zhang graduated from the Beijing Central Academy of Drama in 1988. He started his career by doing Mandarin voice dubbing for films such as Shark Tale, The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and Troy. Zhang subsequently played minor roles in some television series before appearing as supporting characters in films directed by Feng Xiaogang, such as "Sorry Baby", "Cell Phone", "Big Shot's Funeral", and "A World Without Thieves". He was called "Feng Xiaogang's imperial dragon casing", and earned the appreciation of Feng.In 2007, Zhang was cast as a lead character for the first time in the war drama film "Assembly", which grossed a record 260 million RMB in box office earnings. Zhang's performance propelled him to fame and placed him among the ranks of first-class Chinese film stars. In 2008, Zhang also won the Best Actor Award at the 29th Hundred Flowers Awards for "Assembly" and the Best Leading Actor Award at the Golden Horse Film Awards. The following year, Zhang won the Outstanding Actor Award at the Huabiao Awards. In 2010 Zhang won BQ Celebrity Score Awards for Most Powerful Actor and in 2011 TV Drama Awards Best Character in "Water Margin". Watch drama online for free.