Zhao Jinmai (Chinese: 赵今麦; born 29 September 2002) is a Chinese actress. She is known for her role in the films Balala the Fairies franchise, and The Wandering Earth; in the series Growing Pain, A Little Thing Called First Love, Reset, The Princess Royal, Amidst a Snowstorm of Love, Drifting Away and Shine on Me. In 2019, Forbes China listed Zhao under "30 Under 30 Asia" category, for her professional contributions.
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Early life
Zhao was born in Shenyang, Liaoning, China on 29 September 2002. Her father is a chemistry faculty head. She attended high school in Shenyang, maintaining strong grades while working as a child actress. In 2020, she was admitted to the Central Academy of Drama, from which she graduated in 2024.
Career
2010–2018: Beginning
In 2010, Zhao started her acting career as a child actress. She appeared in several television series and films, including the fantasy children's film Balala the Fairies. In 2016, she appeared in the urban family drama A Love for Separation, which gained popularity and increased her recognition. In 2017, she starred in the modern drama My! Physical Education Teacher; and in 2018, in the comedy film Go Brother! adapted from Chinese manhua Please Take My Brother Away!.
2019–2021: Breakthrough
In 2019, Zhao starred as "Han Duoduo", the lead female role in the sci-fi film The Wandering Earth, adapted from Liu Cixin's novel, one of China's highest-grossing films that brought her wider recognition. She further gained recognition in the family drama Growing Pain. She as lead starred in the romance drama A Little Thing Called First Love.
2022–present: Rising popularity
In 2022, Zhao starred as "Li Shiqing" in Reset, a time loop series. It exceeded 1.8B views, and achieved 30,000 popularity index on Tencent Video. This made her one the most recognizable actress in China. In 2024, her historical series The Princess Royal and the sports romantic drama Amidst a Snowstorm of Love were commercially successful. In 2025, her crime suspense drama Drifting Away was critically acclaimed, and exceeded 10,000 popularity index on iQIYI. She also starred in romantic series Shine on Me. It exceeded 1B views on Tencent Video, and achieved 30,000 popularity index.