2017–2019: Beginning

In 2017, Chen made his acting debut in the youth drama All About Secrets, based on the novel by Rao Xueman.^[6] In 2018, Chen starred in the fantasy wuxia drama The Legend of Zu 2.^[7] The same year, he made his big screen debut in the comedy film Miss Puff.^[8] He then starred in the costume comedy drama Hello Dear Ancestors,^[9] and suspense web drama Detective Chinatown.^[10][11]

2020 onwards: Rising popularity

In 2020, Chen became known to audiences after starring in wuxia drama Handsome Siblings, based on the novel Juedai Shuangjiao by Gu Long.^[12] He was praised for his portrayal of the protagonist, Xiao Yu'er.^[13] literally meaning, "Little Fish". The same year, he was cast in the historical drama Winner Is King , based on the novel Sha Po Lang by Priest alongside Tan Jianci. He is set to play the male lead, Chang Geng.^[14] In 2021, Chen starred as a male protagonist in Mango TV's youth campus drama Our Secret, alongside Xu Mengjie. After landing the role of Zhou Siyue, Chen's popularity skyrocketed, launching him into stardom.^[15][16] In 2022, Chen Zheyuan starred in the romantic fantasy series Mr. Bad, alongside Shen Yue, which gained international recognition.^[17][18]

In 2023, he starred in the series adaptation of the novel, Hidden Love/ Secretly Unable to Hide, by Zhu Yi opposite Zhao Lusi. The drama was aired by Netflix in 190 countries. His brilliant visuals and acting as Duan Jiaxu ensured that he became recognised internationally and his fame skyrocketed. In 2024, iQIYI released Sword and Fairy 4 (仙剑四, Tencent 祈今朝 ) with him as the male lead Yun Tuanhe (with Ju Jingyi). The series is based on the hit videogame franchise. It is said to have garnered 500 million views in the first 15 days of web-telecast. His dramas, Dark Night and Dawn (with Ningfei) and The White Olive Tree (with LiangJie) are scheduled to be broadcast in 2024.^{[citation needed]}

Film

Television series

Reality television shows