Zhang Guoli is a Chinese film actor and director. Before transitioning to film and television, he began his career as a crosstalk performer. He is best known for portraying emperors in various dramas set in Qing Dynasty imperial China. In 2014, he also served as a host for the CCTV New Year's Gala. Zhang is married to actress Deng Jie and has a son, Zhang Mo, from a previous marriage, who is also an actor. A practicing Buddhist, he is a member of the Taiwanese Buddhist organization Dharma Drum Mountain and holds the dharma name Changsheng.