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| Liu Haoran Celebrates Asian Film Awards Win and Shares Ambitious Plans for More Mature Roles. (Credits: Weibo) |
Chinese actor Liu Haoran has taken home the AFA Next Generation Award at the 19th Asian Film Awards held in Hong Kong on 15 March, marking a milestone moment for one of the most prominent actors of his generation. The honour recognises emerging talents who have made a strong impact on Asian cinema, and for Liu, it arrives exactly 12 years after he first stepped into the industry.
Speaking during the ceremony’s media session, Liu Haoran described the award as a meaningful acknowledgement of the years he has spent building his career film by film. Rather than treating it as a final destination, he framed it as motivation to keep pushing forward. The actor said he remains grateful for the audience support that has followed him from his early breakout days to the present.
His acting journey began at just 18 with the film Beijing Love Story, where he played a shy teenager navigating first love.
From there, his popularity accelerated thanks to the wildly successful Detective Chinatown franchise, which turned him into one of the most recognisable faces among China’s post-90s actors.
Today, Liu Haoran is no longer simply known as a rising star.
His films as a lead actor have collectively surpassed 20 billion yuan at the Chinese box office, a figure that places him among the most commercially reliable performers of his generation.
Industry observers often point out that his success has come through steady work rather than hype-driven publicity.
The actor has also spent recent years deliberately shifting away from his earlier youthful image.
In projects such as Fire on the Plain and The Breaking Ice, Liu Haoran reshaped his screen persona entirely.
To match the emotional weight of those roles, he reportedly lost around 10 kilograms in a month, grew facial hair and adopted a far more restrained performance style.
Despite the attention surrounding his work, public curiosity about his personal life occasionally resurfaces.
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Rumours linking him with actress Zhou Dongyu have circulated online for years after the pair collaborated on multiple films.
Neither actor has ever publicly confirmed the speculation, and Liu has largely avoided addressing the topic, choosing instead to keep the spotlight firmly on his projects.
During the Asian Film Awards interview, he also shared a light-hearted story from filming Detective Chinatown 1990 in 2024.
While on set, he made a playful agreement with veteran Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat: one day the two would run a half-marathon together in Hong Kong.
Whether the race will actually happen remains to be seen, but Liu said the promise is still on his mind.
Looking ahead, Liu Haoran revealed he is eager to take on roles that reflect his current stage of life. In particular, he expressed interest in stories exploring father–son relationships.
The theme resonates personally with him, as he has noticed how his own communication with his father has evolved from childhood to adulthood.
Those reflections, he said, often make him wonder what kind of father he might become in the future.
Online reactions to the award have been largely supportive. Many fans on Chinese social platforms praised the recognition as long overdue, noting that Liu has quietly built one of the most stable filmographies among actors in his age group. Others pointed out that balancing blockbuster appeal with more artistic films is not easy, and that his ability to move between the two has helped shape his reputation.
Some netizens also revisited highlights from his career, from the youthful energy of Detective Chinatown to the more introspective performances in recent drama films. A smaller group of commenters debated which direction he should take next, with suggestions ranging from historical epics to family-focused dramas.
At 28, Liu Haoran now stands at an interesting crossroads: established enough to carry major productions, yet still early enough in his career to reinvent himself. The AFA Next Generation Award places him firmly among Asia’s most closely watched actors, and the industry will be paying attention to his next move.
What do you think about Liu Haoran’s latest recognition at the Asian Film Awards? Do you see him continuing to dominate the box office, or is it time for him to lean further into more serious dramatic roles?