Jani Zhao is one of the most prominent European Asian actresses. Born and raised in Portugal to Chinese parents, Zhao began acting at the age of 15. She went on to study acting at the School of Professional Theatre of Cascais. Even after dancing classical ballet for 10 years, she didn’t want to stop and continues her dance training with the most acclaimed contemporary choreographers at the Olga Roriz Company. 

Her recent television credits include South, currently streaming on HBO and Filmin, and The Cowboy which premiered this December. On the feature side, she starred in the epic period piece drama Pilgrimage directed by João Botelho, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom by James Wan, Grand Tour by Miguel Gomes and Global Project by Ivo M. Ferreira. Besides for the big and small screens, Zhao can also be seen on the theatre stage, as she’s worked with the most renowned theatre companies at the top national theaters in Portugal and touring around the world.