Dilraba Dilmurat (迪麗熱巴)

Dilraba Dilmurat (born June 3, 1992), also known as Dilireba, is a Chinese actress, model, and social activist of Uyghur descent. Dilraba Dilmurat skyrocketed to fame through a potent combination of striking exotic beauty, magnetic screen presence, and a breakout role that showcased her comedic charm. Hailing from Xinjiang as an ethnic Uyghur, her distinctive features set her apart in the industry. Trained in dance from childhood and a graduate of the prestigious Shanghai Theatre Academy, she possesses both the poise and the technical foundation of a classically trained performer. What truly propelled her to national stardom, however, was her scene-stealing performance as the quirky, lovable superstar Gao Wen in the 2015 romance drama Diamond Lover—a role that turned her from a promising newcomer into a household name overnight. Breakthrough Role Dilraba‘s career-defining moment arrived in 2015 with the urban romance drama Diamond Lover (Ke La Lian Ren), where she played Gao Wen, a glamorous yet hilariously down-to-earth movie star. Though a supporting character, Gao Wen’s exaggerated antics, unfiltered honesty, and unexpected vulnerability made her the breakout star of the series. The role earned Dilraba the Most Popular New Actress award at the Guoju Awards and established her as a fresh, versatile talent capable of balancing comedy and emotion. Following this success, she went on to star in a string of major hits, including Eternal Love (Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms), The Long Ballad, You Are My Glory, and The Blue Whisper, cementing her status as one of the most bankable leading actresses of her generation. Public Perception Dilraba occupies a unique and often polarizing space in the Chinese entertainment industry. With over 80 million Weibo followers, she is undeniably one of the biggest “traffic” stars of her era, a fixture on red carpets and a perennial trending topic. Yet her journey has been anything but smooth. The 2018 Golden Eagle Awards, where she won both Best Actress and Most Popular Actress for the lighthearted comedy Pretty Li Huizhen, sparked widespread backlash and the infamous “water queen” (shui hou) label—a controversy that has shadowed her career ever since. Critics have long argued that her fame outpaces her filmography, pointing to a string of underperforming dramas and persistent questions about her acting range. In recent years, however, Dilraba has made a deliberate push toward more serious, socially relevant material, headlining the mainstream drama Sword of Roses about anti-trafficking efforts. Her performance earned her a CMG annual award—a mainstream honor from China‘s state broadcaster—signaling a shift in industry perception. Today, she is increasingly recognized not just as a red-carpet sensation, but as an actress who, through resilience and reinvention, is steadily earning her place alongside the industry’s most respected performers.