Up-and-coming Chinese actor Zhou Keyu (23) is gaining widespread attention for his thrilling lead performance in the drama Sniper Butterfly, where he stars alongside Michelle Chen, 19 years his senior. The gripping plot of the drama about love without regrets has captured the hearts of viewers, and now fans are equally intrigued by Zhou’s real-life family ties.
Online buzz exploded when netizens discovered that Zhou Keyu’s second older brother is Zhou Haoshan, an emerging star of vertical format short dramas. The brothers not only share similar looks, but are also signed by the same agency, Jaywalk Newjoy. Zhou Haoshan, who is estimated to be around 25 years old and 188cm tall, recently made headlines with his performance in Life Recording Room, which garnered over 100 million views per episode – a staggering achievement in the field of short dramas.
Since then, Zhou Haoshan has appeared in numerous popular series, gradually building his profile. In a show of support for the brothers, he helped promote Sniper Butterfly by reposting Zhou Keyu’s premiere ads.
A difficult past behind the spotlight
Born Zhou Daniel, Zhou Keyu is the youngest of three brothers. His family story is both touching and turbulent. His parents divorced when he was very young. At the age of four he disappeared and at seven he was injured in the head in a fire. Growing up without his father, Zhou was cared for by his older brother, who took on the role of guardian.
That older brother, now a lawyer, had previously spoken openly about their family life. She revealed that after she started working in 2009, she took in both of her younger brothers and told them that their parents simply “weren’t there,” avoiding the painful truth of divorce. The reality only came to light after Zhou Keyu became famous and their father became involved in a pyramid scheme controversy, forcing the family’s private matters into public discussion.
Zhou’s journey into the spotlight began with his appearance at Chuang 2021 (Produce Camp 2021), where he was selected to debut as part of project boy group INTO1. Since then, his popularity has steadily grown, now reaching new heights with Sniper Butterfly.
With two talented brothers rising in the entertainment ranks and a heartfelt family history behind them, the Zhou family continues to capture audiences’ attention, not only for their on-screen presence, but for their resilience and bond off-screen.
Sources: ETtoday Starlight Cloud
