About AJ Donnelly- Actor and Voice artist
AJ Donnelly, aged 9, preparing for a performance in Bedford, UK
AJ Donnelly is a British actor and voice artist. Born in Bedford, England, AJ has worked in professional TV, film, theatre productions and commercials for more than a decade. Often working in the Chinese market, in 2021, he was chosen by directors Zhang Yimou and Zhang Mo to play southern US Army officer Captain Williams in the movie ‘Ju Ji Shou’ (Snipers), which was released in Chinese cinemas on February 1st 2022.
While commonly seen in dramatic roles, most recently taking the role of British loan shark Andrew Williams in 1850s Guangzhou in ‘The 13 Hongs of Canton’, AJ’s passion is for comedic roles. He performed for the first time at the age of 7, and appeared in multiple productions throughout his childhood, both at school and with various drama clubs, continuing into early adulthood when he joined local amateur theatre group the Bedford Marionettes, where he developed his skills in physical comedy.
Having been involved in theatre throughout his entire childhood and teen years, in 1999 AJ took a break from acting, returning to the stage in 2011 with amateur theatre group Beijing Playhouse’s production of the comedy ‘Love, Sex and the IRS’, playing the lead role of Leslie Arthur, and then in the Christmas panto ‘Cinderella’, playing Cinderella’s father, The Baron. After spending several years focusing on theatre in Beijing, in 2013 he landed a small role in the Chinese TV drama ‘Rong Hong’, which reignited his interest in on-camera acting.
He has had roles in many Chinese film and TV productions over the past few years, including ‘Wild Cards’ (2016), ‘Sky Hunters’ (2018) and ‘The Legend of Kunlun’ (2018), playing a lead role opposite Taiwanese stars Anthony Bao and Winston Chao. He also returned to the stage in 2016 and 2017, as the first foreigner to star in a Chinese play at the Beijing Capital Theatre, playing Mr. Sattel in the drama ‘Paifang’, directed by Yang Lixin.
Aside from acting, AJ also works as a voice artist, creating audio materials for educational institutes in China, the UK and Singapore, and doing movie narration and dubbing in Chinese productions such as The 800, The Foreigner, Defiance and Chasing the Dragon.
AJ is currently seeking representation in the UK and US. Please connect with him to discuss representation, cooperation, endorsement, sponsorship or media opportunities.
Please click here for a downloadable version of AJ’s acting resume.
Essentials
| Date of Birth: | 1st August, 1980 |
| Place of Birth: | Bedford, England |
| Weight: | 100KG |
| Height: | 189CM |
| Hair Colour: | Blonde |
| Spoken Languages: | English (native) Mandarin Chinese (conversational) |
Sizes
| HEAD | 57cm | HIP | 116cm | CALF | 45cm |
| COLLAR | 41cm | SLEEVE | 71cm | WAIST TO ANKLE | 110cm |
| SHOULDER | 61cm | ARM | 38cm | WAIST TO CROTCH | 27cm |
| CHEST | 108cm | WRIST | 20cm | SHOULDER TO PALM | 73cm |
| WAIST | 107cm | THIGH | 70cm | SHOES SIZE | 45-46 |
Filmography
Movies
Click the links to be taken to the relative IMDb page or gallery
| Movie Name | Character Name | Director | Production Company | Production Year | Gallery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpshooter (AKA Snipers) 《狙击手》 | Captain Williams | Zhang Yimou (张艺谋) & Zhang Mo (张末) | Beijing Enlight Media Co., Ltd. | 2021 | Link |
| Chi 《气》 | Beyazit | Warwick Gilles & Ye Kai (叶开) | New Film Alliance Co., Ltd. | 2020 | |
| Southern Islands 《极南之地》 | Big Boss | Sun Chengzhi (孙承志) | Beijing Lionfish Culture Media Co., Ltd. | 2017 | Link |
| Sky Hunter 《空天猎》 | Terrorist #2 | Li Chen (李晨) | Chunqiu Time Culture Co., Ltd. | 2017 | |
| Scorpion Task 《火蝎特战队》 | Mercenary Leader | Meng Yu (孟瑀) | Dongcheng Television; Shanghai Telemagic Film | 2016 | Link |
| Wild Cards 《千门唐八将》 | Jason Fitzpatrick | Richard H. Perry | Beijing Haitian Wenji TV and Film Culture Co., Ltd. | 2016 | Link |
| The Ying River 《刀安仁》 | General Gross | Ma Cheng (马诚) | Kunming Huangzhong Nation Culture Communication Co., Ltd. | 2015 | Link |
| Iron Wing Reborn 《铁翼重生之枪林弹雨》 | Lieutenant Fox | Liu Chuanwei (刘传伟) | — | 2015 | Link |
TV Shows
Click the links to be taken to the relative IMDb page or gallery
| Show Name | Character Name | Director | Production Company | Production Year | Gallery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The 13 Hongs of Canton 《广州十三行》 | Andrew Williams | Cao Dun (曹盾) | IQiyi and Guangdong Caviar Culture Communication Co. LTD | 2021 | |
| Stride Across the Yalu River 《跨过鸭绿江》 | General Hodge | Dong Yachun (董亚春) | China Media Group | 2020 | Link |
| Dream On This Side of the Sea 《梦在海这边》 | Adam | Gong Chaohui (龚朝晖) | Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation | 2019 | |
| Chosen 2 《杀无赦2》 | Executor | Li Chenkai (李晨恺) | Beijing IQIYI Science & Technology Co., Ltd. | 2019 | Link |
| Ivy Monsters 《藤科动物也凶猛》 | Doctor Robertson | Li Jun (李骏) | Beijing Huanya Meishi Culture Communication Co., Ltd. | 2019 | |
| Dance of the Storm 《风暴舞》 | Weapons Expert | Liu Xin (刘新) | Ciwen Media Co., Ltd. | 2018 | |
| The Legend of Kunlun 《昆仑归》 | Fremont | Lv Haojiji (侣皓吉吉) | Hangzhou Newtiming Film and Television Investment Management Co., Ltd. | 2018 | |
| Young Marshal 《少帅》 | British Journalist | Zhang Li (张黎) | Changying Group Co., Ltd. | 2014 |
Commericals
| Brand | Role | Production Company | Production Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boss HR | Shakespeare | — | 2021 |
| RELX | Copernicus | RELX Technology | 2021 |
| Tencent | Hitman | Tencent Productions | 2016 |
| Tencent | Death | Tencent Productions | 2015 |
| Boss HR | Angry Boss | — | 2015 |
| Tencent | Boxer | Tencent Productions | 2014 |
Quotes
There is really little point spending time thinking about yesterday, or tomorrow. Neither exists, and you really can’t do much to change either. Life, like acting, only exists in the moment. That’s when everything happens. That’s where you have to be if you want to achieve anything.
- All actors understand the importance of the word ‘action’ when onset. But what about when we aren’t on set, just in our everyday lives? Action is the key to success. If you want anything in this life, you have to take action to get it. It seems like a simple idea, but many people seem to forget it.
Trivia
- AJ’s favourite 3 movies are The Matrix, The Princess Bride, and (yes, really) White Chicks.
- His favourite song of all time is ‘Let Me Entertain You’, by Robbie Williams. His favourite band is SClub7 (again, yes, really….).
- According to the Western Zodiac, AJ is a Leo, which means he should be compassionate, big-hearted and a natural leader. All true!
- He considers himself very introverted and shy, but everyone who ever meets him disagrees very quickly!
- AJ is an avid gamer, and whenever he travels for work or pleasure, always carries his PS4 with him.
Media Links – Actor and Voice Artist
La Vena Latina : Chinese Culture to the World – an interview with AJ Donnelly (March 6th 2022)
China Daily : Acting in China: An Expat’s Perspective (April 1st 2022)