About AJ Donnelly- Actor and Voice artist

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.

– IMDb Mini Biography – Updated Feb 2022

Read AJ’s full bio (as of Feb 2022) here!

AJ is currently seeking representation in the UK and US. Please connect with him to discuss representation, cooperation, endorsement, sponsorship or media opportunities.

• 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.