Chen first appeared in the 2010 film Sacrifice directed by Chen Kaige, portraying a young King.
In 2017, Chen made his official acting debut in the youth drama film Secret Fruit as the male lead. He released his first single “The Secret Words” as the promotional song for the film.
In 2018, Chen starred in the historical fantasy drama Ever Night. The drama received positive reviews, and Chen was awarded the Super IP New Actor at the China Literature Award Ceremony and the Best Actor in the historical drama category at the Huading Awards.
In 2019, Chen starred in the youth campus romance film My Best Summer. He won the Best Newcomer awards at the Tokyo International Film Festival and Macau International Film Festival for his performance.
Forbes China listed Chen under their 30 Under 30 Asia 2019 list which consisted of 30 influential people under 30 years old who have had a substantial effect in their fields.
In 2020, Chen is set to star in the film Flowers Bloom in the Ashes directed by Chen Kaige; and fantasy wuxia drama Legend of Awakening. The same year Chen was cast in the xianxia drama Immortality alongside Luo Yunxi, based on the novel The Husky and His White Cat Shizun.
