Yan was born in an actors's family. She was influenced by her parents and loved art. She had not graduated from middle school. She was admitted to the acting department of Beijing Film Academy in 1982. She played a role in the TV series "On the Water" while playing school, playing an innocent kindness. Zhu Shihui, a young girl, was well received by the audience. Classmate Lin Fangbing. 　 After graduating in 1986, she was assigned to act as an actor in Shanghai Film Studio. In 1987, she played the leading role in "Two Midnight" and "Sun Rain". "Sun Rain" was her The masterpiece, in which she plays the heroine Liu Yaxi, she accurately grasps the complex mentality of the heroine, and shapes a brand-new contemporary youth image. It was screened at the second film festival of Shanghai university students and caused a sensation on the university campus and resonated. , Won the "Bachelor Award" Best Actress Award. In April and August 1987, she participated in two Chinese film delegations to visit Singapore. In 1988, he played a major role in The Daughter's Sutra (1986) and The Deal under the Noose. In October 1988, he took the "The Daughter's Classic (1986)" to the Shanghai Film Studios for exhibitions in Germany and France. In 1992, she went to the United States with her husband. While studying in the United States, she was hosting the show on a local Chinese TV station. After returning home, she played roles in film and television dramas such as "Beijing in New York", "Sin Debt" and "One Family, Two Systems".