He started his training in 1979 when he joined Military Art School.

He joined Military Drama Group in Xinjiang Province in 1983.

In 1985 he starred in his first movie, Father and Son, directed by Wang Bingling.

After transferring to Beijing Military Drama Group, then the China National Drama Group, Liu starred in Days Without Leifeng, directed by Lei Xianhe.

Liu's recent credits include starring roles in Zhang Yimou's The Story of Qiu Ju,[1] Zhou Xiaowen's Ermo and Chen Kaige's Together, for which he was awarded the San Sebastián International Film Festival Award for Best Actor, becoming the first Chinese actor ever to receive that award.