Wang first received recognition in the film Blind Shaft (2003), for which he shared the Best New Performer prize at the Golden Horse Awards.

[1][2] He went on to star in the television series Soldiers Sortie (2006) and My Brother's Name is Shun Liu (2009), garnering further attention.

[4] Prior to entering the film industry, Wang was an unskilled labourer who was paid 25 yuan a day; he had not been home for over two years as he was unable to afford the railway ticket.

[7][5] For his role in Blind Shaft, Wang received the Best Newcomer award at the Golden Horse Film Festival.

[8][9][10] Wang then starred in Feng Xiaogang's 2004 film A World Without Thieves as a naïve village boy, a performance which received critical acclaim.

[20] He accused her of entering an extramarital affair with his agent, Song Zhe (宋喆), and transferring/concealing some of the couple's assets.

[22][20] The divorce became a trending topic on Sina Weibo, where posts with the hashtag #WangBaoQiangDivorce were viewed over five billion times.