The Biography

Genden Phuntsok (born October 27, 1985, in Ganzi, Sichuan, China) is a Chinese actor of Tibetan descent. He is known for his work in Tibetan-language cinema, particularly his collaborations with director Pema Tseden. He portrayed the hitchhiker Jinpa in Jinpa (2018), which won Best Screenplay in the Horizons section at the 75th Venice International Film Festival. He later appeared as Zaden in Tseden’s Snow Leopard (2023), which received the Tokyo Grand Prix at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival. Phuntsok gained wider international recognition for portraying legendary mountaineer Tenzing Norgay in Jennifer Peedom’s biographical drama Tenzing (2026), starring alongside Tom Hiddleston and Willem Dafoe. The film marked his English-language debut.