Zhang Ziyi

Lore & Background

Zhang Ziyi was born and raised in Beijing. Her father, Zhang Yuanxiao, worked as an accountant and later an economist, while her mother, Li Zhousheng, was a kindergarten teacher. She has an older brother, Zhang Zinan, who initially managed her career. At age eight, she began a nine-year study of folk dance, and at eleven, at her parents’ suggestion, she entered the Affiliated Secondary School of Beijing Dance Academy, a boarding school. She disliked the competitive and harsh atmosphere among the girls and teachers so intensely that she once ran away. In 1994, she won a performance award at the National Taoli Cup Dance Competition. She also appeared in television commercials before being admitted to the Central Academy of Drama in 1996, where she majored in acting. Her acting debut came that same year in the television film *Touching Starlight*. Her first major role was in Zhang Yimou’s *The Road Home* (1999), playing a country girl in love with a young teacher; the film won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, and Zhang won Best Actress at the 23rd Hundred Flowers Awards. She gained international fame as Yu Jiaolong in Ang Lee’s *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* (2000), portraying a young Manchu noblewoman who secretly learns martial arts and becomes a wandering swordswoman rather than accept an arranged marriage. This role earned her Most Promising Actress from the Chicago Film Critics Association and Best Supporting Actress from the Independent Spirit Awards and Toronto Film Critics Association. She made her Hollywood debut as a villain in *Rush Hour 2* (2001), finding the role exciting for the chance to explore a character’s psyche. She reunited with Zhang Yimou for *Hero* (2002) and *House of Flying Daggers* (2004), in which she played a blind dancing girl and skilled fighter, preparing by living with a blind girl for two months; this performance earned her a BAFTA Best Actress nomination. She also sang on the *House of Flying Daggers* soundtrack. In Wong Kar-wai’s *2046* (2004), she played a struggling prostitute, winning Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards and Hong Kong Film Critics’ Award. She won Best Actress at the Golden Rooster Awards for *Jasmine Women* (2005). Her role in *Memoirs of a Geisha* (2005) sparked controversy in China for casting a Chinese actress as a Japanese geisha. She later won twelve Best Actress award

Reader's Guide

Zhang Ziyi's significance lies in her ability to bridge Chinese cinema and Hollywood, earning recognition as one of the most recognisable Asian actresses worldwide. Her collaborations with directors Zhang Yimou, Ang Lee, and Wong Kar-wai produced critically acclaimed films such as Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004), and The Grandmaster (2013), for which she received 12 Best Actress awards, the most for a single film by a Chinese actress. She was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2005 and received the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2013. Her career reflects a shift from wuxia epics to diverse roles, including a villain in Rush Hour 2 (2001) and a geisha in Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), despite controversy in China over the latter. She ranked in the Top 5 of Forbes China Celebrity 100 list from 2004 to 2010 and was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Cinema award at the 11th Shanghai International Film Festival in 2008.

Did You Know?

• Zhang Ziyi began studying folk dance at age 8 and won a performance award in the National Taoli Cup Dance Competition in 1994.
• She was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2005.
• For her role in The Grandmaster (2013), she received 12 Best Actress awards, the most for a single film by a Chinese actress.
• She was awarded the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres as a Chevalier in 2013.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Zhang Ziyi (9 February 1979 - ), sometimes credited as Ziyi Zhang, is a Chinese actress and model. She is considered one of the Four Dan Actresses of China." — Zhang Ziyi "As quoted in Interview magazine (July 2006)." — Zhang Ziyi