Zhang Ziyi, born February 9, 1979, in Beijing, is one of the best-known Chinese film actresses working today, with a string of Chinese and international hits to her name. She has also be called as one of the four most promising young film actresses in China, along with Zhao Wei, Xu Jinglei, and Zhou Xun. She has worked with renowned directors such as Zhang Yimou, Ang Lee, Wong Kar-Wai, Chen Kaige, Seijun Suzuki and Rob Marshall.
Born in Beijing, China, Zhang joined the Beijing Dance Academy at the age of 11. When Zhang's parents suggested she go to the dance academy, she was skeptical. While at the boarding school, she noticed how catty the other girls were while competing for status amongst the teachers. Zhang disliked the attitude so much that, on one occasion, she ran away from the school.
Zhang Ziyi entered China's prestigious Central Academy of Drama - regarded as the top acting college in China - at the age of 15.
At the age of 19, Zhang was offered her first role in Zhang Yimou's The Road Home, which won the Silver Bear award in the 2000 Berlin Film Festival.
Zhang Ziyi in "The Road Home", directed by Zhang Yimou (1999).
In the fall of 2006, Zhang Ziyi played Empress Wan in The Banquet (Yè Yàn), a film set in the Tang Dynasty. Zhang Ziyi provided the voice of Karai in the TMNT movie that was released on March 23, 2007. She later starred in The Horsemen (2008) with Dennis Quaid and in Forever Enthralled (Mei Lanfang 2008), which has been released this month.
Zhang Ziyi further rose to fame due to her role as the headstrong Jen (Chinese version: Xia Long) in the phenomenally successful Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, for which she won the Independent Spirit's Best Supporting Actress Award and the Toronto Film Critics' Best Supporting Actress Award. Zhang Ziyi's first appearance in an American movie was in Rush Hour 2, but because she didn't speak English at the time, Jackie Chan had to interpret everything the director said to her. In the movie, her character's name, "Hu Li," is translated from Mandarin Chinese to "Fox".
Zhang Ziyi then appeared in Hero, directed by Zhang Yimou, which was a huge success in the English-speaking world and an Oscar and a Golden Globe contender.
Zhang Ziyi in "Hero", directed by Zhang Yimou (2002).
Her next film was the avant-garde drama Purple Butterfly by Lou Ye, which competed at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. Zhang Ziyi went back to the martial arts genre with House of Flying Daggers (十面埋伏), which earned her a Best Actress nomination from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
In 2046, directed by Wong Kar-wai, starring many of the best-known Chinese actors and actresses, Zhang Ziyi was the female lead and won the Hong Kong Film Critics' Best Actress Award and the Hong Kong Film Academy's Best Actress Award.
Showing her whimsical musical tap-dancing side, Zhang Ziyi starred in Princess Raccoon, directed by Japanese legend Seijun Suzuki, who was honored at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2005, Zhang Ziyi landed the lead role of Sayuri in the film adaptation of the international bestseller Memoirs of a Geisha. For the film, she reunited with her 2046 co-star Gong Li and with her Crouching Tiger co-star Michelle Yeoh. For the role, Zhang Ziyi received a 2006 Golden Globe Award nomination, a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination and a BAFTA nomination.
On June 27, 2005, it was announced that Zhang Ziyi had accepted an invitation to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), placing her among the ranks of those able to vote on the Academy Awards.
Trivia
Height 165 cm (5' 5")
Name is pronounced Jang (rhymes with 'young') DziYee.
Even though she has been in many kung-fu movies, she is not actually a trained martial artist, so in fact she uses many dance moves in her fight sequences.
Engaged to Israeli venture capitalist Vivi Nevo.
Zhang says that one of her methods of learning the English language was listening to Eminem,
which apparently led to some embarrassing situations. "I don't
always know what he is talking about, so I write down the lyrics and
repeat them. Later, I understood how rude they were.
Personal quotations
"I don't like kick-ass stereotypical roles. I already turn a lot down, even when they promise me a lot of money. I really want to do something in Europe. With a small movie, it can be an interesting challenge. But I have to get the right project. I don't think it's so important to go to Hollywood. All that trash that comes out of there! I don't want to do that."
"In China, we don't consider someone truly beautiful until we have known them for a long time, and we know what's underneath the skin."
"Working in Hollywood, it's clear the more money you have, the more technology you can get. So you can build a whole Japanese set. Only in Hollywood! I couldn't believe the first day I walked on the set. Rob Marshall walked me like a tourist round the set. It took 40 minutes, so how big was that? Today it can be winter, and tomorrow summer. Everything's unbelievable."
"Chinese women are much more modest than American women when it comes to clothes. We tend to show less flesh."
If you like Zhang Ziyi, you're going to really like this:
http://www.chinasmack.com/pictures/zhang-ziyi-naked-on-beach-2009-sexy-photos-gate/
Posted by: Vivi Nevo | 01/06/2009 at 10:06 AM
WoW what a beautiful lady u r .....Everything is perfect........
Posted by: Tshering | 06/05/2009 at 11:15 AM