Ziyi Zhang - Overview

Date of Birth: Feb 09, 1979

Place of Birth: Beijing, China

Nationality: Chinese

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Full Biography

A delicately beautiful Chinese actress, Ziyi Zhang first caught the attention of filmgoers at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival with her debut performance as a young girl who falls in love with a schoolteacher in "The Road Home", director Zhang Yimou's acclaimed drama. Her strong performance (and the rumors of a romance with the director) led many Asian journalists to dub the newcomer "little Gong Li,” after the director's former leading lady. Within three months, she enjoyed a further career boost when the martial arts romance "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" premiered at Cannes. Her performance as the headstrong Jen Wu, a sheltered aristocrat with a taste for adventure, anchored the movie and demonstrated her astonishing range. Whether executing the daring almost balletic martial arts fight sequences or engaging in a spirited battle of wills with the bandit who has kidnapped her (seen in a lengthy flashback), Ziyi Zhang proved irresistible.

The daughter of an economist and a teacher, Ziyi Zhang was enrolled in dance school in her native Beijing at a young age... Read More

Filmography (14)

Sophie's Revenge (2009)

Horsemen (2009)

Forever Enthralled (2008)

TMNT (2007)

Jasmine Women (2006)

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

Photos (2)

Milestones (9)

2005
Starred as Sayuri, the lead in Rob Marshall's film version of Arthur Golden's best selling novel "Memoirs of a Geisha"; earned Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Best Actress

2004
Starred as a blind girl in "House of Flying Daggers" helmed by Zhang Yimou

2002
Co-starred with Jet Li and Maggie Cheung in "Hero," helmed by Zhang Yimou

2001
English language acting debut, "Rush Hour 2"

2001
Co-starred in "Zu, Warriors of the Magic Mountain 2", directed by Tsui Hark

2000
Breakthrough screen role as the impulsive romantic heroine Jen Wu in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", helmed by Ang Lee

1999
Feature film acting debut, "The Road Home", directed by Zhang Yimou

Photos From Last Movie (7)