Zhang Ziyi born February 9, 1979 is a Chinese film actress. Zhang is coined by the media as one of the Four Young Dan actresses in the Film Industry in China, along with Zhao Wei, Xu Jinglei, and Zhou Xun. With a string of Chinese and international hits to her name, she has worked with renowned directors such as Zhang Yimou, Ang Lee, Wong Kar-wai, Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark, Lou Ye, Seijun Suzuki, Feng Xiaogang and Rob Marshall. She achieved wider fame in the West after starring in major roles for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Rush Hour 2 (2001), House of Flying Daggers (2004), and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). Early life
Zhang Ziyi was born and raised in Beijing, China, to Zhang Yuanxiao, an accountant and later economist, and Li Zhousheng, a kindergarten teacher. She is very close to her older brother, Zhang Zinan (Chinese: 章子男; pinyin: Zhāng Zǐnán; born 1973). Zhang began studying dance when she was 8 years old; subsequently, she joined the Beijing Dance Academy by her parents' suggestion at the age of 11.While at this boarding school, she noticed how mean the other girls were to each other while competing for status amongst the teachers. Zhang disliked the attitudes of her peers and teachers so much that, on one occasion, she ran away from the school.At the age of 15, Zhang won the national youth dance championship and began appearing in television commercials in Hong Kong. In 1996, Zhang entered China's prestigious Central Academy of Drama (regarded as the top acting college in China) at the age of 18
Personal life Soon after Zhang's debut in Zhang Yimou's The Road Home, rumors arose regarding a possible affair between the actress and the older director. Yimou was previously rumored to be involved in an affair with actress Gong Li, whom he similarly debuted and with whom Ziyi was quickly compared. However, no relationships have been confirmed. Hong Kong and Taiwanese media have often pushed at ties between Zhang and co-star Jackie Chan. This was fueled in part by photos that emerged of the pair during celebrations of Chan's birthday on the set of Rush Hour 2. Zhang for a while was publicly linked with Fok Kai-shan, grandson of Hong Kong business tycoon Henry Fok. In the July 2006 issue of Interview magazine, Zhang Ziyi spoke of her movies' contents and being careful about the roles she takes on, especially in Hollywood:
FILMOGRAPHY
- Mo shu wai zhuan (2010) (in production) [Actress]
- Mulan (2011) (pre-production) [Actress] [producer]
- The Grandmasters (2011) (filming) [Actress]
... aka "Yut doi jung si" - China (original title)
... aka "First Generation Master" - Asia (English title) (literal title) - "Zhang Ziyi Travel Series: Zhang Ziyi's Inner Mongolia (#1.2)" (2009) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
- "Zhang Ziyi Travel Series: Zhang Ziyi's Oman (#1.1)" (2009) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
- The Founding of a Republic (2009) [Actress .... Gong Peng]
... aka "Jian guo da ye" - China (original title) - Sophie's Revenge (2009) [Actress .... Sophie] [producer]
... aka "Fei chang wan mei" - South Korea (original title) - Tracing Shadow (2009) [producer]
... aka "Zhui ying" - China (original title) - "World Film Report: Episode #8.30" (2009) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
... aka "Shi jie dian ying zhi lv: (#8.30)" - China (original title) - "The Fabulous Picture Show: Ramchand Pakistani (#3.4)" (2009) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
- Horsemen (2009) [Actress .... Kristin Spitz]
... aka "Horsemen of the Apocalypse" - International (English title) (DVD title), UK (DVD title) - Forever Enthralled (2008) [Actress .... Meng Xiaodong] [Soundtrack] (performer: "Ni Dong Wo De Ai")
... aka "Mei Lanfang" - China (original title) - TMNT (2007) [Actress .... Karai] (voice)
... aka "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" - USA (long title)
... aka "Mutant Turtles" - Japan (English title) - "Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD: Tan Dun's The First Emperor (#1.3)" (2007) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
- The Banquet (2006) [Actress .... Empress Wan]
... aka "Ye yan" - China (original title)
... aka "Legend of the Black Scorpion" - USA (DVD title) - The 78th Annual Academy Awards (2006) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Presenter: Best Film Editing]
- 2006 Independent Spirit Awards (2006) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
- The Orange British Academy Film Awards (2006) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
- 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2006) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
- Live from the Red Carpet: The 2006 Golden Globe Awards (2006) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
- "Film '72: Episode dated 29 December 2005" (2005) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
- MovieReal: Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
- "Today: Episode dated 8 December 2005" (2005) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
- "The View: Episode dated 7 December 2005" (2005) TV Episode [Actress .... Herself]
- Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) [Actress .... Sayuri]
- The 11th China Movie Awards (2005) (TV) [Actress .... Herself-Winner:Best Actress]
- 2005 MTV Movie Awards (2005) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Presenter]
- Princess Raccoon (2005) [Actress .... Tanukihime] [Soundtrack] (performer: "koi sumi tan'san' mizu", "itsu ka ouji sama to", "o suki na kami ha?", "omoi Shita ri masu na", "un'mei no wana")
... aka "Operetta tanuki goten" - Japan (original title) - The 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Co-Presenter: Best Visual Effects]
- On the Set: Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) (TV) [Actress .... Herself/Sayuri]
- Jasmine Flower (2004) [Actress .... Young Mo/young Li/young Hua]
... aka "Mo li hua kai" - China (original title)
... aka "Jasmine Women" - International (English title)
... aka "Jasmine Women" - Japan (English title) - 2046 (2004) [Actress .... Bai Ling]
- House of Flying Daggers (2004) [Actress .... Xiao Mei] (as Zhang Ziyi) [Soundtrack] (performer: "Beauty Song (Jia Ren Qu)")
... aka "Shi mian mai fu" - China (original title)
... aka "Attack from Ten Directions" - International (English title) (literal title)
... aka "Lovers" - Japan (English title) - My Wife Is a Gangster 2 (2003) [Actress .... The Triad Boss] (as Zhang Ziyi)
... aka "Jopog manura 2: Dolaon jeonseol" - South Korea (original title) - Purple Butterfly (2003) [Actress .... Cynthia/Ding Hui] (as Zhang Ziyi)
... aka "Zi hudie" - China (original title) - Hero (2002) [Actress .... Moon] (as Zhang Ziyi)
... aka "Ying xiong" - Hong Kong (original title)
... aka "Jet Li's Hero" - USA
... aka "Quentin Tarantino Presents Hero" - USA (promotional title) - Making Magic Out of Mire (2001) (V) [Actress .... Herself] (as Zhang Ziyi)
- The Warrior (2001) [Actress .... Princess Bu-yong] (as Zhang Ziyi)
... aka "Musa" - South Korea (original title)
... aka "Musa the Warrior" - Canada (English title)
... aka "Warrior" - Asia (English title) - Zu Warriors (2001) [Actress .... Joy] (as Zhang Ziyi)
... aka "Shu shan zheng zhuan" - Hong Kong (original title)
... aka "The Legend of Zu" - Hong Kong (English title) - Rush Hour 2 (2001) [Actress .... Hu Li] (as Zhang Ziyi)
- 2001 MTV Movie Awards (2001) (TV) [Actress .... Herself]
- "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" (2001) TV series [Actress .... Herself]
- The 2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (2001) (TV) [Actress .... Herself] (as Zhang Ziyi)
- Attaining International Stardom (2001) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
- Kung Fu Choreography (2001) (V) [Actress .... Herself]
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) [Actress .... Jen Yu (Mandarin version)/Jiao Long (English dubbed version)] (as Zhang Ziyi)
... aka "Wo hu cang long" - Taiwan (original title)
... aka "Green Destiny" - Japan (English title)Next US airings:
Wed. Feb. 23 2:30 AM AMC - 2000 Chun jie lian hua wan hui (2000) (TV) [Actress .... Herself - Host]
- The Road Home (1999) [Actress .... Zhao Di, Young] (as Zhang Ziyi)
... aka "Wo de fu qin mu qin" - China (original title) - Xing xing dian deng (1996) (TV) [Actress .... Chen Wei] (as Zhang Ziyi)
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