Source:
11-11-2008 14:58
One of the hottest stars to emerge from China in recent years, Zhang Ziyi stunned audiences with her debut performance in Zhang Yimou's 'The Road Home'. The film went on to win the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival 2000, propelling Zhang Ziyi into the international limelight. Her meteoric shot to stardom continued with Ang Lee's Academy Award winning blockbuster, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'.
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| Zhang Ziyi |
Zhang Ziyi's interest in the performing arts originated in dance and gymnastics. At age eleven, she was accepted to a secondary school affiliated with the Beijing College of Dance and during the 4 years that she trained in dance, she managed to pick up a number of awards. However, although a career in dance seemed promising for the graceful Zhang, her growing interest and enthusiasm for acting prevailed and she enrolled in the prestigious Central Academy of Drama in Beijing.
She was soon discovered by Zhang Yimou, the internationally celebrated director of 'Raise the Red Lantern' and 'Red Sorghum'. Zhang knew immediately that Zhang Ziyi would be perfect for his new film, 'The Road Home' (1999), and cast her in the role of a young girl in love with a schoolteacher in rural China. Her performance was so assured that when Ang Lee was casting actors for his high-profile martial-arts extravaganza, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' (2000) he immediately chose Zhang Ziyi for the role of the impetuous aristocrat Jen Yu.
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| Zhang Ziyi |
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"s roaring success ensured that Zhang Ziyi would become a familiar face to filmgoers, as the high-flying, graceful martial artist who shared fight scenes with Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat. Her role garnered her the Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2000 as well as the Most Promising Actress at the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards. In 2001, she was awarded the MTV Movie Award for Best Fight Scene and was voted one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.
Zhang Ziyi's talents have since moved beyond her homeland, working in Hollywood for 'Rush Hour 2' (2001) opposite the comedy duo Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, and starring in the ambitious Korean epic, 'The Warriors'. She will next be seen in Tsui Hark's 'The Legend Of Zu' as well as Wong Kar Wai's futuristic '2046'.
Editor:Yang Jie
