Zhang Ziyi
Actor
Waiflike, ethereal and yet somehow a martial arts film favorite,
Zhang Ziyi played highkicking, fistfighting heroines in
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and House of Flying Daggers (2003). Zhang was born in China and spent six years at the Beijing Dance Academy before switching to acting studies at the Central Academy of Drama. Her first leading role was in the poetic village romance
The Road Home (1999), and one year later she landed a highprofie part as the aristocratic (and acrobatic) young rebel Jen Yu in
Ang Lee's hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The role brought Zhang to the attention of international audiences, where her porcelain good looks and steely undertones proved to be a popular combination. The next year she costarred with
Jackie Chan in the action comedy
Rush Hour II, and in 2004 she played a mysterious samurailike courtesan in the art house action film
House of Flying Daggers. Zhang and her Crouching Tiger costar
Michelle Yeoh reunited for the Hollywood film
Memoirs of a Geisha, due for release in 2005.
Extra credit: Early in her acting career, Zhang's slender build and star quality earned her the nickname "the little
Gong Li."
Women Celebrities