Zhang Ziyi

After her enlightening (and physical) performance in 2000's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Zhang Ziyi proved her mainstream appeal with 2001's Rush Hour 2. She wowed audiences in 2004's House of Flying Daggers, and continues to take on an impressively eclectic mix of roles.

Zhang Ziyi was born on February 9, 1979, in Beijing, China, and is the daughter of an economist father and a kindergarten teacher. Raised with her older brother in an urban, working-class part of Beijing, Zhang was originally interested in dance and gymnastics.

Her entry into the dance world came at age 11, when she was accepted to a secondary school affiliated with Beijing Dancing College. During the four years that she was trained in dance, she managed to pick up some awards, including one at the National Young Dancer competition. Although a career in dance seemed promising for the graceful Zhang, she became frustrated with the art by the time she was 15, and opted to become an actress instead.

She therefore enrolled in the Central Drama Academy in Beijing, where she received her dramatic training. Zhang Ziyi's calling was answered when she least expected it: she auditioned for a shampoo commercial directed by Zhang Yimou (one of China's most renowned directors). The director of many successful films, including Raise the Red Lantern, Zhang Yimou used the commercial as a way to audition actresses for his upcoming film.

Zhang Yimou knew that Zhang Ziyi was the perfect choice for the part of a young, rural schoolgirl in love with a schoolteacher, and she was cast in the lead role of 1999's The Road Home (also known as Wo de fu qim mu qin). Since Zhang Ziyi was unknown at the time of the film's release, it was later rereleased by Sony Picture Classics, thanks to her flourishing success.

When The Road Home was released in China, Zhang Ziyi was given the nickname "Little Gong Li," in reference to the mega-popular Asian actress, Gong Li. While this may sound flattering, the nickname is not intended to refer to Zhang Ziyi's potential as the next Gong Li; rather, it refers to the alleged affair that Zhang Ziyi had with director Zhang Yimou. Gong Li was once considered the director's muse and mistress, but they broke up in 1994. Both Zhang Ziyi and Zhang Yimou have denied the affair.

When Ang Lee was casting actors for his martial arts marvel, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (aka Wo hu cang long), he had famous Taiwanese actress Shu Qi in mind for the role of butt-kicking aristocrat Jen Yu. But after seeing Zhang Ziyi's performance in The Road Home, he knew she was the one for the role -- and she probably only exceeded Lee's expectations. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became one of the biggest hits of 2000 (and the most popular foreign film in U.S. history at the time), and went on to earn a roaring $130 million at the box office and four Academy Awards, among the long list of other awards it won.

The film's success ensured that Zhang Ziyi would become a familiar face to filmgoers as the high-flying, graceful martial artist who shares fight scenes with Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat and has sex with Chang Chen in the Gobi Desert. Her role garnered her the Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2000, as well as the MTV Movie Award for Best Fight Scene in 2001. She was also one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 2001.

Zhang Ziyi was cast to play the villain in the summer 2001 sequel to the successful comedy Rush Hour, appearing opposite the comedy duo of Chris Tucker and martial arts master Jackie Chan. She was cast in the film without knowing a word of English, and despite having taken English lessons, she speaks strictly Chinese in the film (with subtitles).

Since then, the roles have been pouring in, most notably in hits like Hero (2002) and House of Flying Daggers (2004). After 2004's Jasmine Women (a.k.a. Mo li hua kai), Zhang Ziyi starred in the 2005 musical feature Operetta tanuki goten. She kept busy in 2005 with roles in Memoirs of a Geisha and Good Cook, Likes Music. In 2007, Zhang Ziyi lent her voice to the much-anticipated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as the character Karai, alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar, Patrick Stewart and Chris Evans.