65 Facts About Zhang Ziyi

Zhang Ziyi, sometimes credited Ziyi Zhang, is a Chinese actress, known for playing independent and strong-willed characters.

Zhang Ziyi made her Hollywood debut as a villain in Rush Hour 2, followed by Memoirs of a Geisha.

Zhang Ziyi reunited with Zhang in the films Hero and House of Flying Daggers.

Zhang Ziyi collaborated with Wong Kar-wai on 2046, which won her the Best Actress at the 2005 Hong Kong Film Awards, and later on The Grandmaster, for which she received 12 Best Actress awards, making her the most awarded Chinese actress for a single film.

Zhang Ziyi is regarded as one of the Four Dan actresses of China.

Zhang Ziyi was born in Beijing to Zhang Yuanxiao, an accountant and later economist, and Li Zhousheng, a kindergarten teacher.

Zhang Ziyi has an older brother, Zhang Zinan, who was her manager.

Zhang Ziyi began her nine-year study of folk dance when she was 8; at 11, she joined the Affiliated Secondary School of Beijing Dance Academy at her parents' suggestion.

Zhang Ziyi disliked the attitudes of her peers and teachers so much that, on one occasion, she ran away from the school.

In 1996, Zhang Ziyi entered the Central Academy of Drama, majoring in acting.

In 1998, Zhang Ziyi was offered her first major role by director Zhang Ziyi Yimou in his film The Road Home, which would win the Silver Bear prize at the 2000 Berlin International Film Festival.

Zhang Ziyi plays a country girl in love with the town's young teacher.

Zhang Ziyi won the Best Actress Award at the 2000 Hundred Flowers Awards for her performance.

Zhang Ziyi rose to international fame in 2000 with her role as Yu Jiaolong in Ang Lee's re-visioned wuxia martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Zhang Ziyi plays a young Manchu noblewoman who has secretly learned martial arts and runs off to become a wandering swordswoman rather than commit to an arranged marriage.

Zhang Ziyi then appeared in her first American film, Rush Hour 2 opposite Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.

In 2002, Zhang Ziyi co-starred in Hero alongside Jet Li, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung, directed by her early mentor Zhang Ziyi Yimou.

Zhang Ziyi then signed on to film an avant-garde drama film Purple Butterfly, which competed in the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.

Zhang Ziyi went back to the wuxia martial arts genre in House of Flying Daggers, again by Zhang Ziyi Yimou, where she starred along Takeshi Kaneshiro and Andy Lau.

Zhang Ziyi plays the blind dancing girl Mei, who despite the lack of eyesight, is a skilled fighter.

In preparation for the part, Zhang Ziyi spent two months living with an actual blind girl.

Zhang Ziyi's performance earned her a Best Actress nomination at the BAFTA Awards.

Zhang Ziyi featured on the House of Flying Daggers soundtrack with her own musical rendition of the ancient Chinese poem Jia Ren Qu.

Zhang Ziyi next starred in Wong Kar-wai's romantic drama film 2046, which featured many top Chinese actors and actresses.

Zhang Ziyi won Best Actress awards at the Hong Kong Film Critics' Award and Hong Kong Film Academy Award.

In 2005, Zhang Ziyi featured in the critically acclaimed film Jasmine Women, adapted from Su Tong's novel titled Women's Lives.

Zhang Ziyi won Best Actress at the Golden Rooster Awards for her performance.

Zhang Ziyi played the lead role of Sayuri in the American film adaptation based on the international bestseller Memoirs of a Geisha.

On 27 June 2005, Zhang Ziyi accepted an invitation to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, placing her among the ranks of those who are able to vote on the Academy Awards.

In May 2006, Zhang Ziyi was chosen as a jury member of Feature Films at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.

Zhang Ziyi returned to China in 2006 for the Chinese wuxia film The Banquet, directed by Feng Xiaogang.

In 2007, Zhang Ziyi performed the voice of Karai in the American animated film TMNT.

In Forever Enthralled, which tells the story of legendary Peking opera actor Mei Lanfang, Zhang Ziyi appears in the second act as Mei's lover Meng Xiaodong.

Zhang Ziyi then starred alongside Aaron Kwok in the AIDS-themed film Love for Life.

In 2012, Zhang Ziyi starred next to Cecilia Cheung and Jang Dong-gun in the Chinese-Korean co-production Dangerous Liaisons, an adaptation of the French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, narrating Shanghai of the 1930s.

Zhang Ziyi was reportedly paid 20 million RMB for the role.

In 2013, Zhang Ziyi received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres as a Dame for her significant contributions to the film industry.

Zhang Ziyi reunited with Wong Kar-wai and Tony Leung for The Grandmaster, which marks her return to the martial arts genre after 7 years since The Banquet.

In 2014, Zhang Ziyi starred in John Woo's romantic epic The Crossing, based on the true story of the Taiping steamer collision and follows six characters and their intertwining love stories in Taiwan and Shanghai during the 1930s.

Zhang Ziyi plays a poor illiterate woman waiting for her soldier lover in 1930's Shanghai.

In 2015, Zhang Ziyi produced her third film Oh My God, which stars Zhang Ziyi Yixing and Li Xiaolu.

Zhang Ziyi next starred in romance anthology film Run for Love and crime epic The Wasted Times.

In 2016, Zhang Ziyi was cast in JJ Abrams's science fiction thriller The Cloverfield Paradox, which premiered in 2018.

In 2017, Zhang Ziyi was cast in the monster film Godzilla: King of the Monsters, playing a prominent character.

In 2018, Zhang Ziyi was cast in her first television series, Rebel Princess.

In 2019, Zhang Ziyi starred in the adventure drama film The Climbers.

In 2021, Zhang Ziyi made her directorial debut with a short titled "Shi", one of the four stand-alone short tales of the film My Country, My Parents.

Zhang Ziyi won the best new director award at the 2022 Media Honors for the film.

Zhang Ziyi was the first Chinese woman to be appointed as an Emporio Armani ambassador, which she served from 2009 to 2010.

Zhang Ziyi is regarded as one of the Four Dan actresses of China, alongside Zhao Wei, Zhou Xun, and Xu Jinglei.

Zhang Ziyi obtained Hong Kong residency in 2007 through the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme for her contribution to the local film industry.

Zhang Ziyi is an admirer and collector of the works of the Chinese contemporary artist Shen Jingdong.

From 2004 to 2006, Zhang Ziyi was in a relationship with Eric Fok Kai Shan, an heir of the Fok family in Hong Kong.

From late 2011 to 2013, Zhang Ziyi was in a relationship with Chinese host Sa Beining.

In May 2015, Zhang Ziyi married Chinese rock musician Wang Feng.

When Yu's wife discovered the extramarital affair, Zhang Ziyi believed that Zhao tipped her off.

Zhao claimed that Zhang Ziyi had split up with Vivi due to disputes over the prenuptial agreement.

Zhang Ziyi sued Total Entertainment for defamation the day after the magazine report and Vivi issued a statement supporting Zhang Ziyi.

In mid-January 2010, an online post reported that Zhang Ziyi failed to honor her pledge to donate one million yuan to relief charities in the aftermath of the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake, as she donated 840,000 yuan, or 160,000 yuan less than promised.

Zhang Ziyi denied the accusations of charity fraud, but admitted to inexperience when she organized the donation drive.

Zhang Ziyi sued Next Media in Hong Kong and Taiwan over the similar reports by the group's two titles, Apple Daily and Next Magazine, both citing Boxun.

Zhang Ziyi won the case in Hong Kong but lost in Taiwan.

In 2005, Zhang Ziyi was listed in Times World's 100 Most Influential People.

Zhang Ziyi previously won "Star of Tomorrow prize" back in 1999.

In 2013, Zhang Ziyi received the Order of Arts and Letter as a Dame at the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Awards.