The Life of Zhang Ziyi

Zhang Ziyi was born on February 9th, 1980 in the capital city of China, Beijing.  She is the daughter of an economist father, Zhang Yuanxiao.  Her mother, Li Zhousheng, is a kindergarten teacher.  She was raised with her older brother, Zhang Zinan, in a working class, urban section of Beijing.  However, Zhang was originally interested in dancing and gymnastics as a career.  She entered bravely into the dance world when she was only eleven years old.  As turned out, she was accepted into a secondary school affiliated with Beijing Dancing College.  She was four years in this school.  During her time there, she earned some awards which included the National Young Dancer competition.  Even so, her promising career as a dancer came to an end when she became interested in acting instead.  It has been said that Zhang simply became frustrated by the art of dancing.

This young woman enrolled in the Central Drama Academy in Beijing where she then recieved dramatic training.  Zhang Ziyi became successful in her new career when she least expected it.  She auditioned for a shampoo commercial which was directed by the influential director Zhang Yimou.  He knew that Zhang was the perfect choice for the part of a young, rural schoolgirl in love with a schoolteacher.  She was promptly cast in the lead role of 1999's "The Road Home."  When this film was released in China, Zhang Ziyi was given the nickname "Little Gong Li."  This was in reference to the mega-popular Asian actress, Gong Li.  While this may appear to sound like a compliment, the nickname is not intended as such.  In fact, it refers to an alleged affair that Zhang Ziyi had with the director Zhang Yimou.  Gong Li was once considered the director's mistress, but they reportedly broke up in 1994.  Both Zhang Ziyi and Zhang Yimou have denied that any affair took place between them.

When director Ang Lee was casting actors for his martial arts film, "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon," he had a famous Taiwanese actress in mind for the role of Jen Yu.  However, after he viewed the film "The Road Home" he decided that Zhang Ziyi was the actress for this important role.  Ang Lee's film became one of the biggest hits of the year 2000.  It turned out to be the most popular foreign film in U.S. history.  It went on to earn a stunning $130 million at the box office.  It also garnered 4 Academy Awards, including a long list of other awards.

This tremendous success ensured that Zhang Ziyi would become a familiar face to filmgoers.  In this film she shares fight scenes with Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat.  There is also a sexually explicit scene with Chang Chen in the Gobi Desert as well.  Zhang Ziyi garnered 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 also became one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World that same year.

Harlan Urwiler

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