|
Born in Beijing China
Feburary 9, 1979
Zhang Ziyi was born in Beijing, China.
Attended Central Academy of Drama
June 1, 1994
Zhang joined the Beijing Dance Academy at the age of 11, and at 15 she entered China's prestigious Central Academy of Drama (regarded as the top acting college in China).
The Road Home
January 1, 1999
At the age of 19, Zhang was offered her first role in Yimou's The Road Home, which won the Silver Bear award in the 2000 Berlin Film Festival.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
January 1, 2000
Zhang further rose to fame due to her role as the headstrong Jen in the phenomenally successful Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, for which she won the Independent Spirit's Best Supporting Actress Award and the Toronto Film Critics' Best Supporting Actress Award.
Rush Hour 2
January 1, 2001
Zhang's first appearance in an American movie was in Rush Hour 2, but because she didn't speak English at the time, Jackie Chan had to translate everything the director said to her. In the movie, her character's name, "Hu Li," is translated from Mandarin Chinese to "Fox".
MTV Movie Award
January 1, 2001
Breakthrough Female Performance for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Hero
January 1, 2002
Zhang then appeared in Hero, with her early mentor Yimou, which was a huge success in the English-speaking world and an Oscar and a Golden Globe contender. She co-stars with Jet Li among others.
Purple Butterfly
April 30, 2003
House of Flying Daggers
January 1, 2004
Zhang went back to the martial arts genre with House of Flying Daggers, which earned her a Best Actress nomination from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
2046
January 1, 2004
In 2046, directed by Wong Kar-wai, starring many of the best-known Chinese actors and actresses, Zhang was the female lead and won the Hong Kong Film Critics' Best Actress Award and the Hong Kong Film Academy's Best Actress Award.
Princess Raccoon
January 1, 2005
Showing her whimsical musical tap-dancing side, Zhang starred in Princess Raccoon, directed by Japanese legend Seijun Suzuki, who was honored at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.
Memoirs of a Geisha
January 1, 2005
In 2005, Zhang landed the lead role of Sayuri in the film adaptation of the international bestseller Memoirs of a Geisha. For the film, she reunited with her 2046 co-star Gong Li and with her Crouching Tiger co-star Michelle Yeoh. For the role, Zhang received a 2006 Golden Globe Award nomination, a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination and a BAFTA nomination.
Vote in Academy Awards
June 27, 2005
On June 27, 2005, it was announced that Zhang had accepted an invitation to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), placing her among the ranks of those able to vote on the Academy Awards.
Golden Globe Award
January 1, 2006
Ziyi won Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama for Memoirs of a Geisha
MTV Movie Award
January 1, 2006
Ziyi won Sexiest Performance for Memoirs of a Geisha.
The Banquet
September 1, 2006
In the fall of 2006, Zhang played Empress Wan in The Banquet (Yè Yàn 夜宴), a film set in the Tang Dynasty.
Dating Multi-millionaire
January 1, 2007
In January 2007, Zhang was spotted holding hands and kissing her new partner at a New York basketball game. The man was identified as 41-year-old, Israeli multi-millionaire and venture capitalist, Vivi Nevo. The two were again seen together at an Oscar party in Los Angeles. Nevo, who has previously been tied to model Kate Moss, is a major shareholder in Time Warner and an early backer of The Weinstein Company with whom Zhang is purported to have a multi-film deal
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
March 23, 2007
Zhang provided the voice of Karai in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie that was released on March 23, 2007.
