Biography of Ziyi Zhang

Chinese actress and model, Zhang Ziyi is one of the most popular Asian actresses and is also considered one of China’s Four Dan Actresses. She is best known for her appearances in Rush Hour 2 (2001) , Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004). Her performance in Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) garnered her nominations for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Leading Role, and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Ziyi has won 12 different awards for her role as Gong Er in the 2013 film The Director.which made her the most awarded Chinese actress for a single film. Zhang married her rock musician boyfriend Wang Feng in May 2015 and the couple is blessed with a daughter, Wang Xingxing . She lives in Los Angeles along with her family.

Early life of Ziyi Zhang

Zhang Ziyi was born on February 9, 1979 in Beijing, China to Zhang Yuanxiao , an accountant, economist, and Li Zhuosheng , a kindergarten teacher. She is Chinese and belongs to the Han ethnic group. She was raised together with her older brother, Zhang Zinan .

Zhang started dancing at the age of 8 and attended the Beijing Dance Academy. But she didn’t like the school environment of hers and she even ran away from the academy once.

She won the national junior dance champions when she was 15 years old and began appearing in television commercials. In 1996, she joined the prestigious Beijing Central Academy of Drama.

Ziyi Zhang’s career

Zhang Ziyi began her acting career shortly after her graduation. She debuted her acting career in 1999 with Zhang Yimou’s directing company, The Way Home . She played the role of a country girl which earned her Hundred Flowers Awards in 2000.

Rose to international fame for her role as Jen in the 2000 blockbuster film, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon . He made his Hollywood debut with the movie Rush Hour 2. He then appeared in numerous movies such as Hero (2002), Purple Butterfly (2003), House of Flying Daggers (2004), 2046 (2004), Jasmine Women (2005), The Banquet (2006) and much more.

In 2007, Zhang Ziyi voiced the character Karai in the American animated film, TMNT . Some of his other Chinese and Hollywood movies include The Horsemen , Sophie’s Revenge , The Headmaster , The Crossing , Oh My God , The Cloverfield Paradox , Godzilla: King of the Monsters .

Ziyi Zhang Awards and Honors

Zhang Ziyi has won 31 awards in her 22-year film career. In 2001, she was awarded Golden Bauhinia Awards and MTV Movie Awards for her performance in the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon . She won Best Actress awards for Purple Butterfly and Jasmine Women in 2004.

Zhang received three Huabiao Awards in the Outstanding Actress category. Her astonishing performance as Wong Kar Wai in the film, The Director , won 12 awards for her including Asian Film Award, Asia-Pacific Film Festival, Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, Hong Kong Film Awards. Kong and others

Zhang Ziyi was honored with Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Cinema at the 11th Shanghai International Film Festival in 2008. She was also awarded Actress of the Decade for Cinema Asia and was also awarded the Order of Arts and Letters at the Ordre des Arts et des Letters.

Ziyi Zhang Net Worth

Zhang Ziyi is one of the richest Asian actresses with a total net worth of $100 million. She is paid around $1 million for her appearance in the movies. She also endorses popular brands like Coca-Cola, Omega Watches, Visa, Maybelline, and Garnier. According to some online sources, Zhang earns between $1 million and $3 million from promoting the brands.

In 2014, Taylor Swift made $26 million by endorsing Coca-Cola. Zhang is also one of the popular faces of Coca-Cola, she may not earn like Swift, but her brand value is in the millions. Zhang was a former model of Tag Heuer watches, Korean mineral water, Pantene and Lenovo shampoo. She also endorses the Maybelline beauty product.

He has worked on numerous blockbusters, and some of them are listed below:

Ziyi Zhang controversy

In 2012, Zhang Ziyi was caught up in the high-class prostitution scandal after an overseas Chinese website, Boxun, reported that Zhang made $100 million by prostituting herself with a series of powerful Chinese politicians. Bo Xilai .

Zhang later sued Boxun for defamation in a US court and won the case. The court ordered the Chinese website to pay its large undisclosed amount and even asked it to apologize on the front page. Similarly, he won another case involving the same false reports against Apple Daily and Next Magazine.

Ziyi Zhang’s personal life

Zhang Ziyi is married to a rock musician Wang Feng . The duo tied the knot in an intimate family ceremony in May 2015. The duo welcomed their daughter. Wang Xingxing on December 27, 2015. As of 2018, she along with her husband and her daughter reside in Los Angeles.

Prior to Feng, Zhang shared a romantic relationship with Israeli venture capitalist, Living Nephew . The duo dated for three years until their official split in 2010. In 2008, they confirmed their engagement but never made it down the aisle.

In 2007, Zhang was granted Hong Kong residency for his contribution to the local film industry through the Quality Migrant Admission Program. He is also one of the members of the China Zhi Gong Party.

In 2011, Zhang was ranked second by FHM Taiwan’s 100 Sexiest Women. Teen People magazine named her one of the 25 Hottest Stars Under 25 in two consecutive years, 2001 and 2002. She was also listed on FHM’s 100 Sexiest Girls of 2002. In 2004, Forbes magazine ranked her as its second most popular Chinese celebrity after NBA player Ming. Yao.

The Los Angeles Times listed her below the 50 Most Beautiful Female Celebrities. In 2007, Zhang voted ‘ES!’ s ‘Sexiest Action Stars’ and the 100 Most Beautiful People in the World. Zhang is a global ambassador for the Special Olympics movement and CCPF, which provides medical care for orphans in China. She was the image ambassador of the 1st Beijing International Film Festival.

Here is an interview with Ziyi Zhang at The Grandmaster LA Screening.