She may be a celebrated film actress but Zhang Ziyi is doing more than just acting both on- and off-screen. The Weekly finds out more
She may be a celebrated film actress but Zhang Ziyi is doing more than just acting both on- and off-screen. The Weekly finds out more
From top: Zhang Ziyi in House of Flying Daggers; Memoirs of a Geisha; The Grandmaster; and Rush Hour 2; Wang Feng, Ziyi’s partner. Below: The Weibo post Ziyi put up to announce the birth of her baby girl.
2015 was a busy year for Zhang Ziyi. She received an engagement ring at the start of it – on a drone, no less – from her boyfriend of two years, Chinese rocker Wang Feng, 44. They then reportedly got married in May. Later on, Ziyi appeared publicly with a baby bump at a press conference for the latest movie she produced, Oh My God. This then sparked off pregnancy rumours which the 36-year-old neither confirmed nor denied.
Before the year ended, she put these rumours to rest when she publicly announced the birth of her daughter on December 27. She posted a photo of two big hands holding a little hand on Weibo, along with this caption: “With the birth of a little life, we have our own home. All is safe and smooth, infinite gratitude.”
Though all eyes may be focused now on her upgrade to motherhood status, both as stepmother to Wang Feng’s two young daughters and her own little one, it is just one more title that this multi-hyphenate star will add to her already impressive resume.
It started with dance
Though she first rose to global prominence with the movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ziyi started out first as a dancer, not actress.
Her parents first enrolled her in dance classes to help her strengthen her body. She had a natural talent and joined the Beijing Dance Academy at age 11, subsequently winning the national youth dance championship at 15.
Even though she stopped pursuing dance, she credits these formative years for guiding her to the path to becoming an actress. “My parents sent me to a dance class, so it was a road chosen by them, not me. But I enjoyed it so much I knew I would become a performer.”
She then went from one prestigious performing arts school to another, entering the Central Academy of Drama, widely regarded as China’s top acting college. Talent-spotted by director Zhang Yimou while auditioning for a commercial, her first big screen break was The Road Home in 1998.
She next caught the attention of director Lee Ang who cast her as a martial artist, Jen Yu, in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Her many years of training in folk dance helped her tremendously in filming action sequences, allowing her to give the illusion of martial arts abilities. In a cast of many big names such as Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi managed to stand out.
Her first Hollywood screen appearance soon followed, taking on the role of the main villain in Rush Hour 2 and acting alongside Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
Although acting in action films was what propelled her into the limelight, over the years, Ziyi has proven herself to be more than just that Asian girl who kicks butt. For her role in 2004’s House of Flying Daggers, she lived with a blind girl for two months to convincingly portray a blind dancer. And you can add singer to her list of accomplishments – she was the voice behind “The Beauty Song” in House of Flying Daggers.
Flexing her creative muscles
Ziyi has also proved her acting chops in other film genres and worked with the biggest names in Asia’s film industry, including Wong Kar-Wai and Chen Kaige. In Jasmine Women, she portrayed three women from different generations so convincingly that she won Best Actress at China’s 13th Golden Rooster Awards.
Not one to rest on her laurels, she has branched out and flexed her other creative muscles. She has served as a judge at the 59th Cannes Film Festival and headed over to the small screen, joining the judging panel of the Chinese version of The X Factor in 2013. She has also taken a stab at behind-the-scenes work as one of the producers of romantic comedy movie, Sophie’s Revenge.
Acting in the titular role, this marked the first time that Ziyi took on a comedic role, a break from her usual more serious character roles. The greatest challenge for her was not portraying a bubbly girl-next-door – this is close to her true personality, she said – but having to overcome the usual glamorous image that audience have of her on the red carpet.
There is one thing that does have her showing her softer side – Wang Feng. When the rocker first publicly declared, “I will make you the happiest woman in the world!” at his concert in 2013, the actress was captured on screen with tears rolling down her eyes. After clinching Best Actress at the 50th Golden Horse Awards and asked if Wang Feng was the special person in her life that had congratulated her on her win, she replied, “Who else would it be?” And who can forget her swelling up with tears after agreeing to marry Wang Feng on her 36th birthday? Perhaps their new baby will continue to bring out her softer side? Only time will tell.
Despite all the recent life changes that Ziyi has gone through, one thing’s for sure – nothing will stop her from continuing to make waves in the film industry. “Film is too important to me. It’s a medium that lets me communicate directly with audiences and have an impact on society as a whole.” W
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