Her father is a state economist and mother a kindergarten school teacher. Attended Gymnastics School at age 11 and known to be unhappy there. At 13 attended Beijing Dance Academy, studying ballet and winning an award at the National Young Dancer Competition, which she also quit at 15, deciding a dance career was not for her. Did her first television drama, Touching Starlight, at 16. She then was accepted into the prestigious Beijing Central Academy of Drama. While still a student, she found herself auditioning for a shampoo commercial in 1998 when spotted by Zhang Yimou, who was scouting "a fresh face" for The Road Home, landing her first feature film role in 1999, which won the Gran Prix Silver Bear at Berlin. Subsequently referred to Ang Lee by Yimou for Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, 2000, which won 4 Academy Awards. She went on to roles in Tsui Hark's Legend of Zu, Kim Sung Soo's Korean epic MUSA and Bret Ratner's Rush Hour 2, costarring with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. She speaks Mandarin as a native speaker and is fluent in Japanese, self-taught.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Appearances