Ziyi Zhang

Zhang Ziyi (zhang1-z^3.yi2; ; born 9 February 1979) is a Chinese actress and model. She is considered one of the Four Dan Actresses of China, and one of the most well-known Asian actresses in the West. Her first major role was in The Road Home (1999). She later achieved fame for her role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). Zhang is known for being a "Yimou Girl", as she frequently collaborated with director Zhang Yimou. Zhang is best known for her appearances in Rush Hour 2 (2001), Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004), 2046 (2004) and The Banquet (2006). Her most critically acclaimed works are Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), which earned her a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role; and The Grandmaster (2013), for which she won 12 different Best Actress awards to become the most awarded Chinese actress for a single film. From 2004 to 2010, Zhang ranked in the Top 5 of Forbes China Celebrity 100 list every year. In 2008, she was awarded with the "Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Cinema" award at the 11th Shanghai International Film Festival. In 2013, she received the French Cultural Order at the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Awards.