![]() The film would be a hit, but Zhang would focus on films back home for a bit before returning to Hollywood for the double whammy of… TMNT and the Dennis Quaid movie Horsemen. The latter would catch the attention of director Rob Marshall, who would cast her in the role that would take her into stardom as a dramatic actress, Memoirs of a Geisha. Zhang Ziyi’s part in taking Chinese cinema to an international audience can’t be overstated, with the actress next appearing alongside Jet Li in Hero before hitting gold again alongside Andy Lau in House of Flying Daggers, both leading to massive success in America. She would garner more praise, leading to more roles in not just Hollywood but back home as well. Though there would be some hurdles as Zhang was not fluent in English yet, Jackie Chan being the legend he is helped her translate and make the best impression possible to American audiences after her more dramatic role in Crouching Tiger. That role would put her right next to another legendary Chinese actor, Jackie Chan, in Rush Hour 2. ![]() She would garner massive acclaim alongside co-star and Oscar winner(Finally!) Michelle Yeoh, leading to Zhang being cast in her first Hollywood role the next year. The film would utilize her dance abilities to substitute for martial arts, adding to the intricate fight scenes in amazing ways. Two roles in Chinese made-for-television movies quickly led to being cast in director Ang Lee’s martial arts masterpiece, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She would break out not long after, taking roles in television and commercials in China while studying her craft. Not long after she would make the move to acting, tired of the cutthroat and toxic nature of the professional dance business. She would begin dancing at a young age, expressing a natural talent for the art that lead her to enroll in one of China’s most prestigious dance academies at the age of eleven before entering and winning a national dance contest at fifteen. Zhang was born to a small family in Beijing, China in February of 1979, the youngest of two children. With those roles almost twenty years past though, where have you seen her lately? That said, as prolific as her work in her homeland has been, she’s made a massive mark on American cinema with roles in some of the best modern martial arts films as well as dramatic hits like Memoirs of a Geisha. ![]() Zhang Ziyi is one of the most prolific foreign actresses, so it’s understandable if you don’t recognize her name right away if it comes to Hollywood films.
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