Zhang Ziyi

Zhang Ziyi ([ʈʂáŋ tsɹ̩̀.ǐ]; Chinese: 章子怡; born 9 February 1979), sometimes credited as Ziyi Zhang, is a Chinese actress, known for playing independent and strong-willed characters. Born and raised in Beijing, Zhang was admitted to the Central Academy of Drama in 1996. That year, she made her acting debut in the television film Touching Starlight (1996). After her breakout role in Zhang Yimou's The Road Home (1999), which won her Best Actress at the 23rd Hundred Flowers Awards, she gained international fame for her performance in Ang Lee's wuxia film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).

Zhang made her Hollywood debut as a villain in Rush Hour 2 (2001), followed by Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). She reunited with Zhang Yimou in the films Hero (2002) and House of Flying Daggers (2004). She collaborated with Wong Kar-wai on 2046 (2004), for which she won Best Actress at the 24th Hong Kong Film Awards, and on The Grandmaster (2013), for which she received 12 Best Actress awards, making her the most awarded Chinese actress for a single film.

Zhang is regarded as one of the Four Dan actresses of China. From 2004 to 2010, she 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. One of the most recognisable Asian actresses in the world, Time called her "China's gift to Hollywood" in 2005. The same year, Time named her one of the 100 Most Influential People. In 2013, she received the French Cultural Order of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.