In 2009, Ms. Zhang was named the woman with the most social influence in China by Forbes magazine, after five consecutive years on its “Most Influential” list. In 2005, she was among the “The Time 100”, Time magazine’s list of the world’s most influential people. In the same year, she was featured as the face of China in Newsweek’s feature story “China’s Century.”
She recently completed filming her first contemporary romantic comedy “Sophie’s Revenge”, a Chinese language film by first-time director Eva Jin, which Ms.Zhang also produced.
Ms. Zhang starred in Chen Kai-ge’s “Mei Lan Fang” which was featured in competition at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival. Her first English-language role was in "Memoirs of a Geisha,” directed by Rob Marshall. For this role, she received Best Actress nominations from the 2006 Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and British Film Academy Awards. Her role in Wong Kar-Wei’s “2046” garnered her rave reviews world wide. Prior to that, she starred in Zhang Yimou’s "House of Flying Daggers,” “Hero” and “The Road Home”.
Ms. Zhang is most well-known for her critically acclaimed performance in Ang Lee's stunning "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Released in 2000, Ms. Zhang received 14 nominations world-wide. She won the 2001 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress and 2000 Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress, among many others.
In 2006, she became the youngest member to serve on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival. In 2009, she returned as Cinefondation and Short Film juror.
Ms. Zhang is the Global Ambassador for Special Olympics. She and Governor Schwarznegger officiated at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai. Ms. Zhang is also the Ambassador for Care for Children, a charity foundation that puts China’s orphans into local foster-homes.
Ms. Zhang was born and bred in Beijing and she still calls it home.
Filmography and Awards
1998 THE ROAD HOME (Dir: Zhang Yimou)
Grand Jury Silver Bear prize at 50th Berlin International Film Festival
Best Feature Film, 36th Golden Rooster Awards (National Chinese Film Awards)
Best Actress, 23rd One Hundred Flowers Awards (China Public Polling Awards)
Best Actress, 5th Iranian International Film Festival Award
1999 CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (Dir: Ang Lee)
Official selection 52nd Cannes Film Festival
Best Picture, 73rd Academy Awards
Best Foreign Language Film, 73rd Academy Awards
Best Foreign Language Film, 58th Golden Globes Awards
Best Film, 37th Golden Horse Awards (Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival)
Best Supporting Actress, 2001 Independent Spirit Awards, (IFP/LA)
Best Supporting Actress, 25th Toronto Film Critics Association Awards
Best Supporting Actress, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
Most Promising Actress, 13th Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Best New Comer, CineAsia Awards
Best Supporting Actress, Golden Bauhinia Awards (HK Film Critics Association)
Best Fight, 2001 MTV Movie Awards
Breakthrough Female Performance, 2001 MTV Movie Awards
Best Young Actress in an International Film, 22nd Young Artists Awards, (Young Artists Foundation)
Best Actress Nomination, 37th Golden Horse Awards (Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival)
Best Supporting Actress Nomination, 2001 Hong Kong Film Awards
Best Supporting Actress Nomination, 2000 BAFTA (British Academy of Films)
Best Supporting Actress Nomination, Saturn Awards (Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA)
Best Supporting Actress Nomination, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Best Supporting Actress Nomination, 2004 Online Film Critics Society Awards
2000 MUSA aka WARRIORS (Korean Dir: Jin Shann Shing).
Retitled “Princess of the Desert” in some countries
2000 RUSH HOUR 2 (Dir: Brett Ratner)
Best Villian, 2002 MTV Movie Awards
2001 HERO (Dir: Zhang Yimou)
Best Film Nomination, Berlin Film Festival
Best Foreign Film Nomination, 75th Academy Awards
Best Foreign Film Nomination, 60th Golden Globes Awards
Best Supporting Actress Nomination, 2003 Hong Kong Film Awards
2002 PURPLE BUTTERFLY (Dir: Lou Ye)
56th Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or Competition
Best Actress, 4th Chinese Film Media Awards
2003 “2046” (Dir: Wong Kar-Wai)
57th Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or Competition
Best Actress, Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
Best Actress Nomination, 41st Golden Horse Awards
Best Actress Nomination, 5th Chinese Film Media Awards
Best Actress Award, 24th Hong Kong Film Awards
2003 JASMINE WOMEN (Dir: Hou Yong)
Best Actress, 42nd Golden Rooster Award (National Chinese Film Awards)
Best Actress Nomination, 10th Huabiao Awards (Chinese Government Film Festival)
Best Actress Nomination, Shanghai International Film Festival Awards
2003 HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS aka LOVERS (Dir: Zhang Yimou)
57th Cannes Film Festival Official selection
Best Foreign Language Film Nomination, 62nd Golden Globes Awards
Best Foreign Language Film Nomination, 2004 BAFTA
Best Actress, CC-TV/MTV Awards
Best Actress Nomination; 2004 BAFTA (British Academy of Films)
2004 PRINCESS RACCOON (Dir: Seijun Suzuki)
2005 MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA (Dir: Rob Marshall)
Best Actress Nomination, 63rd Golden Globes Awards
Best Actress Nomination, 12th Annual SAG Awards
Best Actress Nomination, 2005 BAFTA
2006 THE BANQUET (Dir: Feng Xiao Gang)
2007 HORSEMEN (Dir: Jonas Ackerlund)
2007 MEI LAN-FANG (Dir: Chen Kai-Ge)
2009 SOPHIE’S REVENT (Dir: Eva Jin)
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