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Zhang Ziyi |
Zhang Ziyi first came to the attention of North American viewers through her work in the smash hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, wherein she played a powerful warrior forced to choose between good and evil. While a less-than-memorable role in Rush Hour 2 immediately followed, her appearance in a pair of critically-acclaimed films by Yimou Zhang -- Hero and House of Flying Daggers -- cemented her status as a bona fide movie star. She also enjoyed a role in Kar Kai Wong’s critically acclaimed 2046.
Zhang kicked off 2005 with a role in Princess Raccoon, a film that remains unreleased in North America (potential distributors are likely being scared away by the fact that the actress plays a half-woman/half-raccoon). In December, she appeared in the highly anticipated and much scrutinized Memoirs of a Geisha, which gave rise to a fair degree of controversy due to the casting of several Chinese actors and actresses, including Zhang, as Japanese characters.
2006 looks to be a slow year for Zhang, as she currently has only one film scheduled for release: Ye Yan, a loose adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Aside from that, expect to see Zhang at this year’s Oscars supporting Memoirs of a Geisha; even if she’s not nominated herself, it’s a good bet the film will be.