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BIOGRAPHY

Zhang Ziyi
	BIOGRAPHY | GALLERY | GOSSIP

Zhang Ziyi, born 09 February, 1979, is a Chinese actress. The characters of her name can be literally translated as Zhang (a surname, not to be confused with the more common Zhang), Zi (child), and Yi (happiness). Her name is sometimes seen in the Western order (Ziyi Zhang).

Zhang Ziyi is the daughter of an economist father and a kindergarten teacher. Raised with her older brother in an urban, working-class part of Beijing, Zhang was originally interested in dance and gymnastics.

Her entrance into the dance world came when she was 11, as she was accepted to a secondary school affiliated with Beijing Dancing College. During the 4 years that she was trained in dance, she managed to pick up some awards, including one at the National Young Dancer competition.

But even though a career in dance seemed promising for the graceful Zhang, she became frustrated with the art by the time she was 15, and opted to act instead.

She plays the leading role of Sayuri in the adaptation of the international bestseller Memoirs Of A Geisha, with her Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon co-star Michelle Yeoh, as well as Gong Li, and Ken Watanabe, which was produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Rob Marshall. The film was released in December 2005. Zhang has received a Best Actress - Drama Golden Globe nomination for her role.

Zhang has also been known to sing, and was featured on the House Of Flying Daggers Soundtrack with her own musical rendition of the ancient Chinese poem 'Jia Rén Qu' (The Beauty Song). The song was also featured in a scene in the film.

On 27 June, 2005 it was announced that Zhang had accepted an invitation to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), making the actress amongst the ranks of those able to vote on the Academy Awards. Her formal welcome to AMPAS occurred in Beverly Hills, California on 21 September of that year.