elly Chen is best known as a pop songstress with stunning ice-queen features who knows how to strut her stuff on the concert stage. It will be a bit of shock to see her as a steely-eyed armor-clad warrior princess swinging a mean sword against battle-hardened men in the latest big-budget martial arts epic An Empress and the Warriors. Yet she reportedly holds her own against co-stars Donnie Yen, Leon Lai and Guo Xiadong.
Kelly fans won't have to worry that the blood and sweat might besmirch her perfect features. An Empress and the Warriors eschews the gritty, grungey uncouth elements of modern historical actioners in favor of a sanitized look that somehow melds steel armor fetchingly with feminine allure. That's important because Chen's character is charged with handling the ardor of two cinematic love interests while trying to revive the kingdom once ruled by her dead father. The film is set for release this spring.
Hong Kong singer Kelly Chen promotes An Empress and the Warriors in a Hong Kong shopping mall on Sunday, March 16, 2008.
(AP Photo/Lo Sai Hung)
Kelly Chen was born September 13, 1973 in Hong Kong. After her primary education, she attended the Kobe Canadian Academy in Japan, then studied graphic design at the Parsons School in New York City. She has earned a lot of respect for her charity work with organizations like UNICEF and Red Crescent. She was named an Outstanding Young Person of the World in 2004.
Chen's career began in 1994 when she was spotted by an agent and recruited to appear in the film Whatever Will Be, Will Be (1995) in which she sang vocals on the title soundtrack. That led to the release of her first album later that year. Her film career took off in 1996 when she co-starred opposite Takeshi Kaneshiro. Since then she has appeared in a number of well distributed films, including Infernal Affairs and Tokyo Raiders.
Hong Kong pop star Kelly Chen attends a promotional event for a music school in Hong Kong Thursday, Jan. 19, 2006.
(AP Photo/Lo Sai-hung)
Thurs, March 13, 2008 3:05 PM
NEW YORK (AP)
Hong Kong star Kelly Chen promotes An Empress and the Warriors in a Hong Kong shopping mall on Sunday, March 16, 2008.
(AP Photo/Lo Sai Hung)
Hong Kong singer Kelly Chen performs at the world premiere of House of Flying Daggers, the latest film by famed Chinese director Zhang Yimou, at Beijing's Workers' Gymnasium Saturday July 10, 2004.
(AP Photo/Greg Baker)
elly Chen is best known as a pop songstress with stunning ice-queen features who knows how to strut her stuff on the concert stage. It will be a bit of shock to see her as a steely-eyed armor-clad warrior princess swinging a mean sword against battle-hardened men in the latest big-budget martial arts epic An Empress and the Warriors. Yet she reportedly holds her own against co-stars Donnie Yen, Leon Lai and Guo Xiadong.
