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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Zhang Ziyi: Major Talent or Lucky Starlet?
or some she was the most memorable part of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. They were mesmerized by the dark energy she brings to her portrayal of a freespirited young adventuress. For others she was one more annoying thing about a glacial, poorly edited sword-fight flick. They were left cold by the hard, souless gleam of her obsidian eyes and her puckish face.
Regardless of your opinion of Zhang Ziyi, one fact is indisputable: since the release of CTHD in late 2000, the media has lionized the gamin-faced actress. Virtually every glossy and tabloid has hailed her as the hot new Asian female actor and/or great new beauty. In the heat of CTHD's surprise success Zhang was signed to several projects, including Rush Hour 2, The Legend of Zu, 2046 (a science fiction flick), Hero (a Jet Li kung-fu flick) and Musa (a Corean film set during the wars between the Yuan and Ming Dynasties).
Luck is essential to every success, but Zhang Ziyi appears to have enjoyed more than her share during her brief acting career.
She was born February 9, 1979 in Beijing to an economist father and a kindergarten teacher mother. At the age of 11 she enrolled in a dance school. Four years later she decided to switch to acting despite some promise as a dancer. She went for a shampoo commercial audition and was picked out by the legendary director Zhang Yimou to play a schoolgirl who falls in love with her teacher.
When The Road Home was released in China in 1999, the young actress was promptly dubbed "Little Gong Li" on the popular suspicion that she had followed the great actress into Zhang Yimou's bed. (Zhang Yimou had discovered Gong Li in 1987 and lost her in 1994 when she left him to marry Singaporean businessman Ooi Hoe Siong.)
The Road Home received no attention in the U.S. but won the 2000 Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. It also caught the eye of Ang Lee who was casting Crouching Tiger. No one suspected that the low-budget film he was planning to shoot in China would go on to become the next year's most profitable film, ultimately grossing $150 million worldwide. It turned Zhang Ziyi into an international superstar in one fell, elaborately-wired swoop.
Is Zhang Ziyi really a great beauty and first-rate actor? Or is she a second-rater whose fame is as un-credible as her CTHD fight sequences?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:49:57 PM)
Zhang Ziyi is the best actress in the world. Period!
Hidden Dragon
Monday, April 08, 2002 at 09:25:17 (PDT)
lol! you people are so funny! zhang is number 1 no lie! hehe.
zhao di's lover
Friday, April 05, 2002 at 14:39:53 (PST)
I cannot believe that anyone would even suggest rating this actress. Whether she was Asian, African- American or Hispanic. This is not about beauty it'a about talent. Acting for any female who is from another ethnic group is challenging. I am not an actress however you have got to be aggresive is such an arena. I am an African- American female who knows the challenges all African- American have faced during the past 60 years.
So instead of rating and worry about beauty, all asian actresses so do what all other ethnic women have do, audition , even if you don't get the part. You have to be persistent, Halle Berry, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Angel Bassett, Loretta Devine, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Nia Long, did not become over night sensations. They worked hard they crawled before they walked, by taking parts of movies which was written for Caucasian actresses. If you want to be recognized you have to go out and earn it. I love Asian movies, I respect the hard work these actors and actresses have done throught the years. I cannot get enough of these movies, as a matter of fact i buy asian movies every month. So some of us are very loyal and enjoy watching good acting from other diverse cultures.
Persistency
Mahogany0789@aol.com
Friday, April 05, 2002 at 10:35:50 (PST)
All I can say is that Toby Maguire was DAMN LUCKY to get that photo with ZZ in GQ. She is DANG FOINE in that little micro-mini dress of hers! WHOO-HOO!!!
Lover of Hot Women
Wednesday, April 03, 2002 at 11:22:26 (PST)
grrrr,
Meow..scratch, scratch.
I did not say she was degrading, or a prostitute....
I'm just pointing out that some actress will date certain people for publicity or career moves.
AC Dropout
Tuesday, April 02, 2002 at 10:57:56 (PST)
re: IMO-You are great!
"Ziyi is dumb as hell"
"she had a surgery"
WTF? listen, cretin, if you have no solid evidence to back up these assumptions then it would be wise to keep your mouth shut.
your post reeks of jealousy. everything you said is a nitpick on something, which extremely overexaggerated.
perhaps you are jealous of asian girls being successful, because you are not.
bobo
Tuesday, April 02, 2002 at 01:22:05 (PST)
Be real!
ZZ will be like Sophia Loren, Catherine Deneuve, or Gong Li. They might have a few stints with Hollywood. They would not move their base from Asia to US. D
FOP
Tuesday, April 02, 2002 at 00:32:10 (PST)
Plotting to seduce the next white boy? What the hell are you talking about AC Dropout. Your use of words are very degrading. You make her sound like a prostitute. She is an ACTRESS, not a hooker.
grrrr
Monday, April 01, 2002 at 11:22:10 (PST)
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