Gong Li (born 31 December 1965) is a Chinese actress. Gong first came into international prominence through close collaboration with Chinese director Zhang Yimou and is credited with helping to bring Chinese cinema to Europe and the United States.She has twice been awarded the Golden Rooster and the Hundred Flowers Awards as well as the Berlinale Camera, Cannes Festival Trophy, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle Award, and Volpi Cup.
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress, Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress, Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress, Hundred Flowers Award for Best Supporting Actress, Volpi Cup for Best Actress
Nominations
Asian Film Award for Best Actress, National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress, David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress, Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Drama
Movies
Curse of the Golden Flower, Coming Home, Memoirs of a Geisha, Ju Dou, Miami Vice, Raise the Red Lantern, Farewell My Concubine, Red Sorghum, To Live, Hannibal Rising, The Story of Qiu Ju, Shanghai Triad, The Monkey King 2, The Emperor and the Assassin, 2046, Flirting Scholar, Zhou Yu's Train, Chines...
Star Sign
Capricorn
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Quote
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[on the differences in acting in Chinese vs. Hollywood films]: In terms of performance, it's not that different. Of course in terms of dialogue, there is a language difference, and this does make a difference. When I speak in English, my expressions become different. My attitude too. I'm not sure why, but there really is a difference. My hands move differently when I speak English. But in terms of performance, it's not that different. It won't be that because I'm in a foreign film that my approach is different. My training allowed me to make contact with a number of different possibilities. Four years in college let me work with excellent teachers who gave me a good foundation.
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[on Rob Marshall]: The most extraordinary thing about Rob Marshall is the way he works. For one thing: he is always encouraging, always supportive. Whatever we do, he says "Perfect", "Elegant", "Very Good", etc. Even if you're not the best actress in the world, he will keep supporting and encouraging, so that you will feel like "oh my Gosh, I'm such a great actress, I can be a great actress!' And this really helped us a lot, because it really inspired us to give him our all. Every time we tried a scene, we would give him more and more. The other thing about Rob Marshall is his way of rehearsing. We rehearsed the whole film all the way through, from beginning to end, before we started shooting each scene. We had to memorize all the lines. They set up a simple set for us to practice and we ran our lines, adjusting some, so we knew what we were doing when we actually started filming it. We rehearsed the whole thing even before we split up the screenplay into shots, so we knew the whole script all the way through. This is something we just don't do in China. And it's very refreshing and different for me. And now I'm convinced this is a very good way to work.
3
The important things are the script and the director. I have been waiting around to get the right script and the right director. For example, in the past if a Hollywood director came to me with a script and wanted me to play a character and she was a stereotypical Asian woman who gets into a fight and gets killed off quickly, that didn't seem to have much interest for me.
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The important thing for me when I look at characters is to consider the kind of constraints placed upon them. Now, me personally, I don't like to have a lot of constraints placed upon me. When you look at a script, of course, you look at a character and sometimes the character has to face situations that are very different from what you would like to face, or how you would like to react.
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For me the beauty of a person is a matter of the whole package. You have to look at the whole thing, not just a matter of outward appearance or whatever. It has to do with one's character, personality, upbringing and so on
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Fact
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First Chinese actress/actor on the cover of TIME magazine.
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In 2010 Gong Li was presented with the "Commandeur of the Legion of Honor" the highest decoration from the French government. She is the only Chinese woman ever to receive it.
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Named one of CNN's "25 greatest Asian actors of all time".
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Recipient of the 2007 Chinese World Influence Award.
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Appointed in 2008 by the United Nations(UNEP) as the "Global Environmental Ambassador", along with Mikhail Gorbachev , Richard Branson, Samuel Etoo Angelique Kinjo, Gabriel Yared.
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#52 on Premiere magazines "100 sexiest movie stars of all time" (2008).
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Voted "Most beautiful woman in China" 2006.
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Her father and her older sister both died of cancer.
Can understand English but is uncomfortable in speaking it off camera and in interviews. Usually finds its easier to learn her lines for her English speaking roles phonetically.
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Youngest person to be honored with the "Trophy of the Festival" award at Cannes.
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Was chosen and honored as one of TIME Magazine's "60 Years of Asian Heroes".
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She was presented the French government's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in June 1998 for contributions to the cinema.
Her performance as Juxian in Farewell My Concubine (1993) (aka "Farewell My Concubine") (1993) is ranked #89 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).
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Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997
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Head juror of the 2003 Tokyo International Film Festival
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Head juror of the 2002 Venice Film Festival
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Head juror of the 2000 Berlin International Film Festival
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Received New York Film Critics award for Farewell My Concubine (1993) (aka Farewell My Concubine).
$700,000
