Zhang Ziyi

Zhang Ziyi ([ʈʂáŋ tsɹ̩̀.ǐ]; Chinese: 章子怡; born 9 February 1979) is a Chinese actress, model, and former dancer. She is regarded as one of the Four Dan Actresses of China. Born and raised in Beijing, Zhang studied at the Beijing Dance Academy and began her six-year study of folk dance in 1990. In 1994, she won the performance award in the National Taoli Cup Dance Competition. She was admitted to the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama in 1996. That year, she made her acting debut in the television film Touching Starlight (1996). After her breakout role in Zhang Yimou's The Road Home (1999), which won her the Best Actress Award at the 2000 Hundred Flowers Awards, Zhang gained international recognition for her performance in the wuxia martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards. Zhang made her Hollywood debut in 2001 opposite Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in the action comedy film ()