Zhang Ziyi is a Chinese actress and model. Her first major role was in The Road Home. She later gained international recognition for her role in Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards.
Birth Name
Zhang Ziyi
Nickname
Zhang
Profession
Actress, Model
Nationality
Chinese
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Zhang Ziyi was born on February 09, 1979, in Beijing, China.
Age
She is currently 40 years old.
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Ethnicity
Chinese
She has Han ancestry.
Religion
Her religious views aren’t known.
Education
Zhang Ziyi started taking dance lessons at the age of 8. By the age of 11, she got enrolled at the Beijing Dance Academy on her parents’ advice. However, she didn’t like the atmosphere at the boarding school and ran away from the school. But she eventually managed to graduate from the academy. In 1996, she got enrolled at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing. She was 17 years old at that time.
Family
- Father – Zhang Yuanxiao (Accountant and Economist)
- Mother – Li Zhuosheng (Kindergarten Teacher)
- Siblings – Zhang Zinan (Older Brother)
Marital Status
Married
Boyfriend / Spouse
Zhang Ziyi has dated –
- Zhang Yimou (1999) – Zhang was reported to be going out with director Zhang Yimou, who had given her first break in acting, in 1999. It was claimed that they had grown close while working on the TV movie, The Road Home.
- Jung Woo-sung (2001) – Zhang was going out with South Korean actor Jung Woo-sung in 2001. They had reportedly grown close while working in the South Korean epic movie, Musa, which is known as The Warrior and The Ultimate Warrior in the western countries.
- Jackie Chan (2001) – In 2001, the Chinese and Hong Kong-based tabloids linked her with the iconic actor Jackie Chan. It was claimed that their cozy equation had helped her settle down on the sets of The Rush Hour 2 more comfortably.
- Brett Ratner (2001) – Towards the end of 2001, Ziyi was also rumored to be dating director Brett Ratner. She had worked with him in The Rush Hour 2.
- Eric Fok Kai-shan (2004-2006) – Zhang Ziyi was first linked with Eric Fok Kai-shan, the second son of tycoon Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, in early months of 2004. They were eventually spotted together in April 2004. They dated for about two years before going separate ways in 2006. They were again linked with each other towards the end of 2010. They were spotted getting cozy in Macau. When responding to the media about dating rumors, he didn’t say anything but his mischievous smirk hinted at something.
- Aviv Nevo (2006-2010) – The rumors of Zhang going out with the American and Israeli venture capitalist, Aviv Nevo, who is also the biggest stakeholder in Time Warner, first started swirling around in 2006. Soon after, it was rumored that they had even got engaged. In 2008, the engagement rumors were confirmed by Nevo. Towards the end of 2009, they were having troubles with their relationship. The Chinese media claimed that they were having disagreements over property distribution. The reports of their breakup were refuted by her camp in 2009. However, it was made public in 2010 that they had called off their engagement.
- Sa Beining (2011-2013) – The reports of Zhang going out with TV host Sa Beining first surfaced at the end of summer of 2011. They had first met in May 2011 after she had appeared on his TV show to promote her new movie, Love for Life. He actively pursued her for 4 months before they officially started dating in 2011. They eventually ended their relationship in 2013.
- Wang Feng (2013-Present) – Soon after her separation from Sa Beining, Zhang found solace in the arms of rock musician Wang Feng. Shortly after, they made their relationship public. In February 2015, he proposed to her and they got married in May 2015. She gave birth to a daughter, Wang Xingxing in December 2015. After their marriage, she also became stepmother to his two daughters from his previous relationship.
Physical Statistics
Height
- Feet – 5 feet 5 inches
- Centimeters – 165 cm
- Meters – 1.65 m
Weight
- Kilograms – 50 kg
- Pounds – 110 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements – 35-28-36
- Bust – 35 inches
- Waist – 28 inches
- Hip – 36 inches
- Bra Size – 32D
Body Build
Slim
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Hair Color
Black
Shoe Size
She wears a size 7.5 (US) shoe.
Dress Size
Her dress size is 5 (US).
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Being cast in the leading role in the popular martial arts movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). Having played the supporting role in the action comedy movie, Rush Hour 2, which had Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in the leading roles.
Film Debut
In 1999, Zhang made her theatrical film debut in the Chinese romantic drama movie, The Road Home.
Television Debut
In 2001, Zhang Ziyi made her first TV show appearance as herself in the game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Brand Endorsements
Zhang has collaborated with leading labels to promote their products such as Maybelline (cosmetics), Tag Heuer watches, 2% (Korean mineral water), Pantene Shampoo, Coca-Cola (Asia), Lenovo Computers, Omega Watches, Visa, Garnier, Precious Platinum, Visa Card and Kao Corp. Asience shampoo (Japan).
Zhang Ziyi Favorites
- Favorite Food – Ice Cream
- Favorite Movie – Chicago (2002)
- Favorite Jeans Brand – American Rag
- Favorite City – Los Angeles
Zhang Ziyi Net worth
Zhang’s net worth is estimated at around $20 million dollars as of 2019.
Social Media Profiles
She doesn’t have any official social media account.
Some Lesser Known Facts About Zhang Ziyi
- At the age of 15, she managed to win the national youth dance championship, which eventually helped her bag gigs in a series of commercials in Hong Kong.
- In 2001, the FHM Taiwan placed her in the second spot in the list featuring 100 Sexiest Women. In 2002, the FHM UK included her in the similar list.
- In 2006, Zhang was honored at the Cannes Film Festival with an inclusion in the main jury of the event.
- The Times magazine has included her in the list featuring World’s 100 Most Influential People. In the same special feature, she was called China’s gift to Hollywood.
- In 2001, Zhang was featured in the “25 Hottest Stars Under 25” list compiled by the Teen People Magazine. She was included in the similar list the following year too.
- In 2012, a Chinese website Boxun falsely alleged that Ziyi had earned more than $100 million by sleeping with top Chinese politicians and businessmen. Ziyi responded by filing a defamation lawsuit against the magazine.
- In December 2013, they reached an undisclosed out of the court settlement and the magazine posted an apology on the front page as well.
- Zhang also managed to win court cases against Next Media for having published similar malicious reports in Apple Daily and Next Magazine.
- In 2005, she was included in the “50 Most Beautiful People” by People Magazine. In 2006, they featured her on the list featuring “100 Most Beautiful People in the World”.
- She was appointed as the Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics held in China in 2007.
- In 2007, she performed the voice of Karai in the American animated film TMNT (2007).
- She has served as a Global Ambassador for the Children of China Pediatrics Foundation (CCPF), which is a non-profit organization that works to provide medical services to orphans in China.
- In 2013, Zhang received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for her significant contributions to the film industry.
- Zhang was appointed as the spokesperson of the Care for Children, which aims to link children from orphanages to loving families looking to adopt them.
- While growing up, she wanted to become a kindergarten teacher just like her mother.
- She often uses her skills as a dancer that leaves gap due to her limited martial arts training background.
- She reportedly bagged her role in The Road Home based on the work she did in a shampoo advert, which was also directed by Zhang Yimou. Apparently, he used the footage from the advert for the preliminary auditions.
- Jackie Chan had to serve as her translator on the sets of the movie, The Rush Hour 2 due to her limited English linguistic skills.
- She was featured in top 5 of Forbes China Celebrity 100 list from 2004 to 2010.
- In 2015, Zhang produced her third film Oh My God, which stars Zhang Yixing and Li Xiaolu. She made a cameo appearance in the film.
- In 2018, Zhang was cast in her first television series, Monarch Industry.
- In June 2018, she was confirmed to reprise her role in Godzilla vs. Kong.
- She will star in the upcoming 2019 film Godzilla: King of the Monsters, a sequel to the franchise reboot film Godzilla.
