Gong Li is a well known and respected Chinese Film Actress. She was born on December 31st 1956 in Shenyang, Liaoning, China and is the fifth child in her family. She is probably best known for her recent roles in the hit movies Memoirs of a Geisha and Hannibal Rising.
She excelled at singing and dancing at school and always knew that she wanted to be an actress. She was eventually accepted to the Beijing Central College of Drama after failing her exam twice in a row and graduated in 1989.
Director Zhang Yimou took a liking to Gong Li and she went on to star in many of his movies. The first one she appeared in was ‘Red Sorghum’ which later went on to be awarded the golden bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
Gong Li was often referred to as Zhang Yimou’s young protégé and it was widely speculated that the two had become romantically involved despite Gong Li’s marital status.
In 1996 Gong Li ended her relationship with Zhang Yimou and went on to marry a Singaporean a tobacco tycoon named Ooi Hoe Soeng.
She has appeared in countless movies such as A Terracotta Warrior in 1990, Raise the Red Lantern in 1991 and Farewell My Concubine in 1993 (which was rated 89th greatest performance of all time by Premier) and eventually made her way into several Hollywood films with ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ in 2005 being one of her most popular movies to date.
She later went on to star in ‘Hannibal Rising’ as Lady Murasaki Shikibu Lecter and is said to be admired by many well known celebrities such as Steven Spielberg and Michael Mann to name but a couple.
She is Beauty ambassador for L'Oreal cosmetics and was the youngest person ever to be honoured with the "Trophy of the Festival" award at Cannes.