&varTextCastZiyiZhang=At age 25, ZIYI ZHANG (Mei) possesses the easy grace and on-screen intensity of a seasoned professional.  

She recently completed shooting legendary Japanese director Seijun Suzukis last movie, "Raccoon Palace," a period musical set in Japan.  In 2004, moviegoers around the world will see her in Wong Kar-Wai's 2046," which was in competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.  In 2005, Chinese audiences will see Z in "Jasmine" by first-time director Hou Yong.  Z plays three characters in this generational family saga set in Shanghai in the thirties, sixties and eighties.

In 2003, Z appeared in two movies: the Mainland Chinese box-office phenomenon "Hero" directed by Zhang Yimou, which stars Jet Li, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung.  Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2003 Golden Globe Awards, the Berlin Film Festival, and the 2003 Academy Awards, "Hero" was a number one box office hit in Japan and France.  Miramax will release "Hero" in the U.S. in 2004.  Also in 2003, she appeared in "Purple Butterfly," directed by the award-winning Sixth Generation Mainland Chinese director Lou Ye.   "Purple Butterfly" was in competition at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, where Z won the hearts of critics for her depiction of a young woman caught between love and duty during Japanese-occupied Shanghai in the thirties.
 
In 2001, Z was seen opposite Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Brett Rattners box office hit "Rush Hour 2."  Zs role in the movie earned her a MTV Movie Award for "Best Villain."

Z's first appearance on screen was also her first star turn.  While still a student in Drama School, she was offered the lead in director Zhang Yimou's 1998 film "The Road Home."  Set during the very early years of China's Cultural Revolution, the film is an intimate account of a young girl's first love.  "The Road Home" was awarded the Grand Jury Silver Bear at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival.	
	
Following her breakthrough role in "The Road Home," Z delivered a stunning performance in director Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000), co-starring with international stars Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh.  "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was nominated for an astonishing 125 awards in 2000 and 2001.  Z herself received 14 nominations, going on to win the 2001 Independent Spirit Award and 2000 Toronto Film Critics Association Award, among others.  

Born and raised in Beijing, Z is one of two children. Her father is a government economist, her mother a retired kindergarten teacher.  At age 11, she was sent to the Beijing Dance Academy where she began a 6-year study of folk and traditional Chinese dance.  She then spent three years at the prestigious China Central Drama.

Z is now the worldwide spokesperson for Maybelline cosmetics, a division of L'Oreal Paris. She is also the spokesperson for Visa Card International in Asia.  In Mainland China, she is spokesperson for Pantene shampoo, a P and G company, and Coca-Cola beverages.  In Japan, she represents Kao shampoo.

Filmography
2046 (2004)
Jasmine (2003)
HERO (2003)
Purple Butterfly (2002)
The Warriors (2001)
Rush Hour 2 (2001)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
The Road Home (1999)


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