Ms Gong Li
1965-
Actress
Actress Gong Li was born in Liaoning, China, and graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing. Prior to her graduation, she was selected to play the protagonist in Zhang Yimou’s directorial debut, Red Sorghum (1987). The film won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale, marking the first time a Mainland Chinese actor received an award in a major international film festival and catapulting both Zhang and Gong to global stardom. The duo’s collaboration, which lasted until 1995, produced Ju Dou (1990), Raise the Red Lantern (1991), The Story of Qiu Ju (1992) and To Live (1994). Gong won Best Actress for The Story of Qiu Ju at the Venice Film Festival, as well as at China’s Golden Rooster Awards and Hundred Flowers Awards. She then took her career to Hong Kong, playing key roles in Mary from Beijing (1992), Flirting Scholar (1993), Chinese Box (1997) and 2046 (2004). Gong also appeared in Hollywood productions such as Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), Miami Vice (2006) and Shanghai (2010). Curse of the Golden Flower (2006), which won her Best Actress at the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards, saw her teaming up with Zhang Yimou again. Their most recent work together is Coming Home (2014). Gong has been President of the Jury at the Berlin, Venice and Tokyo Film Festivals.
