Comprehensive information and links about Gong Li

Gong Li , born December 31, 1965Gong Li is a Chinese film actress. In addition to her perfomances, Gong Li is also famed for having an especially noticeable appearance, which was repeatedly made reference to in magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" article, and is an ambassador for L'Oreal cosmetics.

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Career

Born in Shenyang, Liaoning, China, she has appeared in most films directed by Zhang Yimou up until 1995. She grew up in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. She knew from a young age that she wanted to be an actress, and at school she excelled at singing and dancing almost to the exclusion of other subjects. In spite of failing her college exam twice, she was eventually accepted to the Beijing Central College of Drama in 1985 and graduated in 1989.[1] She was still a student there when Zhang Yimou chose her in 1987 for the lead role in his first film as a director, , which was awarded the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

Gong Li has since become one of the most successful actresses in Chinese history, with fame that has extended abroad to many areas. Her work has been recognized with awards from the Venice International Film Festival and New York Critics Film Circle, and she retains a strong popularity. In addition to acting, she is also an exceptional singer, as demonstrated during her performance in . She was also presented the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in June 1998.

She starred in Zhang Yimou's films well into the mid-1990s. During their long collaboration, the two created a scandal for being long-term lovers, despite Zhang's marital status. The duo eventually broke up in 1995, and Gong Li married Singaporean tobacco tycoon Ooi Hoe Soeng the next year. Gong Li's limited Hollywood appearances include 1997's