Gong Li Actress Information

Gong Li was the first female Chinese film star to receive international recognition and was instrumental in bringing Chinese cinema to the western world. Her hits that captured the attention admiration of western audiences include Raise the Red Lantern, Farewell My Concubine and Memoirs of a Geisha.

Names
English name – No known English name
Chinese name – 巩俐
Pinyin – Gong Li

Details
Date of birth – 31^st December 1965
Place of Birth- Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China
Current nationality – Singaporean
Height – 1.70 meters

Background & Personal Life
Gong Li was the youngest of five children and born when her mother was 40 years old. Her mother was a teacher and father was a professor of economics. Gong Li was born in tShenyang, the capital of Liaoning province and grew up in Jinan, the capital of Shandong province.

Growing up, Gong Li wanted to be a singer gave up her dream when she failed to gain entry into China’s most prestigious music school. Her life in acting started the same year with her admittance into the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing.

Gong Li married Singaporean Tobacco tycoon Ooi Hoe Soeng in November 1996 in Hong Kong, renounced her Chinese citizenship for Taiwanese citizenship in 1998 and divorced in 2010.  There were rumoured to be affairs involved in the break up of her marriage with John Cusack’s name mentioned. According to other rumors, Gong Li spent too much time apart from her husband and even with fertility treatment, was unable to have children with him.

Acting Career
Gong Li’s acting career started in 1985 when she was admitted into the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing. She received her first acting role in 1987 while she was still a student when she was discovered by director Zhang Yimou and given the lead role in “Red Sorghum”. By the time Gong Li graduated from the academy in 1989 she had already appeared in two major films.

Her role in the movie “Raise the Red Lantern” in 1991 where she played the lead role of a powerful man’s fourth wife propelled Gong Li to international fame. During the following years Gong Li won a number of acting awards and developed a reputation for glamour and elegance likened to the actresses in Hollywood’s bygone golden era.

Gong Li’s next major movie to receive international acclaim was the 1993 “Farewell My Concubine” where she plays a head strong courtesan. Farewell My Concubine was banned in China for a short period of time due to inappropriate content. Gong Li’s career continued to with a number of successful and well recognized films and her next hit film was “Memoirs of a Geisha” where she has the role of a popular and malicious geisha.

Gong Li’s acting career has included roles in a number of additional foreign movies such as “Miami Vice” in 1996 and“Chinese Box” in 1997.  In her most recent foreign movie, Gong Li played opposite John Cusack in the 2010 movie “Shanghai”.

Gong Li Trivia
-she learned her lines for her English speaking roles phonetically
-voted the most beautiful woman in China in 2006

Chinese Movie and Film Titles

Tang Dynasty's Mystic Map (2012)

What Women Want (2011)
Li Yi-Long

Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)
Empress Phoenix

Eros (2004)
Miss Hua

The Hand (2004)
Miss Hua

2046 (2004)
Su Li-zhen

Zhou Yu’s Train (2002)
Zhou Yu / Xiu

Breaking the Silence (2000)
Sun Liying

The Emperor and the Assassin (1998)
Lady Zhao

Chinese Box (1997)
Vivian

Temptress Moon (1996)
Pang Ruyi

Shanghai Triad (1995)
Xiao Jingbao

King of Western Chu (1994)
Lu Zhi

To Live (1994)
Xu Jiazhen

A Soul Haunted by Painting (1994)
Pan Yuliang

Dragon Chronicles: The Maidens (1994)
Mo Han-Wen

Flirting Scholar (1993)
Chen Heung

Farewell My Concubine (1993)
Juxian

Mary from Beijing (1992)
Ma Li

The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
Qiu Ju

Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
Songlian

God of Gamblers III: Back to Shanghai (1991)
Yu-San/Yu-Mong

Ju Dou (1990)
Ju Dou

Terracotta Warrior (1990)
Dong'er/Lili Chu

Operation Cougar (1989)
Ah Li

Mr. Sunshine (1989)

The Empress Dowager (1989)
Guilian

Red Sorghum (1987)
My Grandma

International Movie and FIlm Titles

Shanghai (2010)
Anna Lan-Ting

Hannibal Rising (2007)
Lady Murasaki

Memoirs of a Geisha (2006)
Hatsumomo

Miami Vice (2006)
Isabella

Awards for Film and TV
26th Hong Kong Film Awards
Nominee – Best Actress – Gong Li – Curse of the Golden Flower

16th Hong Kong Film Awards
Nominee – Best Actress – Gong Li – Temptress Moon

10th Hong Kong Film Awards
Nominee – Best Actress – Gong Li – A Terra-Cotta Warrior

2000 Golden Rooster Awards
Winner – Best Actress – Gong Li – Breaking the Silence

1993 Golden Rooster Awards
Winner – Best Actress – Gong Li – The Story of Qiu Ju

2001 Hundred Flowers Awards
Winner – Best Actress – Gong Li – Breaking the Silence
Winner – Favorite Actress – Gong Li

1993 Hundred Flowers Awards
Winner – Best Actress – Gong Li – Raise the Red Lantern

1989 Hundred Flowers Awards
Winner – Best Supporting Actress – Gong Li – Operation Cougar

2007 Asian Film Awards
Nominee – Best Actress – Gong Li – Curse of the Golden Flower

2003 Beijing Student Film Festival – Students' Choice Award
Winner – Favorite Actress – Gong Li – Zhou Yu's Train

2001 Shanghai Film Critics Awards
Winner – Best Actress – Gong Li – Breaking the Silence

2007 Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
Winner – Best Actress – Gong Li – Curse of the Golden Flower

2001 Golden Phoenix Awards
Winner – Female Actor – Gong Li – Breaking the Silence

1993 Golden Phoenix Awards
Winner – Female Actor – Gong Li – The Story of Qiu Ju

2007 Golden Bauhinia Awards
Winner – Best Actress – Gong Li – Curse of the Golden Flower

1993 Berlin International Film Festival
Winner – Berlinale Camera – Gong Li

2004 Cannes Film Festival
Winner – Festival Trophy – Gong Li

1995 Chlotrudis Awards
Nominee – Best Actress – Gong Li – To Live

2000 Montréal World Film Festival
Winner – Best Actress – Gong Li – Breaking the Silence
Winner – Grand Prix Special des Amériques – Gong Li

2005 National Board of Review, USA
Winner – Best Supporting Actress – Gong Li – Memoirs of a Geisha

1993 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Winner – Best Supporting Actress – Gong Li – Farewell My Concubine

2005 Satellite Awards
Nominee – Outstanding Supporting Actress – Gong Li – Memoirs of a Geisha

1992 Venice Film Festival
Winner – OCIC Award – Honorable Mention – Gong Li – The Story of Qiu Ju
Winner – Volpi Cup – Best Actress – Gong Li – The Story of Qiu Ju

2007 Chinese Film Media Awards
Nominee – Best Actress – Gong Li – Curse of the Golden Flower

Supporting websites for Gong Li

IMDb Actor Database for Gong Li
Official Gong Li Fan Site