Gong Li

Lore & Background

Gong Li was born in Shenyang, Liaoning, and grew up in Jinan, Shandong. She enrolled at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, graduating in 1989. While a student, she was spotted by director Zhang Yimou and debuted in his film Red Sorghum (1987). Their professional and personal relationship received much coverage in the Chinese-speaking world, as they collaborated on critically acclaimed movies including Ju Dou (1990) and Raise the Red Lantern (1991). For her role in The Story of Qiu Ju (1992), she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival.

Gong also starred in Chen Kaige's Farewell My Concubine (1993), winning Best Supporting Actress at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards. In English-language films, she won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). Other notable appearances include Flirting Scholar (1993), To Live (1994), Chinese Box (1997), The Emperor and the Assassin (1998), Breaking the Silence (2000), Zhou Yu's Train (2003), Eros (2004), Miami Vice (2006), Curse of the Golden Flower (2006), and Saturday Fiction (2019).

Reader's Guide

Gong Li's significance lies in her role as a leading figure in Chinese cinema, bridging the gap between domestic and international audiences. Her collaborations with Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige produced films that earned critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations, helping to elevate Chinese-language cinema on the global stage. She was the first Asian to head the jury at the Berlin Film Festival (2000) and the Venice Film Festival (2002). Her accolades include four Hundred Flowers Awards, a Hong Kong Film Award, two Golden Rooster Awards, and honors from the Berlin, Cannes, and Venice film festivals. In 2010, she was appointed a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. Her legacy is that of a versatile actress whose work has been recognized both in China and internationally.

Did You Know?

• Gong Li starred in three of the four Chinese-language films nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
• She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for The Story of Qiu Ju (1992).
• She was the first Asian to head the jury at the Berlin Film Festival (2000) and the Venice Film Festival (2002).
• She was appointed a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in 2010.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Gong Li (Chinese: 巩俐) (born 31 December 1965) is a Chinese actress. She starred in three of the four Chinese-language films that were nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film." — Gong Li "As an actress, my criteria for accepting the role — who is the director, who are fellow cast and, above all, whether there is a good script – are basically the same whether I’m being offered a film or TV role." — Gong Li "China is still a good place to work in the cinema industry. Every country has its own political system. China has a huge population of nearly 1.4 billion people and therefore needs good, strong governance." — Gong Li "The tax issue is a universal one – everybody needs to pay their tax and be responsible for doing so." — Gong Li