Gong Li
One of the best actresses in Chinese cinema, known for her versatility and naturalistic performances.
Gong Li was born on 31 December 1965 in Shenyang, Liaoning, as the youngest of five children. Her father, a former economics professor, and her mother, a former college teacher turned accountant, moved the family to Jinan, Shandong, where Gong grew up. She developed an early interest in the performing arts, singing and dancing in school troupes and even recording children’s songs for local radio. After twice failing the national college entrance exam for art programs, and against her parents’ wishes, she persisted in studying acting under a local director. In 1985, she was admitted to the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing on a special petition, despite scoring below the required threshold, and graduated in 1989.
While still a student, Gong was discovered by director Zhang Yimou and cast as the lead in his debut film, *Red Sorghum* (1987). The film won the Golden Bear at Berlin, the first Chinese film to do so. She and Zhang began a celebrated professional and personal partnership, collaborating on a string of acclaimed movies. Their work together included *Ju Dou* (1990) and *Raise the Red Lantern* (1991), both of which earned Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Film. For her role in Zhang’s *The Story of Qiu Ju* (1992), Gong won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at Venice. She also starred in Chen Kaige’s *Farewell My Concubine* (1993), another Oscar-nominated Chinese-language film, winning Best Supporting Actress from the New York Film Critics Circle. In English-language cinema, she won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for *Memoirs of a Geisha* (2005). Gong has served as head of the jury at the Berlin (2000) and Venice (2002) film festivals, the first Asian to hold either post. She was appointed a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by France in 2010.
- born
- 31 December 1965
- field
- Actress
- nationality
- Chinese
- known_for
- Versatile and naturalistic performances; starring in three Oscar-nominated Chinese-language films
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, from where she graduated in 1989. While a student at the academy, she was spotted by director Zhang Yimou and debuted in Zhang's Red Sorghum in 1987. Gong and Zhang's professional and personal relationship received much coverage in the Chinese-speaking world, as they continued to collaborate on a string of critically acclaimed movies, including the Oscar-nominated features Ju Dou (1990) and Raise the Red Lantern (1991). For her role in the Zhang-directed The Story of Qiu Ju (1992), Gong won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival. Gong also starred in the Chen Kaige-directed Oscar-nominated Farewell My Concubine (1993), for which she won 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). Gong was the head of jury at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival and the 2002 Venice Film Festival, the first Asian to hold such a position for either event. Over the course of her career, Gong won several accolades, including four Hundred Flowers Awards, a Hong Kong Film Award, two Golden Rooster Awards, a Berlin Film Festival, two Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival honors and a David di Donatello Award nomination. She was appointed as a Commander (Commandeur) of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the government of France in 2010.
Reader's Guide
Gong Li’s career is defined by her close collaboration with director Zhang Yimou, whom she met while still a student at the Central Academy of Drama. Their professional and personal relationship became a prominent topic in the Chinese-speaking world. She debuted in Zhang’s *Red Sorghum*, which won the Golden Bear at Berlin, and they continued working together on a series of critically acclaimed films, including *Ju Dou* and *Raise the Red Lantern*, both of which earned Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Film. Her naturalistic performance in Zhang’s *The Story of Qiu Ju* won her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at Venice. She also starred in Chen Kaige’s *Farewell My Concubine*, another Oscar-nominated film, for which she won Best Supporting Actress from the New York Film Critics Circle. In English-language cinema, she won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for *Memoirs of a Geisha*. Beyond acting, she served as the first Asian head of the jury at both the Berlin International Film Festival (2000) and the Venice Film Festival (2002). Her numerous accolades include four Hundred Flowers Awards, two Golden Rooster Awards, and honors from Berlin, Cannes, and Venice. In 2010, the French government appointed her a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Did You Know?
- Gong Li was the first Asian to head the jury at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival and the 2002 Venice Film Festival.
- She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for The Story of Qiu Ju (1992).
- She was appointed a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by France 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
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