Zhang Ziyi

NAME: Ziyi Zhang
HOMETOWN: Beijing, China
EDUCATION: When she was 11, she began a six-year program of folk and modern dance training at the Beijing Dance Academy, which she credits with making her a "decent" martial artist and actor.
MOVIES AND CAMPAIGNS: Leading role in "The Road Home" (1998), directed by Zhang Yimou; Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" (2000); US ad campaign "Got Milk?"; Sayuri in "Memoirs of a Geisha", and numerous campaigns for Maybelline New York.
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS: 14 award nominations and winner of the 2001 Independent Spirit Award and 2000 Toronto Film Critics Award for her role in "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"; voted one of People Magazines 50 Most Beautiful Women; Best Actress nominations from the Golden Globes, BAFTA and the Screen Actors Guild for her role in "Memoirs of a Geisha"; named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time in 2005.
MAGAZINE COVERS: Ziyi has been a cover girl on over a dozen magazines, including the 100th Anniversary issue of Elle in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand.