Gong Li is an award-winning Chinese actress who came to prominence for her role in the Zhang directed movie The Story of Qiu Ju and Chen Kaige directed movie Farewell My Concubine.
She is also known for her roles in the movie: Coming Home, Flirting Scholar and Breaking the Silence.
Gong Li became the first Chinese ambassador for L’Oreal Paris and also served as global ambassadors for top brands like Hisense and Piaget.
| Gong Li | |
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| Quick Facts | |
| Date of Birth: | December 31, 1965 |
| Place of Birth: | Shenyang, China |
| Nationality: | Chinese |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Parents: | Zhao Ying, Gong Lize |
| Siblings: | Ghong Zheng, Gong Gu, Gong Gi, Gong Wen |
| Spouse: | Jean-Michel Jarre (m. 2019), Ooi Hoe Soeng (m. 1996, div. 2009) |
| Height: | 1.78 m |
| Children: | Mamoru Yoki Chung Li |
| Net Worth: | $90 million |
Early Life
Gong Li was born on December 31, 1965, in Shenyang, Liaoning, China, to parents, Zhao Ying, Gong Lize. Her father was a professor of economics while her mother was a teacher.
She grew up in Jinan, shandong, as the youngest child in a family of five children. The name of her four siblings are Ghong Zheng, Gong Gu, Gong Gi and Gong Wen.
She went to Jinan Sanhe Street Primary School and No.2 Middle School for her primary and high school education, respectively. She also graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing in 1989.
Career
Gong Li was discovered by Zhang Yimou and came through with her first role in Zhang’s Red Sorghum in 1987.
She followed up with features in Ju Dou (1990) and Raise the Red Lantern (1991). She came to the limelight for her role in the Zhang-directed movie The Story of Qiu Ju and for starring in the Chen Kaige dire ted movie Farewell My Concubine.
She played the role of a seductive stage queen in Shanghai Triad in 1995 and teamed up again with Chen Kaige in the romantic film Temptress Moon in 1996.
She worked with Jeremy Irons on the romantic drama Chinese Box in 1997 and also collaborated with Chen Kaige for the third time, on the film The Emperor and The Assasin.
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Even though Gong became very popular, she tried to stay away from Hollywood for years as she does not have the confidence in speaking English.
She made her English-speaking role in 2005 when she featured as Hatsumomo in Memoirs of a Geisha. She also followed up with other English roles on Miami Vice and Hannibal Rising.
She had her first action role in The Monkey King 2, in 2016. She became a cast in Lou Ye’s period drama Saturday Fiction, in 2019 and was also a cast in the film Leap, in 2020.
Gong also boasts of appearances in other movies such as: To Live, Breaking the Silence, Coming Home, Curse of the Golden Flower, Flirting Scholar, Zhou Yu’s Train, and many others.
Personal Life
Gong Li had both personal and professional relationship with Zhang Yimou as the two collaborated on six different films before they parted ways.
Gong got married to the Singaporean tobacco tycoon Ooi Hoe Seong at Hong Kong’s China Club in November 1996. The couple divorced in June 2010 as confirmed by Gong’s agent.
Gong married Jean-Michel Jarre, a French musician, in 2019.
Awards & Nominations
Gong Li has won several awards such as:
- Hundred Flowers Award for Best Supporting Actress (1989)
- Goldem Rooster Awards for Best Actress (1993)
- Japanese Movie Critics Awards for Best Foreign Language Film Actress (1993)
- New York Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Supporting Actress (1993)
- Montreal World Film Festival for Best Actress (2000)
- Shanghai Film Critics Awards for Best Actress (2001)
- Honk Kong Film Awards for Best Actress (2007)
- Golden Deer Awards for Best Actress (2014)
- Huading Awards for Best Actress (2021)
- Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild Awards for Best Actress (2021)
She has been nominated for awards such as: Chinese Film Media Awards for Best Actress (2004), Satelite Awards for Best Supporting Actress (2005), Asian Film Awards for Best Actress (2007), Huabiao Awards for Outstanding Actress (2015) and many others.
Net Worth
Gong Li earns her career as an actress. She has an estimated net worth of $90 million.
Social Media
Gong Li is active on social media. He has over 1 million followers on Instagram @kihonglee and more than 400k followers Twitter @kihonglee
Frequently asked questions
Below are some frequently asked questions about Gong Li:
Who is Gong Li?
Gong Li is a Chinese actress who is known for her role in the movie The Story of Qiu Ju.
How old is Gong Li?
Gong Li was born on December 31, 1965.
Is Gong Li married?
Gong was married to Ooi Hoe Seong before they parted ways. She later married Jean-Michel Jarre, a French musician, in 2019.
What is Gong Li Net Worth?
Gong Li has an estimated net worth of $90 million.
