Cheng Pei-pei, renowned for her role in ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,’ dies at 78 from a degenerative brain disease. A tribute to her illustrious career and legacy.
Bollywood Fever: Cheng Pei-pei, the iconic actress best known for her role in Ang Lee’s Oscar-nominated film, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” passed away on Thursday at the age of 78 in the San Francisco Bay Area due to a degenerative brain disease.
Born in Shanghai in 1946, Cheng moved to Hong Kong in 1962 and began her illustrious career with the legendary Shaw Brothers studio, which was instrumental in popularizing kung-fu movies. Her film debut was in the drama “Lovers’ Rock.” Leveraging her ballet and dance training, Cheng quickly rose to stardom in martial arts, action, and swordplay films.
Her breakout role came in the 1966 action film “Come Drink With Me,” directed by King Hu. Although the film was selected as Hong Kong’s contender for the Oscars, it did not receive a nomination.
In the 1970s, Cheng moved to San Francisco, where she attended business school at the University of California, Irvine, while raising her four children. All her children later pursued careers in show business.
Cheng’s most significant role came in 2000 when she played the villain Jade Fox in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” The film won four Academy Awards and became the first foreign-language film to gross more than $100 million in the U.S.
Her subsequent career included roles in “Naked Weapon,” “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li,” the 2014 film “Lilting,” and Disney’s 2020 live-action remake of “Mulan,” where she played The Matchmaker.
Cheng is survived by her four children, Eugenia, Jennifer, Harry, and Marsha, and her grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, she requested donations be made to the Brain Support Network (BSN), to which her brain was donated.
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