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Cheng Pei-pei

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Cheng Pei-pei
鄭佩佩
Cheng Pei-pei in 2014
Cheng in 2014
Born
Jiang Pei-pei

(1946-01-06)6 January 1946
Shanghai, China
Died17 July 2024(2024-07-17) (aged 78)
San Francisco Bay Area, California, U.S.
CitizenshipUnited States
OccupationActress
Years active1963–2020
Spouse
Yuan Wen-tung
(m. 1970; div. 1987)
Children4, including Eugenia Yuan
AwardsHong Kong Film AwardsBest Supporting Actress
2000 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Chinese name
Traditional Chinese鄭佩佩
Simplified Chinese郑佩佩
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhèng Pèipèi
Wade–GilesCheng4 P'ei4-p'ei4
IPA[ʈʂə̂ŋ pʰêɪpʰêɪ]
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingZeng6 Pui3-pui3

Cheng Pei-pei (6 January 1946 – 17 July 2024) was a Hong Kong-American actress who started her career in 1963 and was considered cinema's first female action hero.[1][2] She is known for films Come Drink with Me (1966), Flirting Scholar (1993), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), TV series Young Justice Bao (2000), Chinese Paladin (2004) and reality show Divas Hit the Road (2014). [3]

Career

[edit]

Cheng was born Jiang Pei-pei in Shanghai, with her ancestral home in Shaoxing, Zhejiang. She was the eldest of four siblings, with a brother and two sisters. Her father, Jiang Xuecheng, was a Kuomintang member who worked for the Shanghai Municipal Police in Shanghai International Settlement. After World War II, Jiang established China’s first ink factory. In 1952, when Cheng was 6, her father was labeled a counter-revolutionary and sent to a labor camp in Inner Mongolia; she never saw him again and he died in 1963 without his family knowing. Cheng's mother, who was initially her father's secretary and later his concubine, decided to change the children’s surname to her own to protect them from their father's political consequences.[4]

Cheng attended World Elementary School in Shanghai, where she was a schoolmate of future movie stars Grace Chang and Chen Hou. She went to the Shanghai No. 3 Girls' High School, where she was a schoolmate of Lydia Shum. Cheng studied ballet for six years in Shanghai. In the mid-1950s, Cheng's mother and siblings moved to Hong Kong, leaving Cheng in the care of a nanny in Shanghai before the nanny also left. Cheng lived independently for several years and moved to Hong Kong in 1960, during her second year of junior high, to reunite with her family.[4] In 1963, she was admitted to the training programme at Shaw Brothers Studio, after which she joined the studio and made her film debut in The Lotus Lamp (1965), playing the male scholar Liu Yanchang opposite Lin Dai. Cheng followed this with her first female lead role in the Taiwanese drama film Lovers' Rock (1964).[3][5]

Due to her Mandarin skills and dance background, she quickly worked her way up in the Hong Kong film industry at a time when the Mandarin-language productions commanded higher budgets and wider distribution than Cantonese works. Cheng gained fame for starring in the Hong Kong wuxia film Come Drink with Me (1966), directed by King Hu. Set during the Ming Dynasty, it stars Cheng as Golden Swallow, a skilled swordswoman on a mission to rescue her brother. Cheng continued to play expert swordswomen in a number of films throughout the 1960s.[6]

In 1970, at the peak of her career, Cheng married and subsequently retired from acting, moving to the United States for her husband's business endeavors. She attended business school at the University of California, Irvine[5] and also taught Chinese dance.[7] In the 1980s, Cheng founded a television production company in the United States and traveled across Hawaii and Northern California at her own expense to produce a documentary series about Chinese Americans. Both Cheng's TV business and her marriage failed around the same time. In 1987, she divorced from her husband but continued to live with him for two years. In 1989, her company declared bankruptcy, and Cheng moved out of their house.[4]

With the comedy Flirting Scholar (1993), Cheng successfully returned to acting in the 1990s Hong Kong. In 2000, she returned to international attention with her role as Jade Fox in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon[8], directed by Ang Lee, whom Cheng had befriended in the 90s when she was host of KSCI's Mandarin talk show, Pei-Pei's Time.[3][5]

Into the 21st century, she became active across Greater China with Chinese TV dramas such as Young Justice Bao (2000), Chinese Paladin (2004), and The Patriot Yue Fei (2012), as well as Singaporean TV dramas Spring of Life (2002) and Women of Times (2006). She gained new popularity among the younger generation with the first season of Chinese reality show Divas Hit the Road (2014). Her notable international credits included the action film Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009), the British drama Lilting (2014), the Canadian drama Meditation Park (2017), and her last film, Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan (2020).[9]

Upon receiving a lifetime achievement award in Hong Kong in 2015, Cheng reflected on her acting career as follows: "I always remember that I represent the Hong Kong people. So no matter where I am in the world, I will always identify myself as a Hong Kong actress and maintain the professionalism that a Hong Kong actress should have."[10]

In 2019, Cheng was diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration, but chose to keep the diagnosis private and spend her remaining time with her children and grandchildren. She died in the San Francisco Bay Area on 17 July 2024, at the age of 78.[11] She was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 61st Golden Horse Awards.[12]

Personal life

[edit]

Cheng was Buddhist.[5] She was fluent in Shanghainese,[13] Cantonese,[14] Mandarin and English.[15]

In 1964, while filming Come Drink with Me, she fell in love with Chan Hung-lit, who played the villain Jade-Faced Tiger. The two often quarreled over Chan‘s infidelity and Cheng eventually left him for Yueh Hua, the leading actor in Come Drink with Me. Their relationship lasted five years until Cheng's friend Yi Shu, then an entertainment reporter, got involved; Cheng left the love triangle and moved to the United States after marriage.[16] When Yi Shu discovered Cheng's letter to Yueh from the US, she became so furious that she cut up Yueh's clothes and stabbed a knife into his bed. Yi Shu also made the letter public through newspapers, which put Cheng's marriage in jeopardy and made Yueh to end his own relationship with Yi Shu.[17]

In 1970, Cheng married Taiwanese businessman Yuan Wen-Tung, whose father was the agent for Shaw Brothers in Taiwan. The couple met when Shaw Brothers' film Lover's Rock was being shot in Taiwan; Cheng's mother lost money playing mahjong at the Yuan family's home, and Cheng was sent to deliver the money to Yuan's mother, where Cheng first met Yuan. After their marriage, they moved to the United States. Considering Yuan was the only son in his family, Cheng felt obligated to bear a son for him. She experienced eight pregnancies and four miscarriages and had four children until a son was born.[18] In 1987, with an alimony of $100,000, she divorced quietly without informing her children and continued to live with Yuan for two years before moving out.[4]

Cheng's son Harry Yuan is a host on National Geographic, and her daughters Jennifer, Marsha, and Eugenia Yuan are all actresses.[19]

Filmography

[edit]

Films

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1964 Lovers' Rock (情人石) Lin Qiuzi
1964 The Last Woman of Shang (妲己) Dancing girl
1965 The Lotus Lamp (寶蓮燈) Liu Yanchang
1965 Song of Orchid Island (蘭嶼之歌) Ya Lan
1966 Come Drink with Me (大醉俠) Golden Swallow
1966 The Joy of Spring (歡樂青春)
1966 Princess Iron Fan (鐵扇公主) White Bone Demoness
1967 Blue Skies (艷陽天) Chen Yun
1967 The Dragon Creek (龍虎溝) Guo Er-niu
1967 Hong Kong Nocturne (香江花月夜) Chia Chuan-chuan
1967 Operation Lipstick (1967) (諜網嬌娃)
1967 The Thundering Sword (神劍震江湖) So Jiau-jiau
1968 Golden Swallow (金燕子) Golden Swallow
1968 The Jade Raksha (玉羅剎) Leng Qiuhan
1968 That Fiery Girl (紅辣椒) Pearl
1969 Dragon Swamp (毒龍潭) Qing-er/Fan Ying
1969 The Flying Dagger (飛刀手) Yu Ying
1969 The Golden Sword (龍門金劍) Ngai Jin-feng
1969 Raw Courage (虎膽) Shangguan Xiuyi
1970 Brothers Five (五虎屠龍) Yen Hsing-kung
1970 Lady of Steel (荒江女俠) Fang Ying-qi
1971 The Lady Hermit (鍾馗娘子) Leng Yu-shuang
1971 The Shadow Whip (影子神鞭) Yang Kaiyun
1971 The Patriotic Heroine (拼命娘子)
1972 The Yellow Muffler (玉女嬉春) Singer
1973 Attack of the Kung Fu Girls (鐵娃) Siu Ying
1974 Whiplash (虎辮子) Hu Pien-tze
1982 Lunatic Frog Women (烈日女娃人)
1983 All the King's Men (天下第一)
1988 Painted Faces (七小福) Ching
1993 Flirting Scholar (唐伯虎點秋香) Madame Wah
1993 Kidnap of Wong Chak Fai (綁架黃七輝) Kung Tse-sam
1994 From Zero to Hero (亂世超人)
1994 The Gods Must Be Funny in China (非洲超人) Aunty
1994 Kung Fu Mistress (神鳳苗翠琴)
1994 Lover's Lover (情人的情人)
1994 Wing Chun (詠春) Ng Mui Cameo
1996 How to Meet the Lucky Stars (運財五福星) Chu Ba
1998 The Spirit of the Dragon (老鼠龍之猛龍過港) Yun Gee
1999 Four Chefs and a Feast (四個廚師一圍菜) Cameo
1999 A Man Called Hero (中華英雄) Hero's mother Cameo
1999 The Truth About Jane and Sam (真心話) Sam's mother
2000 Fist Power (生死拳速) Brian's mother
2000 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (臥虎藏龍) Jade Fox Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
2000 Lavender (薰衣草) Madame Tung Cameo
2001 Shadow Mask (武神黑俠) Red Goddess a.k.a. The Legend of Black Mask
2002 Flying Dragon, Leaping Tiger (龍騰虎躍) Liu Ruyan also producer
2002 Naked Weapon (赤裸特工) Faye Ching
2004 Sex and the Beauties (性感都市) Mona
2004 The Miracle Box (天作之盒) Joanna's mother
2005 Insuperable Kid (無敵小子霍元甲) Aunt San
2005 House of Harmony Amah
2007 They Wait Aunt Mei
2007 Special Boys (功夫好男兒) Aunt Lan
2007 Shanghai Baby [it] Conny
2007 The Counting House (藏) Lia
2008 Kung Fu Killer Myling
2008 Love Under the Sign of the Dragon Tham
2009 Basic Love (愛情故事) Ling's grandmother
2009 Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li Zhilan
2009 Blood Ties (還魂) Madam Lee
2009 Taishan Kung Fu (泰山功夫)
2010 Flirting Scholar 2 (唐伯虎點秋香2之四大才子) Madame Wah
2010 Here Comes Fortune (財神到)
2011 Coming Back (回馬槍)
2011 Legendary Amazons (楊門女將之軍令如山) She Saihua
2011 Let Love Come Back (讓愛回家)
2011 Shanghai Hotel
2011 Double Bed Treaty (雙人床條約)
2011 Speed Angels (極速天使) Auntie Fen
2011 My Wedding and Other Secrets Mrs. Chu
2012 Imperial Bodyguard (御前侍衛)
2012 Give Me Five (五行攻略)
2014 Lilting Junn
2014 The Scroll of Wing Chun White Crane (永春白鹤拳之擎天画卷)
2014 The Eyes of Dawn (黎明之眼)
2014 Streets of Macao
2014 The Bat Night
2015 Bright Wedding(璀璨的婚禮)
2015 Lost in Wrestling
2016 Good Take Too
2016 Goldstone Mrs Lao
2017 Love Of Hope(讓愛活下去)
2017 Meditation Park Maria Wang
2019 Flirting Scholar from the Future
2020 Mulan The Matchmaker Final film role

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1980 Chivalrous Shadow, Fragrant Footprints (俠影香蹤) Golden Swallow
1984 The Legend Continues (霍東閣) Chan Shi-chiu
1996 Wong Fei Hung Series: The Final Victory (黃飛鴻之辛亥革命) Beggar So
1997 The Pride of Chaozhou (我來自潮州) Poon Yuk-lin
1998 Master Ma (馬永貞之爭霸上海灘) Ma Daniang
1998 Master Ma II (馬永貞之英雄血) Ma Daniang
1999 Young Master of Shaolin (少年英雄方世玉) Ng Mui
2000 Young Justice Bao (少年包青天) Bao's mother
2001 Legendary Fighter: Yang's Heroine (楊門女將—女儿當自強) She Saihua
2001 Heroes in Black (我來也) Feng Pobu's mother
2002 Book and Sword, Gratitude and Revenge (書劍恩仇錄) Empress Dowager Chongqing
2002 Springs of Life (春到人间) Yun Shuheng
2004 Chinese Paladin (仙劍奇俠傳) Granny Jiang
2004 Water Moon, Hollow Sky (水月洞天) Long Po a.k.a. Paradise
2005 Li Wei Resigns from Office (李衛辭官) Li Wei's mother
2006 Women of Times (至尊紅顏) She Huijun
2006 The Yang Sisters Honey Yang
2008 Home with Kids 5 (家有儿女5)
2010 A Weaver on the Horizon (天涯織女) Mrs. Fang
2012 Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky (軒轅劍:天之痕) Granny Ma
2012 The Patriot Yue Fei (精忠岳飛) Yue Fei's mother
2013 Daughter's Return (千金归来) Mother Rong
2015 The Lost Tomb Huo Xian Gu
2016 Ice Fantasy (幻城) Feng Tian

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Lim, Ruey Yan (19 July 2024). "Cheng Pei-pei, star of Come Drink With Me and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, dies at 78". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  2. ^ "The First Female Action Hero (Cheng Pei-pei's Movies Explained)". Screen Rant. 24 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Tam, Arthur (31 March 2015). "Cheng Pei-pei (鄭佩佩) on Ang Lee and her iconic roles with Shaw Studios". Time Out Hong Kong. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d "星星陨落:"永远的侠女"郑佩佩传奇谢幕 婚姻和事业关关难过关关过 | 联合早报". www.zaobao.com.sg (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Reid, Craig. "Cheng Pei-Pei". Kung Fu Magazine. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Cheng Pei-pei". Chinesemov.com. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  7. ^ Blanco, Oliver (29 March 2012). "Former L.A. Laker Girl teaches dance". East Los Angeles College Campus News. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Cheng Pei-pei". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015.
  9. ^ Rahman, Abid (19 July 2024). "Cheng Pei-pei, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and 'Come Drink With Me' Actress, Dies at 78". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  10. ^ 鄭佩佩離世丨錢嘉樂感激前輩無私教導 佩佩姐事業高峰息影嫁人8次懷孕4次流產
  11. ^ Frater, Patrick (18 July 2024). "Cheng Pei-pei, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and 'Come Drink With Me' Star, Dies at 78". Variety. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  12. ^ "The 61st Golden Horse Awards Lifetime Achievement Award". www.goldenhorse.org.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  13. ^ "原来郑佩佩是上海人,现场用上海话聊家常,以前以为她是香港人".
  14. ^ "鄭佩佩、岳華、陳鴻烈大談邵氏昔日點滴 | 星星同學會 #25 | 鄭佩佩、岳華、陳鴻烈、吳君如、錢嘉樂 | 粵語中字 | TVB 2009". YouTube. 19 July 2021.
  15. ^ "《金星秀》第20160504期: "武侠影后"郑佩佩浓墨重彩的七十年人生 the Jinxing Show EP.20160504【东方卫视官方超清】". YouTube.
  16. ^ 张思毅. "郑佩佩,江湖再见__南方+_南方plus". static.nfnews.com. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  17. ^ 世界新闻网. "郑佩佩被闺密抢男友 分手岳华远嫁美国 她还吃醋拿刀插床". 世界新闻网 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  18. ^ "星星陨落:"永远的侠女"郑佩佩传奇谢幕 婚姻和事业关关难过关关过 | 联合早报". www.zaobao.com.sg (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  19. ^ Johnson, G. Allen (3 May 2018). "First major female martial arts star, Cheng Pei-Pei to be honored at CAAMFest". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress
2000
for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Succeeded by