My Take
Gong Li is simply one of the greatest screen actresses alive — full stop. Born in Shenyang and trained at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, she became the face of Chinese cinema's Fifth Generation movement through her collaborations with director Zhang Yimou, and films like Red Sorghum and Raise the Red Lantern showed a raw, commanding presence that required no translation whatsoever. The Story of Qiu Ju proved she could vanish into ordinariness and still rivet you; Farewell My Concubine showed she could hold her own alongside an all-timer performance without blinking. Her Volpi Cup win at Venice in 1992 and France's Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres in 2010 are the kind of recognition that feels understated for someone of her stature. Even when Hollywood called — Memoirs of a Geisha, Miami Vice — she carried herself with a self-possession most stars spend careers chasing.
Overview
Gong Li (simplified Chinese: 巩俐; traditional Chinese: 鞏俐; born 31 December 1965) is a Chinese actress. Known for her versatility and naturalistic performances, she is regarded as one of the best actresses in Chinese cinema. She starred in three of the four Chinese-language films that have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Gong Li
- Name (Japanese)
- コン・リー
- Reading
- こん・りー
- Born
- December 31, 1965 (age 60)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Snake
- Origin
- Shenyang, People's Republic of China
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 2 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / film actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2010 Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
- 1992 Volpi Cup for Best Actress
- 1993 Berlinale Camera
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Red Sorghum | — | |
| Notable work | Raise the Red Lantern | — | |
| Notable work | Memoirs of a Geisha | — | |
| Notable work | Farewell My Concubine | — | |
| Notable work | The Story of Qiu Ju | — |
6. Links
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/officialgongli/
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.