Cheng Pei-pei
Cheng Pei-pei (born 6 January 1946) is a Chinese actress, who is considered cinema's first female action hero.[1] She is known for her performance in the 1966 King Hu wuxia film Come Drink with Me, as well as her portrayal of Jade Fox in the award-winning 2000 wuxia film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.[2]
Cheng Pei-pei | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 December 2014 Cheng at Old Billingsgate, London | |||||||||||||||
| Born | 6 January 1946 | ||||||||||||||
| Years active | 1964–present | ||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Yuan Wen-tung
(m. 1970; div. 1987) | ||||||||||||||
| Children | 4, including Eugenia Yuan | ||||||||||||||
| Awards | Hong Kong Film Awards – Best Supporting Actress 2000 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | ||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 鄭佩佩 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 郑佩佩 | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Musical career | |||||||||||||||
| Also known as | The Queen of Swords | ||||||||||||||
| Origin | Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China | ||||||||||||||
Career
Cheng moved to Hong Kong in 1962. In 1963, she began training at Shaw Brothers Studio through a recommendation by a family friend. Due to her Mandarin and dance background, she quickly worked her way up in the industry. In 1964, she made her feature film debut as Liu Qiuzi in the 1964 Taiwanese drama film Lovers' Rock.[2][3]
Cheng is perhaps best known for starring in the 1966 Hong Kong wuxia film Come Drink with Me, 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.[4]
Cheng moved to Southern California in the 1970s to raise her children. She attended business school at the University of California, Irvine.[3] During this period, she also taught Chinese dance.[5]
In 2000, she returned to international attention with her role as Jade Fox in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.[6] Cheng had befriended director Ang Lee when she was host of the Mandarin talk show, Pei-Pei's Time, on the Los Angeles–based TV station KSCI.[2][3]
She followed this up with her portrayal of Long Po in the 2004 television miniseries Watery Moon, Hollow Sky, which was shown on Asian-American television as Paradise. She continues to work for Zhouyi Media in mainland China.
Personal life
Cheng has four children. Her son Harry Yuan is a host on National Geographic, and her daughters Jennifer, Marsha, and Eugenia Yuan are all actresses.[7] Cheng is Buddhist.[3] She is fluent in Shanghainese,[8] Cantonese,[9] Mandarin and English.[10]
Filmography
Films
| 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 | |
| 1997 | 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 | 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 |
Television
| 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
- "The First Female Action Hero (Cheng Pei-pei's Movies Explained)". Screen Rant. 24 October 2020.
- 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.
- Reid, Craig. "Cheng Pei-Pei". Kung Fu Magazine. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- "Cheng Pei-pei". Chinesemov.com. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
- Blanco, Oliver (29 March 2012). "Former L.A. Laker Girl teaches dance". East Los Angeles College Campus News. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- "Cheng Pei-pei". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015.
- 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.
- "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".
- "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.
- "《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.