Veteran Actress Cheng Pei Pei Passes Away At 78
Cheng Pei Pei who famously starred in the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon movie has died at the age of 78. Read ahead to know more.
![Cheng Pei- Pei and her daughter Marsha (via Marsha's Instagram) Cheng Pei- Pei and her daughter Marsha (via Marsha's Instagram)](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-07/1131559703_untitled-design-2024-07-19t151349-302.jpg)
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.
In a piece of sad news today, Chinese actress Cheng Pei Pei has passed away. She was 78. The actress made a name for herself with her talent and starred in movies that had unconventional roles. She was considered the first female action star of cinema. Read ahead to learn more about her inspiring career in films.
Know about Cheng Pei Pei’s filmography
As per Deadline, the actress passed away on Thursday (July 17) from a degenerative brain disease.
The actress was born on January 6, 1946 in Shanghai. She moved to Hong Kong in 1962 and began working for the famous Shaw Brothers studio, which is credited with making Kung-fu films.
After debuting in the drama film, Lovers Rock, she quickly rose to prominence in martial arts, action, and swordplay films utilizing her background in ballet and dance, per the outlet’s article.
Her breakthrough performance was in the King Hu-directed action movie titled Come Drink With Me, released in 1966. The film was praised widely and although it was not nominated for the Oscars, the film is considered to be a contender for the accolade, according to the publication.
Her most acclaimed role was in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, released in 2000. She portrayed the role of Jade Fox. The film went on to win four Academy Awards and garnered the title of the first foreign language film to earn more than USD 100 million in the U.S.
More about Cheng Pei Pei
Cheng Pei Pei was more than just being an actress. In 1970, she moved to San Francisco to attend business school at the University of California Irvine, while simultaneously raising her four children, Harry, Jennifer, Eugenia, and Marsha. Her kids went on to pursue their respective careers in show business.
Apart from the aforementioned films, she has also starred in Naked Weapon and Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun Li. She has appeared in Disney’s 2020 Live-action remake of Mulan, portraying The Matchmaker.
As per the outlet, Mike Leeder, casting director and producer has praised the actress by calling her “very talented and a lovely lady,” who brought up her four children. He shared that he had the pleasure of working with her and her kids, Marsha and Eugenia over the years. He added that his thoughts are with them and the rest of Pei Pei’s family.
According to the publication’s report, the late actress had requested that rather than flowers, donations be directed to Brain Support Network (BSN), where her brain was donated.
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