Zhou Xun (born October 18, 1974) is a Chinese actress and singer. She is regarded as one of the "Four Young Dan actresses" in China (四大花旦) in the early 2000s, along with Zhang Ziyi, Xu Jinglei and Zhao Wei. Early life: Zhou was born to a middle-class family. Her father, Zhou Tianning (Chinese: 周天宁; pinyin: Zhōu Tiānníng), was a local film projectionist, and her mother, Chen Yiqin (Chinese: 陈以琴; pinyin: Chén Yǐqín), was a salesperson at a department store. Zhou enrolled at the Zhejiang Arts Institute to further her interest in dramatic arts, against the wishes of her parents, who wanted her to graduate from a university. She was handpicked for a role in the film Strange Tales Amongst Old and Desolate Tombs during her teenage years in school. Acting career: Zhou gained international recognition for her roles in Lou Ye's Suzhou River (2000) and Dai Sijie's Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (2002), winning the Best Actress Award for the former at the 15th Paris Film Festival. In 2002, she starred as Huang Rong, reuniting her with Kaixin Jiuhao television co-star Li Yapeng, who played Guo Jing, in the 2003 television series The Legend of the Condor Heroes. The series was one of the most watched ones in mainland China in that year. Zhou entered the Hong Kong film industry in 2005, starring in Peter Chan's musical film Perhaps Love. She won the "Best Actress" award at the Hong Kong Film Awards, Hong Kong Film Critic's Society Awards, Golden Bauhinia Awards, Golden Horse Awards, Beijing Student Film Festival and Hangzhou Student Film Festival for her performance. After Perhaps Love, her next film was Feng Xiaogang's The Banquet, in which she played a supporting role. Zhou's next project was Susie Au's film Ming Ming (2007), which won high praise at the 2006 Pusan International Film Festival held in South Korea. At the premiere of the film, she released her new music video, featuring the theme song of Ming Ming. In 2008, Zhou starred in Cao Baoping's romantic thriller The Equation of Love and Death as a taxicab driver on the lookout for her missing boyfriend. The movie was filmed in Yunnan. In that year, she also played the lead role in Painted Skin, a remake of a classic supernatural thriller of the same title. She has also appeared in the urban romantic comedy All About Women directed by Tsui Hark. In 2012 made her Hollywood debut in Cloud Atlas, in mutiple roles as Yoona~939, a clone in dystopian 2144 Korea, as Rose in 2321 and as Talbot / Hotel Manager in 1973. Singing career: Apart from her acting career, Zhou has also performed for some motion picture soundtracks, such as Ming Ming, Baobei In Love, Xin Bian Guo Le Xi San Meng You Xian Jing and Perhaps Love. She has also released two solo albums, Summer (2003) and Come Across (2005). Fashion: Since 2011, Zhou was formally announced as a new ambassador for Chanel. Chanel chief designer Karl Lagerfield noted Zhou Xun for her strong fashion sense, describing the actress as "a synthesis of young Coco Chanel and Ballet Troupe Zizi Jeanmaire." Filmography: Film: Year Title Role Notes 1991 Old Grave Jiaona 1994 Nü'er Hong Hua Dao 1995 The Pampered Wife Yangyang 1996 Temptress Moon Little dance girl 1998 My Rice Noodle Shop 1999 The Emperor and the Assassin Blind girl 2000 Suzhou River Paris Film Festival for Best Actress 2001 Beijing Bicycle Qin 2001 Hollywood Hong Kong Hung Hung/Tong Tong Nominations:, Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress, Golden Horse Awards for Best Actress 2002 A Pinwheel Without Wind Zhao Ningjing Hundred Flower Awards for Best Actress, Beijing Student Film Festival for Top Ten Favorite Actress 2002 Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Little seamstress 2002 Where Have All the Flowers Gone Huanzi 2004 A West Lake Moment Xiaoyu 2004 Beauty Remains Xiaofei 2004 Baobei in Love Baobei Chinese Director's Association Awards for Best Actress 2005 Stolen Life Yanni 2005 Perhaps Love Sun Na Golden Horse Award for Best Actress, Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress, Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards for Best Actress, Golden Bauhinia Awards for Best Actress, Beijing Student Film Festival for Best Actress, Hangzhou Student Film Festival for Best Actress 2006 The Banquet Qingnü Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actress, Golden Bauhinia Awards for Best Supporting Actress, Nominated - Golden Horse Awards for Best Original Film Song 2006 Ming Ming Mingming / Nana 2008 The Equation of Love and Death Li Mi Asian Film Awards for Best Actress, Golden Rooster Awards for Best Actress 2008 Painted Skin Xiaowei Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress 2008 All About Women Awkward lab researcher 2009 The Message Gu Xiaomeng Nominated - Golden Horse Award for Best Actress 2010 Confucius Nanzi 2010 True Legend Ying 2010 4+1 2011 The Founding of a Party Wang Huiwu 2011 The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate Jade Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress 2012 The Great Magician Liu Yin 2012 Painted Skin: The Resurrection Xiaowei 2012 The Silent War Zhang Xue Ning 2012 Cloud Atlas Talbot/Hotel Manager, Yoona~939, Rose 2012 I Know You Television: Year Title Role Notes 1997 Hongchufang Shen Pei 1998 Palace of Desire young Princess Taiping 1998 Taiping Tianguo Shi Yiyang 1998 Jingtan Fengyun Lin Peipei 1999 Lüyi Hongniang Fan Xiaoxuan 1999 April Rhapsody Lin Huiyin 1999 Kaixin Jiuhao Tan Gege 1999 Yuanlai Yijiaren Taotao 2000 Love Story in Shanghai Du Xinyu 2000 Jinqian Bense Mandy 2000 Xin Wang 2001 Ripening Orange Xiuhe 2002 The Legend of the Condor Heroes Huang Rong 2003 Beach A'Tong 2003 Business Family Su Boyuan / Xia He

Source: Wikipedia

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