Cheng Pei Pei, a trailblazer for women in Asian martial arts cinema and a star of the 2000 blockbuster “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” died on July 17 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ms. Cheng was born on Jan. 6, 1946, in Shanghai.
Trained in ballet and traditional Chinese dance, she began her acting career in Hong Kong in 1964 and became one of the stars of the wuxia genre of martial arts films.
Her breakout role was in the mid-’60s kung fu classic “Come Drink With Me.”“Our mom Cheng Pei Pei wanted to be remembered for who she was: the legendary ‘Queen of Martial Arts,’” her family said in a statement.
“She loved being an actress and knew, even with her hard work, how fortunate she was to have the career she had.”
Persons:
Cheng Pei Pei, ”, Cheng, ’, “
Organizations:
trailblazer, Echelon Talent Management, Martial Arts
Locations:
San Francisco Bay, Shanghai, Hong Kong