Cheng Pei-pei

Chinese actress Pei-pei Cheng rose to fame in the 1960s playing swordswomen numerous martial arts films. Born in Shanghai, Cheng moved to Hong Kong as a teenager. Training for many years as a ballet dancer, Cheng's physical skills helped in her many martial arts roles. The actress caught her big break in the 1964 film "Lovers' Rock" and was subsequently cast in numerous Hong Kong martial arts films throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Cheng is perhaps known best for her role as Golden Swallow, the deft swordswoman and lead character in the 1966 film "Come Drink with Me" by director King Hu. She continued to take on similar roles as the sword-wielding heroines of films such as "Golden Swallow," "Dragon Swamp" and "The Lady Hermit." She later gained international recognition when she joined the cast of Ang Lee's 2000 blockbuster "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" as Jade Fox, a woman who acquires her fighting skills by poisoning a martial arts master after being denied entry into an all-male monastery; this was Cheng's first role as a villain in a martial arts film. Following her appearance in Lee's movie, she took roles in several Hollywood films, including the 2007 thriller "They Wait," the 2009 action film "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li" and the 2011 drama "Shanghai Hotel." Cheng Pei-pei died on July 18, 2024 in San Francisco, CA at the age of 77.