Zhang Ziyi grows into international star
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-08-14 16:27

Zhang said both roles were challenging and had strikingly contrasting styles, both cinematically and in fashion. She wears elaborate kimono and customs in "Geisha" and slinky cheomsongs, the high-collared form-fitting silk dress, and high heels for her "2046" scenes set in hedonistic Hong Kong of the 1960s.

BOOT CAMP

As a Chinese actress cast to play a Japanese geisha with all the dialogue in English in a Hollywood production, the Beijing beauty had to endure what she laughingly called pre-production "boot camp" to prepare.

"For us, who can't speak English and must speak with an English accent and a Japanese accent, that was really hard, so much pressure," said Zhang, who studied English for the role and who used a translator sparingly during the interview.

"But this opportunity to work on this film that has a great cast, has a great script, a great director, I think anyone would take this seriously and do it well.

"We spent a lot of time learning. We called it boot camp. We got to learn how to walk, how to play the shamisen (musical instrument), how to dress, add to that the cast is entirely non-English speaking and you can imagine how hard it was," she said of the adaptation of Arthur Golden's novel.

"I will be proud of this movie. I know this will be a very beautiful, very emotional, very touching."

"2046," a follow-up to Kar Wai's acclaimed "In the Mood for Love" was also a stretch for Zhang, who plumbed her emotions for a performance The New York Times described as "shockingly intense."

"I think this character for me so far was my most difficult role I ever played," Zhang said about her role in "2046," which won her best actress honours at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Working with Kar Wai was a unique experience for Zhang.

"They didn't have script. Every day I got two pages of handwriting. You don't need to memorise lines. You just give your real feelings. I just enjoyed this lady, being her, showing her true feelings.

"As I understood her more, I gave more, building slowly. We shot a lot of different takes instead of rehearsing. It was a great training for me as a young actress."

Michael Barker, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, which is distributing "2046" and brought "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," to the United States among other Asian hits, said the crossover of a talented international artist such as Zhang was nothing new for Hollywood.

"Zhang Ziyi going from 'House of Daggers' and '2046' to 'Memoirs of a Geisha,' is no different than Catherine Deneuve going from her French hits to American success, or Sophia Loren going from Italian movies to big Hollywood star," he said. "It's happening with Asian actresses today."

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