Cheng Pei-Pei was a Chinese-born actress and martial artist best known for her performances in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Come Drink with Me.”
- Died: July 17, 2024 (Who else died on July 17?)
- Details of death: Died in the San Francisco Bay area after a diagnosis with corticobasal degeneration at the age of 78.
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Cheng Pei-Pei’s legacy
Cheng was considered China’s first female action star, a pioneer of martial arts who came to prominence in the 1966 Hong Kong wuxia film “Come Drink with Me.” She played Golden Swallow, who is on a mission to rescue her kidnapped brother, famously wielding two swords as she fights his captors. Cheng herself favored fighting with swords as a martial artist, and the preference earned her the nickname “The Queen of Swords.” “Come Drink with Me” made Cheng a star at home in China and introduced her to an international audience, as the film was submitted for an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
Cheng’s career largely continued in Hong Kong, including the “Come Drink with Me” sequel “Golden Swallow,” and other movies such as “Hong Kong Nocturne,” “Flirting Scholar,” and “The Lady Hermit.” In 2000, she played the role for which she was best known in the Western world: the villainous Jade Fox in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” Cheng won Best Supporting Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards for her memorable performance.
Notable quote
“I have never considered myself a martial arts lady, I’m really a dancer. I tell my children that it’s a bonus to be a dancer because you are graceful, can kick high, bend low.” —from an interview for Kung Fu magazine
Tributes to Cheng Pei-Pei
Full obituary: The New York Times
