Gong Li

Gong Li

Born in Shenyang, China, Liaoning, Gong was the youngest in a family of five children. Gong shot to fame after starring in a series of films including Red Sorghum and Raise the Red Lantern by director Zhang Yimou in the 1990s. She was also recognised for her role in Memoirs of a Geisha.

In 2008, Asian actress Gong Li drew flak when she renounced her China citizenship to take up a Singaporean one. Widespread dismay ensued in China when news broke, with many branding her a ‘traitor’ for leaving China. Gong married a Singaporean tobacco tycoon in 1996, but the pair eventually divorced in 2009. She was also criticised by Singaporeans, who speculated she would use her Singaporean citizenship as a springboard to attain a United States citizenship, which would help establish her foothold in Hollywood.