Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star Cheng Pei-pei dies aged 78

The China-born star died in San Francisco after suffering from a neurodegenerative brain disease since 2019.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star Cheng Pei-pei dies at 782 days agoBy Lipika Pelham, BBC NewsShareGetty ImagesCheng Pei-pei, a pioneering star in martial arts films dies at 78China-born actress Cheng Pei-pei, who starred in Oscar-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has died in San Francisco at the age of 78.

A pioneer of martial arts roles for female actors, Cheng became a major performer in action films after she starred in Come Drink with Me by King Hu in 1966. The film achieved critical acclaim and won Cheng international attention.

After moving to the US she inspired a new generation of directors from East Asia to Hollywood to make female-driven swordplay films.

Cheng's family said she had been privately battling a neurodegenerative brain disease with symptoms similar to Parkinson's since 2019 and passed away on Wednesday.

“Our mom wanted to be remembered by how she was: the legendary Queen of Martial Arts... a versatile, award-winning actress whose film and television career spanned over six decades, not only in Asia but internationally as well,” her family wrote on Facebook.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn38jrnp9jeo

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