Remembering Cheng Pei-Pei

I was very sad to hear about the passing of legendary action queen, Cheng Pei-Pei (1946-2024). If you're interested in the history of film and action cinema specifically, it's well worth exploring her vast work and career journey, especially the period in which she rose through the ranks.

Considered one of the very first female action heroes, she moved from Shanghai to Hong Kong at the age of 16 and launched her career training at the legendary Shaw Brothers studio. In the process, and whether she planned it or not, she would become a trailblazer working as a woman in the highly demanding, male-dominated world of action filmmaking, and no doubt inspired countless others along the way. Today she is best remembered for the 1966 King Hu-directed classic, Come Drink with Me. She played roles in such classics as Golden Swallow, Brothers Five, Painted Faces, Wing Chun and made a grand return in the award-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Her last screen role was a special appearance in Disney’s Mulan. 

With strong ties to her cinematic heritage, she became the president of the King Hu Foundation, preserving and championing the work of the legendary director, with whom she started her career. With so many films to explore, the aforementioned Shaw Brothers catalogue is a strong place to start. Thank you for the memories, and condolences to her and friends, family and colleagues.