Eugenia Yuan
Encyclopedia
Biography
A Hong Kong Film AwardsHong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
winner and daughter of martial arts legend Cheng Pei Pei, Eugenia Yuan started out her career not as an actress, but as a rhythmic gymnast for the U.S. Olympic Team and was ranked #4 in the world.
Eventually switching career from an athlete to on-screen ingénue, Eugenia made her screen debut co-starring with her mother in the martial arts picture Flying Dragon, Leaping Tiger. She caught the eye of movie executives on both sides of the world who offered to groom her to inherit her mother's kung fu crown.
Eugenia opted instead to co-star in the dark, low-budget feature charlotte sometimes
Charlotte Sometimes (film)
Charlotte Sometimes is a 2002 film written, directed, and produced by Eric Byler.-Plot:Nominated for two 2003 Independent Spirit Awards, and hailed by Roger Ebert as a breakthrough for Asian American filmmakers, Charlotte Sometimes is a "mysterious and erotic" romance exploring the kinds of love...
which garnered an honor at the Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
and was publicly championed by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
and featured in his own Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival.
Eugenia returned to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to star in Three where she was named "Best Newcomer" in the Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
(Hong Kong's equivalent of the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
). Soon after, Hollywood director Doug Liman
Doug Liman
Douglas Eric "Doug" Liman is an American film director and producer best known for Swingers , The Bourne Identity , Mr. & Mrs. Smith , Jumper , and Fair Game .-Early life:...
hand-picked her for the title role of the cult hit mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
Mail Order Wife which brought her to national attention when she was named as a "Rising Star/Screen Acting Discovery" at the premiere of the film in the Hamptons International Film Festival
Hamptons International Film Festival
Hamptons International Film Festival was founded to provide a forum for independent filmmakers from around the world to express their vision. The Festival is traditionally held for five days in mid-October in theatre venues from Montauk to Southampton and attracts roughly 15,000 visitors annually...
.
She was later nominated at Hong Kong's Golden Horse Awards for her starring role in The Eye 2
The Eye 2
The Eye 2 is a 2004 Hong Kong horror film directed by the Pang brothers. It is the sequel to The Eye , though the two storylines are not related in any way except for seeing ghosts.-Plot:...
and made memorable turns in the John Dahl
John Dahl
John Dahl is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in the neo-noir genre.-Life and career:John Dahl was born in Billings, Montana, the second of four children . Dahl spent his young life in and around Montana all the way up through his college years...
film The Great Raid
The Great Raid
The Great Raid is a 2005 war film about the Raid at Cabanatuan, adapted from William Breuer's book of the same name. It tells the story of the January 1945 liberation of the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on the Philippine island of Luzon during World War II. It is directed by John Dahl and stars Benjamin...
and the Oscar-winning Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha (film)
Memoirs of a Geisha is a 2005 film adaptation of the novel of the same name, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and Spyglass Entertainment and by Douglas Wick's Red Wagon Productions. It was directed by Rob Marshall. It was released in the United States on December 9, 2005 by...
. The jewelry retailer Me & Ro created a special edition hair ornament inspired by Eugenia's character in the movie.
Eugenia continues to shuttle back and forth between Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to take Studio, Chinese-language and American independent roles alike including the 2007 Gotham Awards
Gotham Awards
The Gotham Awards is an annual ceremony of awards presented to the makers of independent films which takes place in New York City...
winning film Choking Man
Choking Man
Choking Man is a 2006 independent film, written and directed by Steve Barron. The film stars Octavio Gómez Berríos and Eugenia Yuan.-Synopsis:...
. She also co-stars with Tony Leung Ka Fai in the Kenneth Bi
Kenneth Bi
Kenneth Bi has written, directed, and acted in Canada and Hong Kong in numerous theatre and film productions.-Biography:Kenneth Bi is the son of legendary movie star from the Shaw Brothers Studio, Ivy Ling Po and Chin Han. They have both starred in numerous films and also had a cameo on Kenneth...
film, The Drummer
The Drummer
The Drummer may refer to:* Drummer , a fictional character from the comic book, Planetary by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday* The Drummer , a 1983 Hong Kong film directed by Yeung Kuen...
, and Erica Leerhsen
Erica Leerhsen
Erica Lei Leerhsen is an American actress. She is best known for her lead roles in the horror films Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Wrong Turn 2. She is often referred to as a modern day scream queen...
in Slaughter.
Filmography
- Slaughter (2008)
- The DrummerThe Drummer (2007 film)The Drummer is a 2007 Hong Kong-Taiwanese film written and directed by Kenneth Bi. It is Kenneth Bi's second film as a director.The film was released in Hong Kong on October 11, 2007. It features the Chinese Zen drumming group U-Theatre...
(2007) - Choking ManChoking ManChoking Man is a 2006 independent film, written and directed by Steve Barron. The film stars Octavio Gómez Berríos and Eugenia Yuan.-Synopsis:...
(2007) - Memoirs of a GeishaMemoirs of a Geisha (film)Memoirs of a Geisha is a 2005 film adaptation of the novel of the same name, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and Spyglass Entertainment and by Douglas Wick's Red Wagon Productions. It was directed by Rob Marshall. It was released in the United States on December 9, 2005 by...
(2006) - The Great RaidThe Great RaidThe Great Raid is a 2005 war film about the Raid at Cabanatuan, adapted from William Breuer's book of the same name. It tells the story of the January 1945 liberation of the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on the Philippine island of Luzon during World War II. It is directed by John Dahl and stars Benjamin...
(2005) - Mail Order Wife (2004)
- The Eye 2The Eye 2The Eye 2 is a 2004 Hong Kong horror film directed by the Pang brothers. It is the sequel to The Eye , though the two storylines are not related in any way except for seeing ghosts.-Plot:...
(2004) - My Name Is ModestyMy Name is ModestyMy Name Is Modesty is a 2003 American action film that was released direct-to-DVD. The film is based on the early years of the character Modesty Blaise, a former crime boss turned secret agent....
(2003) - Three (2002)
- Charlotte SometimesCharlotte Sometimes (film)Charlotte Sometimes is a 2002 film written, directed, and produced by Eric Byler.-Plot:Nominated for two 2003 Independent Spirit Awards, and hailed by Roger Ebert as a breakthrough for Asian American filmmakers, Charlotte Sometimes is a "mysterious and erotic" romance exploring the kinds of love...
(2002) - Flying Dragon, Leaping Tiger (2002)