Gong Li, born on 31st December 1965 in Shenyang, Liaoning China, is an actress best known to the world for her roles in films “Raise the Red Lantern” (1991), “Hannibal Rising” (2007), and “What Women Want” (2011), among other films. Her career started in 1987.
Have you ever wondered how rich Gong Li is, as of late 2016? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Li`s net worth is as high as $100 million, earned through her successful career in the entertainment industry.
Gong Li Net Worth $100 Million
Gong is a daughter of academic citizens; her father is a professor of economics, Gong Lize, while her mother, Liu Ying was a teacher. Li was raised in Jinan, alongside her four siblings. After finished high school, Li, wanted to enroll at one of the top music schools in China, however, she wasn`t accepted, and instead enrolled at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, finishing studies in 1989. Even before Li finished studies, she made her debut by appearing in the film “Red Sorghum” in 1987.
After graduation, she became more focused on acting, and soon made several appearances, including in “Quin yong”, “Xi tai hou” and “Dai hao mei zhou bao”. In 1990 she was cast in the lead role of Ju Dou in the film of the same name, alongside Wei Li and Baotian Li, and a year later firstly appeared in “God of Gamblers III: Back to Shanghai”, then starred in the Oscar-nominated “Raise the Red Lantern”, directed by Zhang Yimou. Li continued to enjoy fame during the `90s, and landed several lead roles in such high profile films as “The Story of Qiu Ju” (1992), the Oscar-nominated “Farewell My Concubine” (1993), “A Soul Hunted by Painting” (1994), and again teamed up with Zhang Yimou, this time for the film “To Live” (1994). All of these films, contributed to her net worth in a large degree, but her popularity would reach a whole new level with such films as “Chinese Box” (1997), next to Jeremy Irons, “The Emperor and the Assassin” (1998), and in 2004 with Kar-Wai-Wong`s sci-fi romantic drama “2046”, which snatched numerous awards.
The next year she appeared in Rob Marshall`s Oscar-winning drama “Memories of a Geisha”, starring Ziyi Zhang and Ken Watanabe, and then was the female lead in Michael Mann`s “Miami Vice”, next to Collin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, increasing further her net worth.
By 2010, even if she wanted Li couldn`t retreat from the scene, as she appeared in such famous films as “Curse of the Golden Flower” (2006), “Hannibal Rising” (2007), and “Shanghai” (2010), all of which added a solid amount to her already impressive net worth. However, for a few years her career began to decline, as she couldn`t find new engagements, but emerged once again on the scene in 2014, with the lead role in the drama film “Coming Home”, and most recently she had a role in the fantasy adventure “The Monkey King 2”.
Thanks to her skills, Li has won numerous prestigious awards, including the Golden Rooster and the Hundred Flowers Awards. Also, she received the Cannes Festival Trophy and Volpi Cup for Best Actress, among other awards.
Regarding her personal life, Li Gong was in a relationship with director Zhang Yimou during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and was then married to Singapore businessman Ooi Wei Ming from 1996 until 2010 with whom she has a daughter. Li also holds Singaporean citizenship, which she obtained in 2008.
