Bai Ling facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bai Ling
Bai in 2016
Born	(1966-10-10) October 10, 1966 (age 58) Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1981–present
Parent(s)	Bai Yuxiang, Chen Binbin
Awards	Hong Kong Film Awards – Best Supporting Actress 2004 Dumplings Golden Bauhinia Awards – Best Supporting Actress 2004 Dumplings Golden Horse Awards – Best Supporting Actress 2004 Dumplings
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	白靈
Simplified Chinese	白灵
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Bái Líng IPA [pǎi̯ lǐŋ]

Bai Ling (Chinese: 白灵, born October 10, 1966) is a talented Chinese American actress and musician. She is well-known for her roles in movies like The Crow, Nixon, Red Corner, Crank: High Voltage, Dumplings, Wild Wild West, Anna and the King, Southland Tales, and Maximum Impact. She has also appeared in popular TV shows such as Entourage and Lost. Bai Ling won the Best Supporting Actress awards at the 2004 Hong Kong Film Awards and the 2004 Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan for her part in the film Dumplings.

Early Life and Beginnings

Bai Ling was born in Chengdu, a city in China. Her father, Bai Yuxiang, was a musician in the army and later became a music teacher. Her mother, Chen Binbin, was a dancer, a stage actress, and a literature teacher at Sichuan University.

Bai Ling has said that she was a very shy child. She found that acting and performing helped her express herself best. When she was young, she learned to perform by taking part in special plays at her elementary school. After finishing middle school, Bai Ling was sent to work on a farm near Chengdu.

In 1978, after high school, she joined the People's Liberation Army. She became an artist soldier in Nyingchi Prefecture, Tibet. Her main job was to entertain people in musical theater. She also worked briefly as an army nurse.

In 1981, Bai Ling became a professional actress. She joined the People's Art Theater of Chengdu. Her performance in the play Yueqin and Little Tiger caught the eye of movie director Teng Wenji. This led to her first movie role in On the Beach (1985). In this film, she played a village girl who became a factory worker.

A few years later, she appeared in several other movies. In 1991, she moved to New York to study film at New York University. She later got a special visa that allowed her to stay in the United States. She became a U.S. citizen in 1999.

Acting Career Highlights

Bai Ling at a party in July 2007

Bai Ling started her acting journey in China. She appeared in several Chinese films. Her first film was On the Beach in 1984. She then made other movies like Suspended Sentence and Tears in Suzhou. In 1991, she moved to the United States. There, she acted in many American films and TV shows. One of her early roles was in the TV show Guiding Light.

Her first big American movie role was in The Crow (1994). In this film, she played a character connected to the main villain. In 1997, she starred opposite Richard Gere in the movie Red Corner. Critics praised her performance, saying she brought grace and depth to the film. For her role in Red Corner, she won awards like the National Board of Review Freedom for Breakthrough Female Performance. The movie discussed certain government actions in China. After this, Bai Ling became a U.S. citizen.

In 1998, People magazine named Bai Ling one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. She shaved her very long hair for her role in Anna and the King. In Thailand, she is widely known as "Tuptim," which was her character's name in the film. She also filmed scenes for Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) as Senator Bana Breemu. However, her scenes were later removed from the final movie, but you can find them on the DVD.

In 2004, Bai Ling returned to Chinese cinema. She co-starred in the horror film Dumplings. Her role as the chef Aunt Mei earned her the 2005 Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. This helped her become popular again with Chinese movie fans. That same year, she also received praise for her role in The Beautiful Country, alongside Nick Nolte.

In 2005, Bai Ling was a judge at the 55th Berlin International Film Festival. On TV, she was part of the VH1 show But Can They Sing?. She also appeared in an episode of Entourage.

In 2007, she played Coco in the movie Shanghai Baby. She also guest-starred in an episode of Lost. Since 2007, she has appeared in many films, including Love Ranch and Crank: High Voltage. She also became known for her unique fashion choices on red carpets.

In 2013, Bai Ling's career saw a boost with the movie The Gauntlet (also known as Game of Assassins). She won the Best Actress award for this film at the Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood. She also received the Best Feature Film Award at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival for Speed Dragon. In 2014, she was a jury member at the Mumbai Film Festival.

Personal Life

Bai Ling has shared some interesting things about her personal beliefs. In a 2009 interview, she mentioned that she feels like she comes from the Moon. She said her mother told her she was "found somewhere." She believes she can often see her grandmother on the Moon, still living in her childhood home. She explained that she lives in her "own universe."

When Bai Ling first came to the United States, she was not fluent in English. People would ask her if she was "bi," which sounded like her name. After understanding what they meant, she later confirmed that she is attracted to people regardless of their gender.

Filmography

Film

Bai Ling at German Comic Con 2019

Television

Documentary

Video games

Music video

Discography

Singles

• "Rehab" (2011)
• "U Touch Me, I Don't Know U" (2011)
• "I Love U My Valentine" (2012)
• "Tuesday Night 8pm" (2012)

Music videos

• "Rehab" (2011)
• "U Touch Me, I Don't Know U" (2011)
• "I Love U My Valentine" (2012)
• "Tuesday Night 8pm" (2012)

See also

In Spanish: Bai Ling para niños