Legendary opera film star Li Li-hua passes on at 92
HONG KONG: Legendary opera film star Li Li-hua died here on Sunday.
According to the Executive Committee of Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, Li, who had appeared in more than 120 films, was 92.
The committee quoted her will as saying she would like to have a simple funeral.
Li was born in Shanghai in 1924 to parents who both performed Peking opera. Her movie debut was Three Smiles, which was released in Shanghai in 1940. She moved to Hong Kong in 1948 and emigrated to the United States in 1970s.
Her film career spanned over three decades. Adept at
Li won the Best Actress Award at the third and seventh Golden Horse Film Awards in 1964 and 1969 with her performances in Between Tears and Laughter and The Yangzi Jiang Incident.
diversified roles and excelling in femme fatale parts, she often played strong feminist characters of courage, patriotism, wiles, and dignity. Her versatility allowed her to shine in comedies too.
Her fame spread far and wide and she was interviewed and featured in the Life magazine in the early 1950s. In 1955, she starred in Blood Will Tell which was the first colour movie in Hong Kong. In 1956, she went to Hollywood to star with Victor Mature in China Doll. In 1959, she married fellow actor and director, Yen Chun.
Li has two daughters, one from her previous marriage. After Yen’s death in August 1980, she continued her retired lifestyle in the US until her childhood sweetheart, Wu Zhong Yi, sought her out, began an ardent courtship and finally won her over. In 1994, at age 70, she recorded a new CD for EMI Singapore. In it she revived some of her old songs and also sang three new songs.
Li won the Best Actress Award at the third and seventh Golden Horse Film Awards in 1964 and 1969 with her performances in Between Tears and Laughter and The Yangzi Jiang Incident.
In 1993, Li received a special commemorative award at the 30th Golden Horse Film Awards.
In 2015, Li was awarded the 52nd Annual Golden Horse Lifetime Achievement Award in Taipei, which was presented by Jackie Chan, who played the son of Li’s character in the 1963 movie The Story of Qin Xianglian.