Crystal Liu. Otherwise known as Liu Yifei, Crystal Liu is one of China's most talented hot Asian actresses. She has modeled, is trained in dance, sings and also plays the piano in addition to her role, opposite Jet Li and Jackie Chan, in "The Forbidden Kingdom."
Birth name An Feng 安風
Legal name Liu Ximeizi.
Other name(s) Liu Ximeizi 劉茜美子
Crystal Liu
Birth date August 25, 1987
Birth place Wuhan, Hubei, China
Height: 170cm
Blood type B
Occupation Actress, singer
Years active 2002 – present
Born in Tongji Hospital in Hubei, she was originally named An Feng. She is the only child of An Shaokang (安少康), a 1st Secretary in the Chinese Embassy in France and French language university professor, and Liu Xiaoli (刘晓莉), a dancer and a stage performer. Her parents divorced when she was 7 years old and she was raised solely by her mother. That same year, she changed her name to Liu Ximeizi and began modelling, along with training in singing, dancing and playing the piano. She is very close to Chen Jinfei (陈金飞), her godfather.
When she was 11 years old, Liu and her mother moved to New York City, where she attended Louis Pasteur Middle School 67. Returning to China in 2002 to pursue an acting career, she began to be known as Liu Yifei (刘亦菲). Several weeks later, Liu was accepted into the Performance Institute of Beijing Film Academy at the age of 15, where she graduated from in 2006.
Shortly after her admittance to the academy, Crystal was offered her debut role in TV drama “The Story of a Noble Family”. Her performance in the drama gained some notice and soon landed her role in another drama, “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils”, which established her as a rising star in China.
Crystal starred in a couple of movies in 2004 (“The Love Winner” and “Love of May”), and also in popular TV drama “The Legend of Sword and Fairy” (also known as “Chinese Paladin”).
Her major breakthrough came in 2006 with her leading role in TV drama “The Return of the Condor Heroes” which makes her a superstar in Asia region.
Subsequent with her fame she also inked a record deal and released her debut album, “Mayonaka no Door” (oddly enough, a Japanese album) in July 2006. She released her first Chinese album in September 2006.
Crystal has finished filming Forbidden Kingdom (also known as “King of Kungfu) in late 2007. The movie is scheduled to release in April 2008 and could possibly boost her fame in Hollywood… another Zhang Ziyi in making perhaps?
Film
Year English Title Chinese Title
2004 Love of May 五月之恋
2004 The Love Winner 戀愛大赢家
2006 Abao De Gushi 阿寶的故事 Xixi
2008 The Forbidden Kingdom 功夫之王
2010 Love In Disguise 戀愛通告
2011 A Chinese Ghost Story 倩女幽魂
Television
Year English Title Chinese Title
2002 The Story of a Noble Family 金粉世家
2005 Chinese Paladin 仙劍奇俠傳
2005 Doukou Nianhua 豆蔻年華
2006 The Return of the Condor Heroes 神鵰俠侶
