Gong Li – Biography Early Life and Education Gong Li was born on December 31, 1965, in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China, and raised in Jinan, Shandong. The youngest of five children, she was drawn to music and art from an early age. Her father was a professor of economics and her mother a teacher, and … Read more

Rinko Kikuchi – Biography Early Life and Background Rinko Kikuchi was born on January 6, 1981, in Hadano, Kanagawa, Japan. She grew up in a quiet suburban area and was drawn to storytelling and film from an early age. Without any formal acting education, she entered the entertainment industry as a teenager after being discovered … Read more

Toshiro Mifune – Biography Early Life and Background Toshiro Mifune was born on April 1, 1920, in Qingdao, China, to Japanese parents. His father was a photographer, and Mifune grew up in Manchuria, where he developed early technical skills working in his father’s studio. He moved to Japan after World War II, and although he … Read more

Takashi Shimura – Biography Early Life and Background Takashi Shimura was born as Shoji Shimazaki on March 12, 1905, in Ikuno, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Raised in a middle-class family, he developed an early love for literature and performance. He studied English literature at Kansai University and became involved in student theater. Although he initially pursued … Read more

Hiroyuki Sanada – Biography Early Life and Background Hiroyuki Sanada was born on October 12, 1960, in Tokyo, Japan. From an early age, he showed interest in the performing arts and began studying martial arts and acting as a child. He trained under Sonny Chiba at the Japan Action Club, a program designed to cultivate … Read more

Ken Watanabe – Biography Early Life and Background Ken Watanabe was born on October 21, 1959, in Koide, a small town in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. His father was a schoolteacher and his mother a homemaker. From an early age, Watanabe was drawn to music and aspired to become a professional trumpet player. However, a lack … Read more

Takeshi Kitano – Biography Early Life and Background Takeshi Kitano was born on January 18, 1947, in Tokyo, Japan, into a working-class family. Raised in the Adachi district, he grew up during a time of post-war hardship. His father was a house painter and a gambler, while his mother was a strict disciplinarian who valued … Read more

Bruce Lee – Biography Early Life and Background Bruce Lee was born Lee Jun-fan on November 27, 1940, in San Francisco, California, while his parents were on tour with a Chinese opera. Raised in Hong Kong, Bruce was introduced to the entertainment industry early, appearing in films as a child actor. As a teenager, he … Read more

Jackie Chan – Biography Early Life and Background Jackie Chan was born Chan Kong-sang on April 7, 1954, in Victoria Peak, Hong Kong. Raised in a working-class family, his parents were refugees from the Chinese Civil War. At age seven, he was enrolled in the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera school, where he underwent … Read more

Chow Yun-fat – Biography Early Life and Background Chow Yun-fat was born on May 18, 1955, on Lamma Island, Hong Kong. Raised in a modest farming family, his early life was shaped by financial hardship and rural traditions. At age 10, his family moved to the city, where he took on odd jobs to help … Read more

Tony Leung – Biography Early Life and Background Tony Leung Chiu-wai was born on June 27, 1962, in Hong Kong. Raised in a working-class household, his early life was marked by financial struggles after his father left the family. As a child, he was introverted and sensitive, traits that would later influence his acting style. … Read more

Jet Li – Biography Early Life and Background Jet Li was born as Li Lianjie on April 26, 1963, in Beijing, China. He lost his father at a young age and was raised in a working-class household. At age eight, he began training in Wushu, a form of Chinese martial arts, at the Beijing Wushu … Read more

Donnie Yen – Biography Early Life and Background Donnie Yen was born on July 27, 1963, in Guangzhou, China, and raised in Hong Kong before immigrating to Boston, Massachusetts, with his family at age 11. His mother, Bow-sim Mark, is a renowned martial artist, and his father, Klyster Yen, was a newspaper editor and amateur … Read more

Forest Whitaker – Biography Early Life and Education Forest Whitaker was born on July 15, 1961, in Longview, Texas, and raised in Los Angeles, California. His father worked as an insurance salesman, while his mother pursued a career in education, eventually earning two master’s degrees. Whitaker attended Palisades Charter High School, where he excelled in … Read more

Cuba Gooding Jr – Biography Early Life and Education Cuba Gooding Jr. was born on January 2, 1968, in The Bronx, New York City. His father, Cuba Gooding Sr., was the lead singer of the soul group The Main Ingredient, and his mother, Shirley Sullivan, was a singer as well. Following his father’s musical career, … Read more

Wesley Snipes – Biography Early Life and Education Wesley Snipes was born on July 31, 1962, in Orlando, Florida, but he grew up in the South Bronx, New York City. From an early age, he was drawn to acting and martial arts. He attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and … Read more

Jamie Foxx – Biography Early Life and Education Jamie Foxx was born Eric Marlon Bishop on December 13, 1967, in Terrell, Texas. Raised by his maternal grandparents in a strict Baptist household, Foxx showed early talent in music and performance. He began playing piano at the age of five and later excelled in academics and … Read more

Morgan Freeman – Biography Early Life and Background Morgan Freeman was born on June 1, 1937, in Memphis, Tennessee. The youngest of five children, he was raised in a working-class African American family. His mother, Mayme, was a teacher, and his father, Morgan Sr., was a barber. Freeman moved frequently during his childhood, living in … Read more

Denzel Washington – Biography Early Life and Background Denzel Washington was born on December 28, 1954, in Mount Vernon, New York. His mother, Lennis, owned a beauty salon, while his father, Denzel Sr., was a Pentecostal minister. After his parents separated when he was 14, Denzel attended a private prep school, which he later credited … Read more

Will Smith – Biography Early Life and Upbringing Will Smith was born on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Raised in a middle-class household, his mother, Caroline, worked as a school board administrator, and his father, Willard Carroll Smith Sr., was a refrigeration engineer. Smith attended Overbrook High School and was offered a scholarship to … Read more