Come Drink With Me star Cheng Pei-pei dies at age 78
Chinese-born action film icon Cheng Pei-pei died on July 18. She was 78.
The lead actress in 1966 film Come Drink With Me was a pioneer of martial arts roles among female actors.
In the film directed by King Hu, 19-year-old Cheng played Golden Swallow, a governor's daughter adept in swordfighting and martial arts who disguised herself as a man to rescue her kidnapped brother.
Cheng did not know martial arts but the director saw potential in her ballet background.
The film was the beginning of a series of martial arts role for Cheng in the 1960s, who moved to San Francisco in the 1970s.
In 2000, Cheng returned to the silver screen with her role as Jade Fox in Ang Lee's oscar-winner Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Hong Kong star Stephen Chow posted on Weibo a tribute to Cheng: "Every time I met Sister Pei-pei, I was moved by her hearty laughter. Even when we talked about the difficult years of the past, she never complained or lamented.
"We spoke in Shanghainese, which made me feel like I had returned to my childhood.
"I heard that Sister Pei-pei was in poor health in recent years. Heaven and earth are now forever separated. There is no pain in heaven. I wish her a happy journey."
Variety reported that Cheng was in 2019 diagnosed with a neurodegenerative, atypical parkinsonism syndrome.
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