It’s been almost 2 decades since fans fell in love with Disney’s Asian princess animation “Mulan”. After a series of whitewashing controversies, the upcoming live action remake has finally found its lead actress in Liu Yifei (刘亦菲).
Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, will be playing Hua Mulan, a legendary female warrior who disguises herself as a man to take her father’s place in order to enlist herself in the army to fight against the Huns.
Since many of you may not know much about the Chinese star, allow us to introduce her with these following fun facts:
1. Nicknamed “Fairy Sister” for her sweet and innocent persona, Liu Yifei was born in Wuhan, the Hubei province of China.
2. The 30-year-old actress beat out 1000 other candidates across 5 continents for the role.
3. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actress playing Mulan requires more than just star quality. She also needs to speak English and possess skills in martial arts as well as sword fighting.
4. She spent her childhood in Queens, New York, Liu Yifei is no stranger to acting in English and have previously worked alongside several Hollywood stars.
5. Her resume includes 2008’s “The Forbidden Kingdom” (with Jackie Chan and Jet Li), 2014’s “Outcast” (opposite Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christensen), and Danish auteur Bille August’s period romance “The Chinese Widow” (alongside Emile Hirsch).
6. She was previously in a relationship with Song Seung Heon (송승헌) after starring in the popular Korean romance drama “The Third Way of Love”.
7. Being a glamour chick, the dark-haired beauty has also served as a brand ambassador for Dior, Tissot, Garnier, and Pantene.
8. When it comes to singing, Liu Yifei already has some pipes. The star was signed to Sony Music in Japan and has released several albums.
Directed by Niki Caro, Disney’s live-action adaption “Mulan” is expected to hit theatres in 2019.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, E! News, Daily Mail / Featured image: Getty Images.
