Françoise Yip
Françoise Yip | |
---|---|
Chinese name | 葉芳華 (traditional) |
Chinese name | 叶芳华 (simplified) |
Pinyin | Yè Fānghuá (Mandarin) |
Jyutping | jip6 fong1 waa4 (Cantonese) |
Birth name | Françoise Fong-Wa Yip |
Origin | Toronto, Canada |
Born |
North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | September 4, 1972
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1995–present |
Françoise Fong-Wa Yip (葉芳華; born September 4, 1972) is a Canadian actress.
Early life and education
Yip was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and was raised in Toronto, Ontario. Her father is a Canadian of Chinese descent and her mother is French Canadian.[1] At an early age, Yip began studying both piano and dance, excelling on the piano. Although she won many awards, competitions, and kudos, she passed up an opportunity to study music full-time to pursue a degree in Political Science. It was during her years at university that, at the urging of a friend, Yip began modeling. Despite early success, her career as a model didn't last long, as she moved into acting.
Career
Her best-known roles are the redeemable bad girls in Jackie Chan's Rumble in the Bronx and Jet Li's Black Mask. The critical and financial success of Rumble in the Bronx (and its subsequent number-one box-office bow in the United States) made Yip an instant success and garnered her two Hong Kong Film Award nominations. She continued to do movies and star in TV, but her roles were less known or temporary. The characters she plays often get killed or serve as a background character.
Yip appeared in the television series Andromeda as two different characters. Her first character was arrested, and her final character was murdered. She did two movies with Jet Li, the first as a lead romantic interest in Black Mask and the second in Romeo Must Die, but this time she played a Chinese gangster motorcycle assassin killed by Jet Li and Aaliyah. An unfortunate aspect of her career is that none of the TV shows she starred in lasted beyond a full season, and if she did have a starring role in a movie it was a straight-to-video or TV film. She appeared in the film Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, and guest-starred in the Canadian TV show Blood Ties.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | Ghost Punting | Policewoman subordinate | |
1995 | Fighting for My Daughter | Girlfriend | TV Movie |
1995 | Rumble in the Bronx | Nancy | |
1995 | Nie Lian | Maggie | |
1995 | Two Impossible Films | Johann Woo | Short Film |
1996 | Kuang ye san qian xiang | Wai | |
1996 | How to Meet the Lucky Stars | Francoise | |
1996 | Wan feng | Herself | |
1996 | Meng Bo | Saeko Nogami / Yachi | |
1996 | Black Mask | Yeuk Laan | |
1997 | Ni ge mie ye chang | Susan | |
1997 | Shi wu yi sha ren wang luo | Fion Wong | |
1998 | Futuresport | Keahi | TV Movie |
2000 | Romeo Must Die | Meriana Sing,the Motorcycle Fighter | |
2000 | Special Delivery | Flight Attendant | TV Movie |
2000 | A Good Burn | Koa | |
2001 | Witness to a Kill | Kirsten Lee | |
2001 | Lunch with Charles | Cora | |
2001 | The Pledge | Bartender at Airport | |
2001 | Mindstorm | Newscaster | TV Movie |
2002 | Cabin Pressure | Tammy | TV Movie |
2002 | The New Beachcombers | Constable Kelly Mah | TV Movie |
2004 | A Beachcombers Christmas | Constable Kelly Mah | TV Movie |
2004 | Blade: Trinity | Virago | |
2005 | Alone in the Dark | Agent Cheung | |
2005 | Edison | Crow | |
2005 | The Deal | Janice Long | |
2007 | Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem | Ms. Yutani | |
2008 | Dim Sum Funeral | Victoria | |
2009 | Motherland | Raffi Tang | |
2010 | The King of Fighters | Chizuru Kagura | |
2011 | Possessing Piper Rose | Margot Lace | TV Movie |
2013 | Garage Sale Mystery | Katherine Norbert | TV Movie |
2014 | The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story | Pauline Gosselaar | TV Movie |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | Millennium | Stewardess #2 | Episode: "The Innocents" |
1999 | Earth: Final Conflict | Beverly Wu | Episode: "Heroes & Heartbreak" |
1999 | Deep in the City | Episode: Deranged Marriages | |
2000 | Secret Agent Man | Felicia | Episode: "WhupSumAss" |
2000 | Seven Days | Li Mai | Episode: "Olga's Excellent Vacation" |
2001 | Wolf Lake | Reporter | Unaired Pilot |
2001 | These Arms of Mine | Jenny Wong | 3 episodes |
2001 | RoboCop: Prime Directives | Lexx Icon | 2 episodes |
2000-2001 | Freedom | Jin | 8 episodes |
2002 | Flatland | Amy Li | 22 episodes |
2003 | Jeremiah | Rachel | 2 episodes |
2003-2004 | Smallville | Dr. Tia Leng | 5 episodes |
2004 | Stephen King's Dead Zone | Maria | Episode: Speak Now |
2001-2005 | Andromeda | Ashael / Rekel Ben-Tzion | 2 episodes |
2006 | Men in Trees | Alice K | Episode: "Pilot" |
2007 | Flash Gordon | Susan Glass | Episode: "Conspiracy Theory" |
2007-2008 | Blood Ties | Kate Lam | 14 episodes |
2010 | Caprica | Desiree Willow | 2 episodes |
2011 | Fringe | Dr. Rosa Oporto | Episode: "Bloodline" |
2011 | Sanctuary | Dr. Lillian Lee | 3 episodes |
2015 | Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce | Aja | Episode: "Rule #92: Don't Do the Crime If You Can't Do the Crime" |
2015 | Arrow | The Priestess | 2 episodes |
2015 | Proof | Police Officer | Episode: "St. Luke's" |
2015 | Mistresses | Doctor | Episode: "Unreliable Witness" |
2015 | Ties That Bind | Ying | Episode: "Paying for It" |