At the close of the 20th century. Chinese cinema broke though the boundaries of the Chinese speaking world. The change has been dramatic. Even at the beginning of the 1990s, Westerners would have been hard pressed to name a Chinese film-maker or actor, with the possible exception of kung fu cult hero Bruce Lee. In Hollywood, the world mecca of film, Asian roles had remained largely stereotyped or negligible since the days of silent film, and only an occasional actor like Anna May Wong or Nancy Kwan gained the status of star. Today, actors Jackie Chan and Gong Li, both based in Asia, and directors Ang Lee ( Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, “Brokeback Mountain” ) and John Woo (‘Face Off’), both based in the United states, are not only internationally renowned, they are box office draws.