This volume of original essays fills a significant research gap in Chinese film studies by offering an interdisciplinary, comparative examination of ethnic Chinese film stars from the silent period to the era of globalization. Whereas studies of stars and stardom have developed considerably in the West over the past two decades, there is no single book in English that critically addresses issues related to stars and stardom in Chinese culture.

1. Introduction: Chinese Film Stars Yingjin Zhang and Mary Farquhar Part I: Early Cinema: Crossing Race and Class Divides 2. Anna May Wong: A Border-crossing 'Minor' Star Mediating Performance Yiman Wang 3. Ruan Lingyu: Reflections on an Individual Performance Style Mette Hjort 4. Li Lili: Acting a Lively Jianmei Type Sean MacDonald Part II: Socialist Cinema: From Film Star to Model Worker 5. Mei Lanfang: Facial Signature and Political Performance in Opera Film John Zou 6. Zhao Dan: Spectrality of Martyrdom and Stardom Yingjin Zhang 7. Zhang Ruifang: Modelling the Socialist Red Star Xiaoning Lu 8. Zhong Xinghuo: Communist Film Worker Krista Van Fleit Hang Part III: Taiwan Cinema: Diaspora, Transvestism, Non-professionalism 9. Ling Bo: Orphanhood and Post-war Sinophone Film History ZHANG Zhen 10. Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia: Last Eastern Star of the Late Twentieth Century Tony Williams 11. Lee Kang-sheng: Non-professional Star Michael Lawrence Part IV: Hong Kong and Transnational Cinema: Action, Gender, Emotion 12. 'Bruce Lee' after Bruce Lee: A Life in Conjectures Brian Hu 13. Jackie Chan: Star Work as Pain and Triumph Mary Farquhar 14. Chow Yun-fat: Hong Kong's Modern TV Xiaosheng Lin FENG 15. Leslie Cheung: Star as Autosexual Julian Stringer 16. Jet Li: Star Construction and Fan Discourse on the Internet Sabrina Qiong Yu