05/22/2026
One of our all-time favorite movies is Romeo Must Die. It is a loose and modern take of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, blending martial arts, crime, romance, and hip hop culture, making it a box-office hit. The 2000 film stars , who was already a huge action star by this point in Asia, and , a rising R&B performer who made her acting debut with the film. The action movie also served as Jet Li’s first Hollywood leading role.
Li has praised Aaliyah for her crucial role in helping guide him through the script, stating she worked with him line-by-line for days to help him with his delivery and figure out how to build their on-screen relationship. The unique on-screen chemistry between the two co-stars was one of the memorable aspects of the film. It was not an overly romantic relationship. Instead, it was genuine, full of warmth, and mutual respect. The film is also one of the first films to bridge Black and Asian cultures, representing a significant moment in 2000s multicultural pop culture. It plays on cross-cultural appreciation, merging Eastern martial arts and Western hip-hop culture starring two of our favorite artists.
Aaliyah died the following year in a plane crash at age 22. Li, who has been on tour promoting his new book “Beyond Life and Death: The Way of True Freedom,” has fondly reflected on his time with Aaliyah more than two decades later. He noted that he occasionally gets emotional visiting the United States, as it always reminds him of her. Li says she is still “always in my heart.”
Swipe for a stroll down memory lane from Romeo Must Die. The last slide is of Aaliyah and Li at the film premiere where she won’t leave Li behind. 🥹
Source: Resonate Voices