Lee directed Jennifer Connelly in The Hulk

It is to his credit as a film-maker that he has managed to have huge success on both sides of the Pacific, including his 2001 Oscar win for best foreign film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Known for his perfectionism, during the making of The Hulk Lee actually acted out the movements of the green creature himself, so the animators could see exactly what he wanted.

Always passionate about the subject matter of his films, and he told the Straits Times that The Hulk fascinated him because it is about "the alter ego".

Lee (right) directed Chow Yun-Fat in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

"It's the first American comic book that doesn't have a superhero, but instead has a troublemaking monster and it's very compelling. It really touched a nerve in the Cold War era," Lee, 48, said.

The Hulk is perhaps not such a far cry from his other films, which include such subtle social dramas as Sense and Sensibility and the visually compelling martial arts epic Crouching Tiger.

More than a decade ago, his career began with films such as The Wedding Banquet, Pushing Hands and Eat Drink Man Woman.

ANG LEE'S FILMS The Hulk: 2003 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: 2000 Ride with the Devil: 1999 Ice Storm: 1997 Sense and Sensibility: 1995 (above) Eat Drink Man Woman: 1994 The Wedding Banquet: 1993 Pushing Hands: 1992

The director started out in film in his early 20s, after graduating from the National Taiwan College of Arts.

He went on to study theatre directing in the US at the University of Illinois, followed by film production at New York University.

Success came quickly for Lee, who won several awards for his student work. The next six years were spent honing his craft until his directorial debut, Pushing Hands, in 1992.

The Chinese-language film is a comedy focusing on the cultural and generational gulf between members of a Taiwanese family in New York.

It was well received both in Lee's own country and in the US and its themes and reception were an early pointer to Lee's future achievement.

Crouching Tiger won best foreign language film Oscar in 2001

The Wedding Banquet in 1993 followed, again in Lee's native language, and explored the same cultural themes - but with a difference.

This time, Lee looked through the eyes of a young gay Taiwanese man in New York attempting to hide his sexuality from his parents with a sham arranged marriage.

The film won awards at the Berlin and Seattle film festivals, a Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.

His third Chinese-language film, Eat Drink Man Woman, capitalised on the winning cultural theme and won Lee an Oscar nomination for best foreign film.

By the time of his fourth venture, Hollywood was calling.

Lee chose to adapt Jane Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility in 1995.

Crouching Tiger featured gravity-defying stunts from its stars

The movie starred upcoming actress Kate Winslet and the well-respected Emma Thompson - who also won an Oscar for her screenplay.

It was given an Oscar nomination for best picture and three Bafta awards.

Lee continued to perfect his mainstream talent and international foothold with an adaptation of Rick Moody's novel The Ice Storm, with Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver and Christina Ricci.

Now firmly established amongst the big Hollywood directors, he became more adventurous for his next project.

Kate Winslet won a Bafta for her role in Sense and Sensibility

Civil war drama Ride with the Devil in 1997 starred Tobey Maguire and Jeffrey Rhys Myers, but was not as critically acclaimed as his previous work.

However its high-action, high-drama concept was all Lee needed to complete his cross-cultural experience.

The result was Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, featuring gravity-defying stunts combined with a tale of romance and the fight for justice.

It also successfully combined a celebration of Asian and Western cultures - no mean feat in the film industry - cementing Lee's reputation as a daring, innovative film maker.