Swapping screens

Film star Zhou Xun surprised viewers by returning to TV. Then again, the 'queen of quirk' is known for atypical antics. Xu Fan speaks with the actress about her role in the serial Red Sorghum.

It's unusual for China's big movie stars to take to the small screen. Then again, Zhou Xun is exceptional in many regards - leading CNN to dub her "China's queen of quirk" in a 2010 profile. But that's not the only thing that has surprised viewers of the TV serial in which she plays the lead.

The 40-year-old has courted controversy by playing the 19-year-old protagonist of Red Sorghum, an adaptation of Nobel-winning author Mo Yan's 1986 novel.