Making it big in showbiz when she was just 16, Fan Bingbing is now determined to master the English language.
Many marvel at Fan Bingbing's beauty. Painter Chen Danqing saw her on a flight and described her look as similar to the work of ancient calligrapher Wang Xizhi - who is famed for his refined and delicate style.
While good looks are an obvious advantage for an actress, they can also be a burden. As such, Fan has tried to prove she is more than just a pretty face, by playing a plain massage parlor girl without any makeup in Lost in Beijing (Pingguo), and wearing thick glasses and a bucktooth for Desires of the Heart (Taohua Yun).
Even so, she is still referred to as "the prettiest Chinese actress", while few note that she is also one of the hardest working and prolific.
The 28-year-old has done more than 25 films and 40 TV series; and also runs a TV drama studio and performance school. In 2009, she starred in seven movies.
In Sophie's Revenge (Feichang Wanmei), which premieres on Friday, she plays a film star who robs Zhang Ziyi of her boyfriend. In Wheat (Mai Tian), a costume epic set 2,000 years ago, she is a city's ruler. Her first English film, Stretch, in which she is a powerful woman who manipulates a horse race, wrapped up earlier this year.
"When I choose a role, I prefer something I really never tried before," she says.
Sophie's Revenge is her first comedy, as it is Zhang's, who is the film's lead and producer. "Ziyi came to me and said very sincerely, 'Bingbing, I've never done a comedy, neither have you, why not try one together?'" she recalls.
Noted makeup man Tang Yi revealed that the two secretly competed against each in terms of makeup and costumes, but Fan described their relationship as understanding and appreciative.
"We are both boyish and brave girls, who have achieved our positions by our own efforts, so we feel connected," Fan says. "And I have been a producer, so I know how hard she works. I appreciate her diligence a lot."
On one occasion, Fan had a fever and wanted to cancel a scene at 2 am. But she was told the rent for the set had been paid, so it would be a big waste if she could not act.
She went to the set and found flowers and a pot of soup. On a card Zhang apologized and thanked her for working.
"I worked until 6 the next morning," Fan says, laughing. "Ziyi is a good producer. She cares about actors. To me, a little care is more important than material rewards."
In Wheat, which will open this September, she plays a young widow confronting war, lies and the sudden mission of governing a city.
Director He Ping required her to give up her old acting style. For the first scene, she had to do 25 takes.
"She is a brave girl who shoulders her responsibilities bravely, I think I can relate to her," she says.
