(Flaunt) The breadth and influence Fan Bingbing’s star carries in China and abroad can seem otherworldly. As the most sought after actor in China—a status built on roles she played as a young woman, such as the late ‘90s television series, My Fair Princess, set in the 18th-century Qing Dynasty, or Cell Phone, a dramedy surrounding infidelity and the prescient bridging of technology and interpersonal encounters from 2003—Bing is consistently at the center of high-grossing and heavily reviewed projects from period epics to comedies to contemporary love stories.
Her debut album, Just Begun, was released by Warner Music Beijing in 2005, underscoring her talents on the screen and in the studio. And in the past few years, with her ornamental gowns gracing Cannes red carpets, and on-screen prowess transposed onto more English-speaking screens (X-Men Days of Future Past and a cameo in an extended version of Iron Man 3), the actor has become increasingly recognizable in the Western world. Indeed, with an online following that hovers between the populations of Italy and France, it’s safe to say Bing has company.
Born in the northeastern city of Qingdao and raised in Yantai in China’s Shandong Province, Bing’s parents were creatives themselves. With creative expression as a family value, Bing would go on to graduate from Shanghai Xie Jin Film and Television Art College, as well as Shanghai Theatre Academy.
More recently, Bing took a break for a few months from social media and public appearances. Like any major star—though we are reluctant to liken Bing’s global position to that of anyone’s—the scrutiny, high-stakes capital, and the fickle nature of fandom can occasionally necessitate a large step backwards, into respite. Ready for a new decade, however, Bing’s return feels like that of a majestic phoenix, and her selective appearances (mostly those of charitable intent) and commentary in the media have imparted introspection, maturation, and calm.
While being photographed in Beijing, Bing remains resilient and hopeful for the future. More than ever, the actor understands the importance of self-worth and the refusal to self-evaluate on the basis of others’ opinions. After all, her upcoming film 355—an espionage flick starring a high-profile bevy of an all-female cast including Penélope Cruz, Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, and Diane Kruger—is a highly anticipated tour de force which will undoubtedly accentuate the importance of friendship between nations and cultures, and be pretty kick-ass, too. Bing also has The Perfect Blue and L.O.R.D: Legends of Ravaging Dynasties 2, two Chinese-produced movies, coming down the pipeline. Flaunt is humbled to kick off 2020 in conversation with the star about her unparalleled career.
Who were some of your acting idols growing up? Can you name some Chinese actors that have influenced you and your craft?
你从小到大崇拜的演员有哪些？可以说几个影响你与你作品的中国演员吗?
I watched The Empress of the Dynasty starring Angela Pan Yin-tze when I was little. The character Pan played, and the TV show, inspired me. When I was little, I thought the character she played was so beautiful, and I dreamed of playing the role of Empress Wu one day. My dream was finally fulfilled later when I had the chance to star in The Empress of China.
我很小很小的时候，看过电视里播潘迎紫的那一版《武则天》，潘迎紫的那个形象和这部作品是我成为演员的一个启蒙，当时年纪很小嘛，只是觉得电视里的角色太好看了，就在心里悄悄埋下了一颗种子，一直到后来有机会出演《武媚娘传奇》这部剧，就觉得小时候的梦终于圆了。
Could you describe your work ethic and discipline towards acting? What are some unique ways you prepare for roles? Have these altered or evolved over time?
能说一下你的工作准则和表演守则吗？你在准备一些角色的时候有哪些特殊方法？这些方法在过去有改变或者进化吗？
Each time I receive a script, I read through it and familiarize myself with it. Then I study every scene carefully. If the role is different from myself, I consider the character’s origin, personality, childhood, living conditions, and any other unique characteristics, because most of the time, characters depicted are far from actual actors, requiring a lot of preparation. This method consumes a lot of time and energy, but it is necessary. To better understand the character is to better portray the character later. I remember once for a production, I rented a small house and lived there for a long time around the production site. I postponed my other work to observe the local’s life—how they acted and spoke. It was an interesting feeling for me when I slowly blended in the local life and community as if I were part of their group.
每次我接到一个剧本的时候，会先通读一遍，找找感觉，然后再仔细的每一场做功课。你要表演一个不是自己的人，那就要考虑到这个人来自哪里，她的性格是怎样的，她的成长背景和生活环境是怎样，她有什么特质，因为往往角色和我们演员本身相差会比较大，所以需要做大量的前期准备工作，这个方法虽然要耗费比较大的时间和精力，但这一步是不能省的，只有更好的了解角色，你才能更好地诠释角色。我记得之前有一次，要拍一个戏，然后我提前去到拍戏的地方，在那边租了个小房子住了好久，抛开所有其他的工作，观察当地人的言行和生活，这种感觉很奇妙，慢慢地你就融入到那里的生活了，就好像成为了他们之中的一员。
How did you celebrate your 37th and 38th birthdays?
你怎么庆祝37和38岁生日的？
I don’t really enjoy extravagant birthday parties. I much more prefer to be surrounded by my family and friends in a more intimate setting. My past 2 birthdays were very simple, I had a birthday meal surrounded by my loved ones and made a wish by blowing out the candles on my birthday cake.
其实我不是一个喜欢大操大办的人，过生日的时候有家人和朋友们一起小小地庆祝下就挺好了，所以这两个生日也是很简单地大家一起吃个饭，切个蛋糕许个愿，没有很复杂。
You recently completed the upcoming film, 355. What drew you to this script?
你最近拍完了355. 什么让你对这个电影的剧本产生兴趣？
The first thing that attracted me was the story featuring an all-female cast. The film industry is now starting to pay more attention to women, which really excites and inspires me. The audience will see the power of women and culture as we come from five different countries and represent five different cultures.
首先吸引我的是，这个故事是一个全女性阵容的电影，现在电影市场对女性的关注越来越多，我觉得这是个很好的事情，而且我们来自5个国家，代表了五种不同的文化，所以在这部作品里，大家可以看到女性的力量和多元文化的融合，这是我非常感兴趣的。
There’s a stellar ensemble cast. Can you describe the atmosphere and chemistry with your fellow co-stars?
这部片子群星云集，你能讲述一下和这部片子其他演员达到的气氛和与他们产生的一下火花吗？
I met Jessica Chastain a few years ago on the jury panel at the Cannes Film Festival. We got along really well and quickly became friends. The other three cast members (Penélope Cruz, Diane Kruger, and Lupita Nyong’o) are all top actresses from their countries and are all highly professional, so we worked very well together. We all had a good understanding of the story and of the characters, so we were able to communicate effectively with each other.
我跟杰西卡·查斯坦之前在戛纳一起做评委的时候就认识了，而且很聊得来。其他三位也都是各国最顶尖的的女演员，她们都有很高的专业度，所以合作起来非常的顺利，我们对故事和角色都有一定的见解，所以平时也会彼此交流，我觉得跟她们的沟通是非常顺畅的，而且她们会给我很多表演的灵感。
What would you say is your biggest creative limitation?
你最大的创造性限制是什么 （在一定局限下让自己更富有创造力的一种方法) ?
I’ve been in the film industry for a long time. The biggest limitation for me is the notion of “Fan Bingbing”. This name has shaped the audience’s stereotypical impression of me, and when they watch my movies or shows, they view the characters through the lens of Fan Bingbing, rather than understanding the actual character in the story. To counteract this, I can portray more break-through characters. I don’t mind playing a character that is not physically attractive. I think a character’s physical unattractiveness can help the audience learn more about the story, setting and characters. These roles provide a new challenge as I find myself putting in more of an effort into studying the role so the audience can really get to know the character and her story.
其实我在这个行业这么长时间了，最大的限制可能就是”范冰冰“这个符号吧，这个名字已经在大家心里产生了一种相对刻板的印象，所以在看我的作品的时候，他们会更多地带入范冰冰这个人，而不是角色本身，我能做的就是在角色的造型上有更多的突破，我不介意自己在影视作品里是不好看的，我觉得不好看反而会让观众更好地进入情境和角色当中去，而且这也决定了，我必须要比其他人付出更多的努力，去研究角色，做功课，更投入地去表演。
What is the biggest misunderstanding people have about you?
人们对你最大的误解是什么？
As a public figure, there will always be misunderstandings, and it’s not a big issue as long as it is not further fabricated into false information and lies. ‘There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes.’ I fully accept the public’s different perceptions of me, however, if I encounter fake news or information, I will let everyone know the truth through my legal team.
误解我觉得没关系，不是那种歪曲事实的造谣就好。一千个人眼中有一千个哈姆雷特，大家对我的看法我都全盘接受，但如果遇到恶意编造谣言的，我会以法律的手段还大家一个真相。
What advice would you give someone who’s experiencing challenges?
对于那些正在经历挑战的人，你有什么建议？
Experiencing challenge means you are meant to struggle in order to learn and grow. I encourage everyone to face them and work through them bravely. Don’t be afraid of challenge. It’s a gift, but such gifts won’t be easily delivered to you. You must work hard and be mentally strong to overcome each challenge presented.
经历挑战注定要遭受很多的痛苦和折磨，我希望大家能够勇敢地闯过去，不要害怕挑战，挑战对我们来说是一种恩赐，但这种恩赐不会直接地送到你手上，你需要付出努力和坚强的心智才能得到它。
Can you share any projects you are looking forward to most? Who is an actor/director with whom you’d most like to collaborate?
能分享一下任何让你最期待的项目吗？你最想和哪位演员导演合作？
I have some scripts that I am reviewing right now and I have been communicating with some actors and directors. I would like to star in a melodrama, or what we call wenyi pian in China. The film market for wenyi pian in China still has a lot of potential because of the audience’s limited acceptance and understanding of the genre. I hope that I can help the wenyi genre by working side by side with the many exceptional directors that we have here in China. Together, we can produce true cinematic art.
目前有一些剧本再看，也和一些演员和导演在聊，接下来希望能够拍一些艺术片，现在中国的艺术片市场其实还不是那么的完善，大家对于艺术片的接受度也还没有那么高，有一些很有才华的导演还在默默无闻地努力着，我希望能够通过自己的绵薄之力，能够帮助到中国的艺术片，帮助到真正产出电影艺术的这群人。
What is something you’d like to try and haven’t yet?
有哪些事情是你想去尝试但是还未尝试的？
There are a lot. For example, there are thousands of different people in this world for us to depict in movies. I am a very curious person, and I’d like the opportunity to play the role of every single different character. I am always in the mindset of never resting, trying more characters and experiencing more.
太多了，就拿演戏来说，这个世界上有千千万万种人，我们怎么演都是演不完的，但我还是那种好奇心特别旺盛的人，我希望能够把每一种角色都能诠释到，所以我一直都待在一种”停不下来“的状态里，去尝试更多，体会更多。
Where do you feel most at home? What does home mean to you?
你在哪里最能体会到家的感觉？家对你来说的意义是什么?
Nowhere else is more comfortable than my actual home. I am a homebody, so I usually like to stay home, play with my cats, visit with my family, watch movies, read magazines and invest in my skincare products. Home to me is the place where I can be off guard and fully relax, where I can really enjoy my life. Home offers me a real feeling of security, because my family and cats are all around me. To me, that is the best life.
那当然是在家才能体会到家感觉，其他地方都不如家里舒服。我特别宅，平时如果没有工作，可能很多人想要出去旅游，但我就想在家呆着，跟猫玩一会儿，陪陪家人，看看电影，翻翻杂志，研究一下我的护肤品……家对我来说是一个可以完全放下戒备心的地方，我可以完全放松下来去享受一下生活，家给了我足够的安全感，家人和猫猫都在身边，就是最好的生活。
Source: Flaunt by Liam Casey