Photo by Tony Zhao for China Daily

Taking risks in a firestorm

In control & breaking the mold: Daniel Wu

More than just a pretty face: Fan Bingbing

Q&A

If you could talk to a late master in your field, who would you like to talk to and why?

Ruan Lingyu, the cinematic icon of China in the 1930s. She could not stand attacks on her personal love life and committed suicide when she was only 24. I would tell her not to kill herself, because compared to her artistic achievements, what other people said about her was trivial.

What do you appreciate most in women?

I appreciate those women who are kind. If a kind woman is also born with a good sense of humor, she will be loved by everyone.

If you were not doing your current job, what might you do for a career?

Maybe write a column? I recently wrote a short piece about my babysitter. My editor told me I could not write more than 1,000 words. I edited it over and over again. It is quite a demanding job to write. No, maybe I can not be a writer. I will fight with my editor.

What they say

She did not become an A-lister overnight. Before My Own Swordsmen (a TV series starring Yao in 2006) made her a household name, she even thought of giving up her acting career. She is fearless because she had planned for the worst.

She is an avid reader. We recommend books to each other. The last book she recommended to me was Alice Munro's Runaway.

Yi Lijing, senior journalist and a friend

Many actresses are so eager to be famous, but I don't see that in Yao Chen. She is not that ambitious or desperate. She believes the right thing will happen naturally.

At the same time, she is very sensitive and smart. She is one of those actresses who can act really well.

Feng Xiaogang, director

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