'I don't fear mistakes'
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Nation's most recognizable showbiz face Gong Li on the world stage shares her acting philosophy and relationship with acclaimed director Zhang Yimou.
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Gong Li [China Daily] |
Stunning is the word often used to describe Gong Li - be it her beauty, performance or charisma - but the most stunning thing about her is, actually, her friendly, frank and down-to-earth manner.
Dressed in a black silk shirt and blue satin harem pants, the 45-year-old diva, wearing her trademark smile, looks gorgeously fit.
Unlike most other actresses, who are acutely aware of the photographer when doing interviews, Gong seems hardly aware of the camera.
She is a good listener, devoting her full attention to the questions; she is also a good speaker, who looks you straight in the eye while giving her answers.
One word she mentions often in the one-hour interview with the press is "stubborn". She calls herself a "stubborn actress" and attributes her success to being stubborn.
"I only take roles that I think are right," she says. "Nobody can change my mind. I don't fear mistakes; if they happen, it's okay. Let's do it again and right."
And the roles she deems right are complex. The star of Raise the Red Lantern and Miami Vice just hates flat characters. And the last thing she wants to do is repeat roles.
Her latest role is that of a spy in Shanghai whose cover is that she is a head gangster's wife. The story is set in 1941, when Japanese troops are invading China. Caught between love and her mission, her character is faced with difficult choices. An oriental take on Casablanca, Gong acts opposite John Cusack and Chow Yun-fat.
"This role is very new to me," Gong says. "(The character) is smart, mysterious and courageous. I have never played a patriot, someone who will die for her country."
As always, Gong discussed her role at length with the director, on this occasion, Mikael Hfstrm. She also turned to documentaries and photographs about World War II, besides taking dancing classes three times a week, to ensure an accurate portrayal of the character.
"I will not start acting if I am not fully prepared," she says. "It may sound old-fashioned, but that's the way I am."
The film, titled Shanghai, will premiere in China on June 17 and in the United States, three months later. The Sino-US co-production is Gong's fourth film with a Hollywood crew. She admits that in Memoirs of a Geisha, her first Hollywood film, she felt a bit out of place, but that is no longer the case.
"I do not feel like I am a foreigner. Shanghai is a story about China, so maybe they (the Hollywood crew) are the real foreigners," she jokes. "But seriously, one thing I like about Hollywood is that it has so many professional writers, so most of their scripts are very solid."
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