'Love is important, but it's not everything': Fan Bingbing wants to live well on her own

Before loving someone else, it's always important to love yourself first.

For Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, getting into a romantic relationship is not the highest on her to-do list right now, she told AsiaOne in a recent interview while in town last week to receive the Cinema Icon Award at the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF).

"I think love is important, but it's not everything in a person's life. To me, love is a spiritual connection between two people… To have someone who really knows and understands you, that is very important.

"If you have it, it's your blessing. But even if you don't have it, I think for women nowadays, they can also live a rich and fulfilling life," the 42-year-old shared.

In 2019, Bingbing announced her split from her fiance, Chinese actor Li Chen, after four years together. Li Chen had accompanied her throughout her tax evasion scandal in 2018 and even expressed support for Bingbing on his Weibo account when she was at her lowest.

Last year, there were speculations that Bingbing was in a new relationship after she was spotted behaving intimately with a man outside a restaurant, but she has never confirmed those rumours.

When asked if there is a possibility that she may settle down soon, Bingbing expressed that while she has no plans, she doesn't deny the possibility.

She said: "This cannot be said for sure. There are no plans, it depends on whether I meet the one, and whether there is compatibility between us."

'This career is really too challenging'

Since her scandal, where she was ordered to settle more than 884 million yuan (S$178 million) in overdue taxes and fines, Bingbing's career has been on hold.

But she appeared poised for a comeback, starring in the recent Han Shuai-directed film Green Night, which also stars Korean actress Lee Joo-young (Broker, Itaewon Class).

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Bingbing plays Chinese immigrant Jin Xia who works as an airport security staff in South Korea. When she catches a spunky, green-haired drug smuggler (Joo-young) on the job, Jin Xia is unexpectedly beguiled by the wayward girl. Seeking freedom from the abusive men in their lives, the duo embark on an arduous night in Seoul's drug underworld.

The film, which features an intimate scene between the female characters, premiered in Singapore at SGIFF. Two of Bingbing's movies, Double Xposure (2012) and Buddha Mountain (2010), were also shown.

Bingbing added to us her main focus is on her acting career now.

"I am more ambitious towards performing and my acting career. That's how I have been since I was young. Some people felt that I am someone who puts in a lot of effort and time in my work. So for me, performing is always something that has my main focus.

"As an actor who can persist in the industry for 26 years, if you are not someone who loves this career passionately, you would not be able to continue in this industry, because this career is really too challenging."

Speaking about her Cinema Icon Award, Bingbing said: "I was very flattered when I first heard that I would be receiving the award, because SGIFF is an international film festival and it's in its 34th year… It has introduced a lot of good films to the world, particularly Asian films.

"Among all the talented actors and actresses in Asia, for me to be chosen, it is a huge encouragement to me. It encourages me to work on more meaningful film projects to bring more support to Asian films."

'As humans living in this world, everyone faces their own stress'

When asked about her impression of Singapore, Bingbing said that it is a "nice, quiet and interesting city".

"It is a very clean and beautiful country filled with warmth. Everyone, and especially the fans, are very enthusiastic and everyone looks happy," she added.

She shared that she had tried chilli crab, bak kut teh and Hainanese chicken rice and looked forward to eating pandan cake, which she had heard a lot of good things about from her friends.

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As one of the most influential and recognisable Asian actresses in the world, known for her impeccable fashion sense, we asked Bingbing if it is stressful to be her.

She expressed: "I don't think it's a choice. Even if there is stress, it's something I still have to work with. It's impossible not to have stress.

"I think it's not just whether being Fan Bingbing is stressful. As humans living in this world, everyone faces their own stress. We are all here to face hardships, and we are all here to complete our own work. So I feel there's no need to think more about it, just have fun."

Watch out for our video interview with Fan Bingbing, where she talks about filming the intimate scene with Joo-young and how she found new purpose in her life during her four-year hiatus.

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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com

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