10 things to know about mysterious Chinese actress Fan Bingbing

Fan Bingbing might be one of the biggest Chinese stars right now but her origins have always been humble. She debuted in 1996 in the television series Powerful Women but only really became a bigger name thanks to her role in the iconic drama My Fair Princess (1998-1999). Playing the role of Jinsuo, the palace drama also catapulted co-stars Zhao Wei and Ruby Lin to greater fame.

With a career spanning over two decades, Fan Bingbing’s acting has picked up multiple recognitions. Her achievements include Best Actress nominations and win across esteemed awards including Hundred Flowers Awards, Golden Rooster Awards, and Golden Horse Awards. Despite all her awards, Fan Bingbing remains dedicated to her craft and she is also known for her work ethic.

After her immense success in China, Fan Bingbing crossed the seas to leave her mark in Hollywood. In 2013, she played Wu Jiaqi in the mainland Chinese version of Iron Man 3 and then played mutant Blink in X-Men: Days of Future Past a year later. In 2022, Fan Bingbing starred in the star-studded action spy thriller film The 355 alongside Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Diane Kruger and Lupita Nyong’o.

We know her as an actress but Fan Bingbing sings too. In 2005, she released her debut album Just Begun with the record label Warner Music Beijing. Fan Bingbing has also released a slew of other non-album singles as well.

Fan Bingbing has been named in the Forbes China Celebrity List multiple times, which bases its metric on popularity and income. She was also named in Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in 2017. Her name also has enough cachet to make headlines outside of China in publications such as the New York Times.

According to Forbes’ report in 2017, Fan Bingbing’s income for that year was estimated to be around 300 million Chinese yuan, or slightly over 60 million Singapore dollars. In 2020, Fan Bingbing also reportedly earned over S$1 million an hour as a livestreamer in China.

Seemingly at the peak of her career in 2018, things started to fall apart as Fan Bingbing was founded to have evaded millions of dollars in taxes using murky “yin-yang” contracts that lowered her reported pay. Stating that she had “lost self-discipline in the face of monetary benefit”, the actress was forced to pay nearly US$70 million in fines and US$60 in additional back taxes owed by her company. Fan Bingbing then went on a hiatus and only slowly returned to the public’s eye after almost 1.5 years.

Named Fan Beauty, the key ingredient used across her skincare is a sea grape extract that is said to impart hydration and strengthen the skin barrier. The brand was founded in 2018 and was reported to have undergone a reboot in 2021.

In addition, Fan Bingbing also owns an acting school and her own production company Fan Bingbing Studio that manages her work.

Fan Bingbing is a member of China’s ruling political party stemming from her family’s membership in the Chinese Communist Party. According to Gao Yitian, a producer of the First International Film Festival, Fan Bingbing’s two biggest awards, the Hundred Flowers and Golden Rooster, signify “official opinion from the government”.

Fan Bingbing founded the charity organisation Heart Ali in 2010 to help children in Ngari (or Ali), Tibet seek medical treatment and surgery for their congenital heart disease in Beijing or Shanghai. She revealed in a 2022 Vogue Singapore interview that over 240 children have been successfully treated thus far. “I believe that as a public figure, I have a responsibility to give back to society, and I hope this effort encourages more people to join me in caring for those in need.”

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