Chinese actress Li Bingbing (Li Bingbing) is one of China’s biggest movie stars for nearly a generation – and she’s no longer anewcomer to Hollywood.

She assisted Milla Jovovich in fighting zombies in Resident Evil and played a relatively important role in Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age of Extinction , a film that grossed $1.1 billion worldwide.

But her next role – alongside Jason Staham against giant sharks in Warner Bros. , would prove to be the actress’s most memorable breakthrough role.

Born in the suburbs of Northern China, Li Bingbing studied at the Shanghai Academy of Theater and Film and had her first major role in the director’s 1999 historical drama Seventeen Years . directed by Truong Nguyen – a work that won the Best Director award at the Venice Film Festival. In 2001, she starred in the blockbuster television series Bao Qingtian’s Childhood , which made her one of China’s most famous faces.

Bang Bang’s role as the heroine in The Meg is her biggest role ever in a big-budget American-produced film. The Meg follows Statham’s character, Jonas Taylor, after escaping an attack by what he believes is a 22-meter-long prehistoric shark. After losing his credibility and just about everything, Jonas must face his fears to rescue passengers trapped in a submersible – including his formidable ex-wife, played by Bang Bang. The film is directed by Jon Turteltaub ( While You Were Sleeping , National Treasure ) and will open worldwide in August.

Statham and Bing Bing stopped by the Shanghai International Film Festival this week to promote The Meg in the world’s second largest film market. Before her appearance on the red carpet, THR caught up with Bing Bing at the Indigo Hotel in downtown Shanghai to talk about the making of The Meg , the future of Hollywood-China collaborations and her thoughts on the making of The Meg. her thoughts on being one of the most famous stars in Chinese cinema for nearly two decades.

What interested you in The Meg and why did you decide to participate in the film?

They first contacted me about Meg in 2015, and I honestly didn’t think much and said no. Because it was a shark movie, I knew there would be a lot of water shots, and I didn’t want to do that. Chinese people, you know, we believe that cold is very bad for our health – we always drink hot water and eat hot food. So I said no, I don’t want to spend too much time in a glass tank and in the cold ocean. But then they still contacted me and then asked me to reconsider.

There were only two weeks left before they started filming and I decided to accept the role. At that moment I knew with all my heart that it would be difficult, because I only had two weeks to learn the lines. I don’t speak English like a native and I need a lot of time with an English script to prepare thoroughly. So I was very strict with myself. I practice every day. Everyone else seemed to be traveling, golfing, and attending parties, but I was in my room practicing.

The only thing that helped me was that we filmed in New Zealand. There are a lot of trees there and it’s very beautiful. Going for a walk or just watching nature helps me relax and forget my troubles. Now I feel great because I feel like I’ve actually accomplished something. I had a great time with the crew – director, Warner Bros. and co-stars. Everyone is very satisfied with this movie.

What was it like being on set with Jason Staham?

He is a very friendly and warm person. I was a little scared when I first met him, because I thought Jason would be like in his movies. But during rehearsal he was so cute, and kept saying there was no way he could do these things in Chinese. I told him I needed to practice more than usual, because I wasn’t a native speaker and I was worried about making him impatient. But he is very cute and always supports me.

What types of roles are you most excited about at this stage of your career?

Actually, good acting means showing a ton of emotions. You need to have these experiences and emotions in your life before you can truly act. I believe I have experienced enough to play characters with more depth better. I want to be a character in an independent film. I don’t know exactly, but I want to play someone with a dramatic story, even if she’s not a perfect person, or she has huge flaws – someone interesting and attractive. That’s what I’m looking for.

She is one of the few actors who has worked at the highest levels of both Chinese and Hollywood cinema. What are your impressions of the two film industries? What can they learn from each other?

The Hollywood film industry has a very well designed system, and their filmmaking process is also very organized and efficient. So they have an advantage because they have more experience. But now the Chinese market is growing at a breakneck pace, and our box office revenue surpassed that of the US market last March. That means we have more opportunities for Chinese filmmakers. The Chinese film market is growing bigger every year, so I think we will cooperate with Hollywood to produce more good films.

Meg is a great example. And the Internet is growing very fast in China too. I think over time it will change the way we make films. Chinese people can now easily grasp information and experience foreign cultures – so I bet that in the future we will have many movies that have never been seen in the past, stories with echoes of both Eastern and Western cultures.

She has always been considered a style icon. What fashion trends are inspiring you at the moment?

I don’t see myself as an icon or anything. Actually, my style is that I like whatever is most comfortable – a t-shirt or yoga pants. I also love the combination of fashion and cultural traditions. For example, I recently worked with the Forbidden City in Beijing to create a handbag. I want to help more people understand traditional Chinese culture and promote it for future generations. We also helped unemployed women through that project by donating a portion of the profits earned to the China Women’s Development Foundation (CWDF).

How does it feel to be one of the most famous people in the country with the highest population in the world?

I think it all depends on your own choice. You can live like a normal person. You can hide yourself. But for the past 20 years, I’ve spent most of my time working. No private life; just practice and work. I never eat out. So I don’t know if that’s my personality or not. I always have the feeling that I have something very important in my hands and I have to complete it.

I have also been studying English non-stop for a long time. I am a very focused type of person. But for the past 20 years, I think I should also say sorry to myself. I didn’t really pay attention to life. I put too much pressure on myself and was always worried about doing well on the next task. The natural beauty in New Zealand has really helped me. Now I want to continue working hard but I will look around and enjoy things a little more.