One of China's top actresses, Li Bing Bing was born in Harbin, Heilongjiang, the most northwesterly province of China. Originally studying to be a teacher, she eventually discovered acting and has gone on to become tremendously successful in both television and film. In Jackie's latest movie, The Forbidden Kingdom, Bing Bing plays the role of The White-Haired Maiden.

Charming, beautiful, and very funny, Bing Bing took some time to talk with us on The Forbidden Kingdom set at the Hengdian Studios in China.

1)Jackie has mentioned you in his previous diary entries. He said that he met you back in 2000 when he asked you to take part in his “Celebrity Car Race for Charity” as a driver. Without hesitation, you agreed. Jackie was very happy and very grateful. Ever since, Jackie has always hoped for an opportunity to cooperate with you and finally the time has come. What kind of feelings do you have about Jackie?

The first feeling I had was "We’re finally working together!" I’ve known Jackie for nearly 10 years now. The first time I saw him was at his charity car race, the “Jackie Chan Celebrity Car Race”. That was in 2000, already seven years ago. I remember Jackie saying to us that if we had any sort of accident during the car race, he would marry us and take care of us forever. I was still young at the time and acted like a bit of a dumbbell. During the race, I was hit from behind by another car and I crashed into the safety barrier. My car stopped moving so I got out of the car and walked onto the racetrack to see what was wrong with my car because I still wanted to keep going. Jackie was watching us on the television monitor and when he saw me standing on the racetrack, all he could do was grab the TV screen in a panic. My driving coach quickly pulled me off the track to one side. I was on the track for no more than a second when another car zoomed past me. Jackie said to me, “You scared me to death! What on Earth were you doing?” I know that if something bad did happen, he would be very upset and feel very guilty. Anyway, I think this first encounter with Jackie was not a bad way of getting to know each other, and I kept asking him whether he thought we'd ever have a chance to work together.

Last year at the Hong Kong Film Awards, Jackie won Best Actor for his role in New Police Story. I was sitting next to Jackie during the ceremony and I was so happy for him when he accepted the award. I’ve seen New Police Story and I think the movie was very well made. To me, Jackie is not a guy who only knows how to fight and doesn’t know how act. I think he is a very capable actor as well. He expresses and performs emotional feelings very well. I think the accumulation of his many experiences, his travels to different places, the many events he has witnessed, and his understanding of local customs, habits, and cultures of different places, has molded him into a person with great depth and knowledge. He also has his own thoughts and ideas, and is able to understand many things because of his vast experience and knowledge. When you watch him acting in melodramatic scenes, you can see that he expresses his character with depth and dimension, acting out his role very well. A particular area I admire in him the most is his sense of rhythm. I don’t need to say much about his fighting abilities because that is his area of specialty. I always thought he was only good at filming action but I was wrong. When he acts in a melodrama, he has his own way of expressing himself which I think he has developed from his continuous observations and adaptations from many different situations. But getting back to his action films, he really has a great sense of rhythm. Recently while we were living in Hengdian for two or three months, the movie channel kept playing Jackie’s older movies. Even in those films, I thought Jackie did an amazing job.

During the past seven years, I have kept myself updated with all the news related to Jackie. In this day and age I don’t think any ordinary person could achieve what Jackie has achieved or obtain his current status. In the past, I only knew of Jackie through newspaper and magazine articles, and then I learned a little more from his interviews and a variety of different reports. I also grew up watching his movies since I was a little kid, so what I understood of Jackie was very superficial.

Jackie and I have many scenes where we film together, and having this opportunity to work with him, I have discovered that Jackie is truly a person who will express how he feels. I have also noticed that he is a person with great compassion and he is equally nice to everyone. He doesn’t give special treatment to certain people or be particularly nasty to others. Actors who have worked with him will know what I’m talking about. Let me give you an example. The first time we started filming a fight scene in Peach Blossom Forest, he gave me a wire vest (this vest is especially designed for executing mid-air action movements where the vest is connected to an overhanging wire line. The person in the vest will be able to fly high or low depending on how the line is pulled). He had brought the wire vest along especially for me. I was so surprised! I never thought he would take note of such an insignificant thing. I knew that day I had to shoot a fight scene but it never came to my mind that I needed to wear a wire vest. Surprisingly, Jackie thought about this possibility and was prepared for me. To tell you the truth, I felt very moved and touched because Jackie cared about me. You can tell that he is always thinking of every possible outcome because even with such a small matter like the wire vest, he is always prepared. There was another time when he called us all over and gave each one of us a bag to use at work. I remember the day I first saw him in Dunhuang. On that day, I was only required to wear my costume for the director to see. When Jackie saw me he said, “Who is that? I don’t know her.” He turned to one of his assistants and said, “Go get her an umbrella.” Then, I saw someone bring over a huge sun-shade umbrella with Jackie’s brand name printed on it. Wah! I don’t think you would quite understand the importance of having this umbrella while we were in Dunhuang during this time! It was a very, very useful thing to have and I still have my umbrella with me. There were quite a few people who had the same umbrella so I wrote my name on mine because I was afraid that someone would accidentally take mine away.

There are two main reasons why I treasure this opportunity working with Jackie.  Firstly, apart from the fact that he is a very professional actor, he is also a very nice guy. There is nothing more you could ask for in a lifetime when you have such a wonderful friend like him. He’s a very good teacher and mentor, and is someone who will always take care of his friends in every possible way. I remember a time when we were filming a fighting scene where he taught me how to execute a move and told me what points to be aware of. I’ve watched Jackie in action movies since I was a little kid and I believe that everything he possesses today is a result from all his blood, sweat, and tears, and hard work from every kick and punch he throws.

Secondly, his intelligence and wisdom overwhelm me. He’s just too clever. He is one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met and I absolutely admire his wisdom. What I knew of Jackie before was pretty much the same as everyone else. That is, he knows how to fight! He is a person who really knows how to fight and Jackie is well known overseas because foreigners like to watch Chinese kung fu. But the truth is, there are a lot of people who know how to fight. Even in China, there are many martial arts students who may even fight better than Jackie. So why is he so successful? I think it’s because a person needs to use their brains. If you have no brains, no wisdom, then the road ahead will be very limited and you cannot go far in life.

While filming this movie, I established an unexplainable connection with Jackie. Before, I was more of a fan who worshiped and admired him but in the blink of an eye, everything changed to be very close. The relationship was the friendly type, something like a very close friend. I’ve always looked forward to co-operating with Jackie. After waiting for 7 years, I finally have this chance to work with him.

The benefits I have gained from working with Jackie in this movie have definitely been enormous, even beneficial for life. I think what Jackie possesses in terms of ability, experience, and status is already huge. Gaining all these qualities and being so successful is a great lifetime achievement that would satisfy any ordinary person. But for Jackie, he is constantly finding ways of improving himself in all possible areas. He is always doing more. I also admire and respect his universal love and caring heart for everyone. His interests have always been towards charity and China. I admire his love for China. All over the world, he is known as Jackie Chan, Cheng Long, the one who promotes the Chinese label by wearing his Chinese style clothing, having his ‘Dragon’ (‘?’) brand name, and spreading the Chinese culture. No matter where he is overseas, he will always be wearing Chinese style clothing. I think he is a person with strong Asian thoughts and a great sense of moral integrity. He makes us proud to be Chinese.

A couple of days ago, there was a report about a survey taken in Korea, where people were asked if they could name anyone famous from China. Koreans were able to name just over 10 Chinese well known figures. In first place was President Mao Ze Dong, second place was President Deng Xiao Ping, and in third place was Jackie Chan. Surprisingly, Jackie’s name was among these great historical people so you can imagine how amazing he is! Success doesn’t happen over night because you want it to happen. Jackie has sacrificed a lot, done many things, and worked very hard to gain his current status and a lot of the time he will personally do things himself. I can imagine for a person like Jackie, by the end of each day, he would be absolutely exhausted because of his tight and busy schedule. But even so, he still manages to offer his full energy when it comes to charity. I remember a day when we were chatting on the set. He said he saw a reality television program about an elderly man who was from a very poor place. Everyday, the elderly man would go into the mountains and move bamboo so he could earn money for his daughter to attend university. If he moved bamboo over a short distance, he was able to earn around 50 cents for every half a kilo. If he moved the bamboo over a longer distance, he could earn roughly 70 cents for every half kilo. Of course, the man chose the longer distance option. He worked very hard and was able to move a few kilos of bamboo each day. When Jackie saw this story, he had uncontrollable tears rolling down his cheeks. That day, he asked one of his assistants to send money to that family. Jackie is the type of person who doesn’t just say that he is moved by a story and then let it pass. He will act and do something. I think there are a lot of us who say they feel moved or sympathetic about an event but end up doing nothing about it because they either forget about the situation or claim they were too busy. Jackie has given me the impression that when he thinks of something, he will make it happen. Maybe sometimes he doesn’t have the time to take care of the matter himself so he will ask one of his staff members to complete the task for him. I think this is all about attitude. If everyone on this planet could act in this way then this world would be a wonderful place! I know it’s impossible for every single person to do something like that but if Jackie has the ability to influence one other person, then that means there would be one extra person involved in charity and helping others.

I remember a time after Jackie told us the story, I saw a similar program about poor elderly people on television. These types of programs are very common in China because they hope to spread the message of love for one another by broadcasting stories that show the poor lifestyle of an elderly or ordinary civilian. They then hope that viewers would offer their kind heart by donating money to charity so they can help ease the pain of those suffering. At the moment, there are a lot of people who live luxurious and comfortable conditions, but there are also others who suffer from poverty because of undeveloped transportation or living in undeveloped areas. I hope those who have the ability to do something will reach out their helping hand and assist those in need. I know that I have been deeply affected by these stories. That day I saw the program, I said to my assistant, “Quick, write down the address for donations so I can send them some money and help them a little.”

A couple of days ago in China when there was a natural disaster caused by flooding, I did not waste a single moment and I asked my company to donate some money for the victims who have lost their homes from the floods and have nothing left. I hope that our small donation will help contribute a little support so flood victims can buy clothes, medical supplies, food, water, and other necessities, and then hopefully rebuild their houses and homes. From the point of view of a person who has witnessed these events and also been influenced by Jackie, I honestly think that he is not just an ordinary guy living out his own story. He is someone who uses his own action and behavior to show that anyone and everyone can make a difference.
 
2)  This is your first time filming a Hollywood production. What are your feelings about this?

Of course, I am extremely happy to be filming this movie because I have this wonderful opportunity to be part of such a big production. This is big budget film with the best production team, starring two actors that I respect the most. One is Jackie Chan, the other is Jet Li. Having a chance to work with either one of them is already very rare but this time I have the opportunity to work with both of them. Not only that, I have screen time with both actors, filming scenes with each of them. When I first heard about Jackie and Jet co-operating on a film project and then finding out that there would be an opportunity to work with them, the first thought that came to my mind were, “Ah! Working with both of them, is this real? Can I grab hold of this amazing opportunity?”

When they first asked to try out for the movie, I didn’t have high hopes of getting the part because my English wasn’t very good and there were many lines in the script that were like ancient dialogue to me which made it extra difficult to read. Trying to read in English was already a great challenge, let alone speaking my lines and acting at the same time. I think luck was on my side during the whole auditioning process because I was able to learn my lines off by heart in a short period of time, went for the audition, and in the end was chosen for the part. I was especially happy.

During this experience, I have found that "big budget" Hollywood productions really do have a big budget because they had enough funds to allow a bunch of actors to undergo specialized training before filming officially started. Although training was only for 15 days, it was enough time for us to learn and practice kung fu. The production team also took good care of us at work. For example, they would organize a room for us on the set where we could rest during our break so when filming continued, we would feel refreshed and full of energy. We also had every Sunday off to rest. If we were filming in China with a Chinese production team, we may not be so lucky and have these luxuries.

I hope when this film is released in America, the audience will enjoy the movie because every small detail of the production process has been done with quality, care, and excellence. I hope everyone around the world will also enjoy watching this movie, then help spread the Chinese culture and Chinese kung fu around the globe because after all, the majority of actors in the film are Chinese so I hope we are able to achieve a little something for the Chinese film industry by introducing China to the world through this movie. Of course we are not as good as Jackie when it comes to these things because everyone in the world knows who Jackie is. That is why I think he is a living legend and I’m sure he will make it into the history books where everyone will remember him. It’s like when read Chinese history I know Cao Cao, Confucius, Emperor Kang Xi, Emperor Yong Zheng, President Mao Ze Dong, President Deng Xiao Ping, and any other well known influential figures. I believe Jackie will be like them and be someone people remember.

3)  There are many action scenes in The Forbidden Kingdom. Did you find them challenging? Did you do any kung fu preparation for this movie? Could you share your experience with us?

It is definitely a challenge. I have filmed a few action movies before but The Forbidden Kingdom definitely tops the list of having the most action involved. As I mentioned before, the production team arranged for us 15 days of training before shooting officially started. At that time, I was filming a commercial for director Feng Xiao Gang so I started training little later than everyone else. I only trained for 10 days. In the movie, I have many parts where I am either riding a horse or fighting, and speaking English. I actually think that our schedule during our training course was very professionally set. Why do I say that? Well, every morning at 8 o’clock we had breakfast, at 8:20am I had horse riding training for an hour, then I practiced kung fu. After practicing kung fu, I had lunch. Training continued after lunch where I spent 2 hours learning English and then I practiced more kung fu. More than half the time spent training was used to practice kung fu because in the movie, I have a lot of action and fighting scenes. But the most important thing is that I have a fight scene with Jackie before the end of the movie and this particular scene is very important. Action choreographer Ba Ye (respectful nickname for Yuen Woo Ping) said that I would be involved in two thirds of all the action and what he expects of us when fighting is slightly different. I have to say that the way Ba Ye choreographs an action sequence is quite fascinating. Why do I say it’s fascinating? Well, previously when I filmed other movies and television series, I gained a little bit of experience with action and fighting but the action involved was very small. I remember when filming for a television series, all they wanted me to do was to quickly complete an action sequence. Everything was done so fast and I didn’t have a chance to practice or perfect my movies so I never fully understood what I was doing. Comparing that to here, the way Yuan Wo Ping designs and choreographs an action is especially fascinating. Each time after seeing his ideas, I would be amazed and then think to myself, “Wah! Such difficult action! Can I do it?” To tell you the truth, deep inside my heart I was very scared. Each time I attempted the action movements, my heart would be beating very fast because I was very nervous but at the same time, I was very excited. I never got enough sleep at night because I was always overwhelmed with excitement. I don’t think anyone has ever done similar action sequences like those he designed for me. The actions are very lethal and wicked. There are also other jaw dropping actions that he has thought up, for example in one sequence, I first start running, then start flying in mid air, flip towards the sky, do a few action movements, and then finish off by kicking Jackie. All these movements and sequences have never been done before and there is definitely an element of difficulty to it. Even Yuen Woo Ping said that there was a certain level of difficulty.

The day before yesterday while I was filming in Emperor Qin’s Palace, there was a scene where I had to climb bamboos. Everyone around me had their doubts because they all thought I couldn’t do it but my sheer will power made me do it. In the end, I was successful! Yes!! I was over the moon! I was so happy and excited that I couldn’t sleep that night. Throughout the whole process of filming this movie, I truly learned a lot of things. When we watched the replay after completing each shot, everyone actually thought that I was quite amazing. In fact, I am quite amazed at myself too because I couldn’t believe the person on screen is actually me! I think when everyone has a chance to watch the movie, you might think and believe the female actress in the movie is a kung fu expert. Even I never thought I could execute such an exciting action sequence. I felt surprised for myself because it’s hard to imagine how I successfully completed the action, and then being able to fight against such a wonderful fighter.

I actually have a lot of scenes where I fight with Crystal Liu Yifei. Both of us girls were not very experienced with fighting and we were always worried about accidentally hurt each other because there were no guarantees that every single punch we threw would be accurate every time. Also, we are both girls so when it was time for us to fight, we were so worried about injuring each other it always gave us a headache. On the other hand, when fighting with Jackie, the feeling would be totally different. I actually become very relaxed because he will always adjust his movements so they fit in time with mine. Well actually, I should say that he will always coordinate his moves according to how I move, not me adjusting my moves to suit him. For example, if I am fighting too close, he will move back a little; if we were fighting too far apart, he would narrow the gap and come closer. He is always adjusting his movements according to how I punch or kick and he will always be looking after me throughout the whole action sequence. Needless to say, I have no worries about injuring him because he can easily grasp the action sequence and have a clear idea of how the fight should work so really, how can I injure him? Even if I tried to hurt him intentionally it would be quite impossible because he has very quick and agile reflexes. That is why I don’t have too worry I might hurt him by accident when we are fighting.

4)  For a person who is not experienced in kung fu, you were required to do many difficult and unbelievable movements. Were you scared?

Not scared at all. I was only a little worried because I kept wondering if the action I did was good enough or not. When you watch Jackie execute an action sequence, he only needs to see the whole sequence in action a couple of times, or maybe only once, and then he can do it. As for me, someone teaches me the moves, I watch, I’ll know what each action looks like and then I am able to understand the whole process of how each movement is done. Someone does one action, I do another action. You can say that I had to learn the whole sequence step by step. After learning the sequence set, I have to slowly digest each move and then put it all together in my mind as a whole movement. Rhythm is very important when it comes to the actual fight so there really isn’t enough time for me to think of an action and fight at the same time. If I didn’t digest and remember the movements beforehand and try to react to an action at the same time as fighting, the whole sequence would be slowed right down. In a lot of ancient period kung fu dramas, there are always stories of people secretly learning martial arts by watching from afar. The person watches an action sequence then remembers that action sequence just like that. If that were me, I don’t think I could learn a sequence set even if I watched it 10 times! But for a person like Jackie, he would be able to learn the whole sequence just by watching someone do it once. From this you can see his depth and knowledge of kung fu.

5)  What special qualities or strengths do you think you possess that made the production  select you to play this character?

I think the whole selection process and also the birth of this character was one with many troubles and difficulties. The original character was supposed to be an old man called “The White Eyebrow Daoist.” Later on, someone suggested that they change this character to “The Bride with White Hair” because many people who love reading kung fu stories in China would be familiar with her story and understand her reasons for having white hair. So in the end, they decided to change the original male character into “The White-Haired Maiden.” From a foreigner’s point of view, when they see the words “white hair” they automatically assume that this character is supposed to be an old man or an old lady. But cinematographer, Peter Pau De Xi, and the director of Asian artistry knew that “The White-Haired Maiden” was not an old lady and her hair turning white overnight was the result of her anger and mixed feelings caused by her love problems. After many explanations and sheer determination, the production team agreed upon seeking a young lady to play the role of the character. That is how my chance came up and I was selected for the part.

As I’ve said many times before, especially mentioning the topic at press conferences, I never imagined I would be chosen for the part because my level of English was very limited and I thought this would be a major drawback. When they first gave me the script and asked me to try out my lines, I found it quite difficult trying to remember what I was supposed to say, let alone read my lines and remember to act at the same time. So to be quite honest, I didn’t have high hopes of getting the part. But in the end, I was chosen. I think maybe they thought my personal qualities were suitable for playing the role. On the surface, this character may seem like a wicked, cold blooded person from looking at her appearance, her style of fighting, and also the expressions in her eyes. But in actual fact, she is a person with a sad story, a character who is heartbroken and still recovering from the pains of love. There is something in this character that makes you feel sorry for her. I think the reason they selected me to play this character is because I have a little experience in filming action. But of course, my experience in this field is totally insignificant compared with Jackie the Master.

6)  What do you think you have gained from filming this movie?

I think after filming this movie, I will have definitely moved up to a new level in all aspects. Even though we haven’t finished filming yet, I already think that I have moved onto a new level. Each day when I arrive on the set, I always think that my kung fu has improved and that I’ve learned more English, even though it’s not a lot. I know there are many things that cannot be achieved just because you want to achieve them. Things don’t happen just because you want them to happen. Everything requires hard work and time. Things should be done slowly and carefully, step by step, taking no short cuts because I know that if you try to rush, it doesn’t always help.

7)  What are your impressions of the director of The Forbidden Kingdom?

This American director is very nice because he’s just like a big kid. Everyone knows that he was the director of The Lion King. He is also very young for a director, only 40-something years old. For some reason, I’ve always imagined him as some old guy. A while back, I happened to meet him during a dinner party that had nothing to do with film making. Back then at the party, he drew a picture from The Lion King in less than a minute and gave it to me. At the time, my impression of him was that he was a big kid at heart, very kind, very friendly, and very simple. He also treats each actor like his close friend.

8)  What other directors would you like to cooperate with?

I have worked with many outstanding directors in the past. For example, Feng Xiao Gang, Andrew Lau Wai Keung, plus many other very good, very fine directors. I know there are some directors that I haven’t mentioned and I’m sure they will get angry at me for not mentioning their names. I’ve actually cooperated with many directors and I think all of them are very outstanding. I hope to have an opportunity to work with them again. Directors are able to understand me more after working together on a film and some have discovered some special qualities in me. From our experiences together, they are able to see where my strong points or weak points are. If Jackie and I were to cooperate again, I’m sure our mutual understanding for each other would be even better.

I think there are many outstanding directors from China at the moment and I haven’t had a chance to work with them yet. I hope to have an opportunity to work with them in the future because when you work with different people, you go through different experiences, and you learn new things from a different perspective.

9)  This time you had the opportunity to work with Jackie and Jet Li. Who else would you like to work with in the future?

I want to work with Jackie again. I think I should go beg him and see if he'll give me another chance to work with him! Hah hah hah!

A note after the interview:

Recently, Li Bing Bing won Best Actress Award at the 12^th Annual Chinese Film Awards for her role in The Knot. The male lead from the same movie, Chen Kun, also won Best Actor for his role. Together, they became best actress and best actor for the year at the most prestigious Chinese Film Award.

We all would like to take this opportunity and congratulate Bing Bing for her outstanding achievement. We hope all her wishes come true and that her career will continuously reach new levels.

Text and photos ©2007 The JC Group. All Rights Reserved.

Back to top