Fan Bingbing is a well-known and well-paid actress and singer in China. She rose to prominence after appearing in the Taiwanese television series ‘My Fair Princess.’ She later began working in mainland China with Huayi Brothers, with whom she co-starred in a number of Chinese television dramas. She went on to perform in films and establish Fan Bingbing Studio as her own production firm. She also became the team leader of a web movie organization that creates television serials, as well as the principal of the arts school managed by her parents. She has been in the reality show ‘Challenger’s Alliance,’ as well as on a few of variety shows as a jury member. ‘Just Begun,’ her maiden studio album, was a smash hit in China. She was named the ’50 Most Beautiful People in China,’ as well as the ‘Forbes China Celebrity List.’ She is the co-founder of the ‘Heart Ali’ project, which aids Tibetan children with congenial heart disease. She has donated a large portion of her earnings to charity. On social media, she has a sizable fan base.
Childhood and Adolescence
Fan Bingbing was born in Qingdao, Shandong, China on September 16, 1981 to Fan Tao and Zhang Chuanmei. Her ethnicity is Han Chinese. Her family eventually relocated to Yantai, Shandong’s north-eastern metropolis, where she grew up.
She graduated from Shanghai Xie Jin Film and Television Arts College with a degree in film and television arts, and then went on to Shanghai Theatre Academy to study theatre. She was interested in acting and began with minor roles when she was 16 years old.
Career of Fan Bingbing
Her first major supporting part came in 1999, when she was cast in the Chinese television series ‘My Fair Princess’ after being suggested by Taiwanese actress Leanne Liu. The series was well-received, and Fan began to get recognition in the Chinese press. She signed an eight-year deal with the firm that produced ‘My Fair Princess,’ but she eventually quit it since it required her to travel to Taiwan frequently.
She preferred mainland China and signed a six-year deal with Huayi Brothers, with whom she appeared in a number of Chinese serials, including “The Proud Twins,” “Red Poppies,” and “Young Justice Bao II.”
She also acted in a number of Chinese films at this time, including ‘Feng Xiaogang’s Cell Phone,’ which was the highest-grossing picture in Chinese cinema in 2003, and ‘A Battle of Wits,’ for which she was nominated for a Golden Bauhinia Award. ‘The Twin Effect II,’ ‘A Chinese Tall Story,’ and ‘The Lion Roars’ were among her other credits.
Her debut album, ‘Just Begun,’ was published in 2005. It featured music from a variety of producers and songwriters with whom she collaborated. Her popularity and media coverage earned her the title of ‘Forbes China, Star of the Year’ the following year.
In 2007, she left Huayi Brothers and founded Fan Bingbing Studio, which she still runs today. She went on to star in award-winning films such as ‘The Matrimony’ and ‘Lost in Beijing.’ The next year, she developed and starred in her debut television series, ‘Rouge Show.’
Her next assignment was to become the principal of her parents’ arts school in Huairou, Beijing. She also rose to the position of team leader for a web movie production company that specialized in television serials.
In 2009, she starred alongside Zhang Ziyi in ‘Sophie’s Revenge,’ and in ‘Bodyguards and Assassins,’ for which she received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Film critics loved her performance in ‘Shinjuku Incident,’ and her studio released the classic film ‘The Last Night of Madam Chin’ the following year.
Beijing News named her #1 on their list of the “50 Most Beautiful People in China” in 2010. She starred in Chen Kaige’s epic film ‘Sacrifice,’ about Princess Zhuang Ji’s bravery, as well as ‘Buddha Mountain,’ which premiered at the 23rd Tokyo International Film Festival.
She attended the 64th Cannes Film Festival alongside actors Jang Dong Kang and Joe Odagiri to promote her film ‘My Way.’ She was also invited to serve on the 24th Tokyo International Film Festival’s International Competition Jury.
For her frequent appearances at fashion shows in Paris and throughout the world in 2012, she was ranked third in the Forbes China Celebrity 100 List. She was also spotted as a spokesperson for L’Oreal during the 65th Cannes Film Festival.
The following year, she topped the Forbes China Celebrity List and was named a brand ambassador for ‘Champagne House’ and Swiss wristwatch ‘Chopard.’ In 2013, the Hollywood Reporter named her the International Artist of the Year at Cannes. In the same year, the Chinese corporation Alibaba Groups declared her the most valuable celebrity.
She inked a deal with 20th Century Fox in 2014, which increased her international market value. She was inducted into the Barbie worldwide celebrity hall of fame after launching a Fan Bingbing doll.
She then became a judge on the ‘Amazing Chinese’ variety show and appeared on the reality show ‘Challenger’s Alliance.’ She was placed 4th on Forbes’ list of the World’s Highest Paid Actresses in 2015. In 2017, she was named to the jury list for the 70th Cannes Film Festival, and her name was included in the Times 100 list of Most Influential People.
Her unique ensembles at various red carpet events drew a lot of attention, and she became one of the most sought-after brand ambassadors. Since 2015, she’s been a regular on Vanity Fair’s International Best Dressed list. Many of her garments were auctioned off, with the proceeds going to charity.
Major Projects of Fan Bingbing
Princess Ping’an in ‘The Lion Roars,’ Princess Xiaoshan in ‘A Chinese Tall Story,’ Cheung Yung in ‘Sweet Revenge,’ Liu Pingguo in ‘Lost in Beijing,’ Princess Zhuang in ‘Sacrifice,’ and Empress Dowager Longyu in ‘The Founding of a Party,’ are just a few of her notable cinema roles. In her most recent film, ‘The Lady in the Portrait,’ she plays Empress Ulanara.
‘Powerful Woman’ (1996), ‘My Fair Princess’ (1998), ‘The Book of Love’ (2001), ‘The Great Qing Empire’ (2002), ‘Red Poppies’ (2004), ‘The Proud Twins’ (2005), ‘The Empress of China’ (2014), and ‘Win the World’ (2015) are among her television appearances (2017).
In 2005, Warner Music Beijing published her debut studio album, ‘Just Begun.’
Achievements & Awards
For her roles in ‘Cell Phone,’ ‘Lost in Beijing,’ ‘Buddha Mountain,’ ‘Double Xposure,’Ever Since We Love,’ and ‘I Am Not Madame Bovary,’ she earned Best Actress Awards.
For her roles in ‘The Matrimony’ and ‘Skiptrace,’ she won the Best Supporting Actress Award.
At the 1st China Film International Festival in London in 2013, she was named the Most Influential Chinese Actress Overseas.
Personal Experiences of Fan Bingbing
She has been dating Chinese actor Li Chen for some time and was recently engaged on her 36th birthday. Gau Wengui erroneously linked her name to various top Communist Party leaders. She brought a defamation case against the individual.
She is the co-founder of the ‘Heart Ali’ project, which aids Tibetan children suffering from congenial heart disease. She has traveled to Tibet multiple times to promote her research and has helped screen over 10,000 children in the isolated region.
Fan Bingbing Net Worth
Trivia
Fan donned a ‘Dragon Robe’ designed by herself and famed designer Laurence Hsu to the 63rd Cannes Film Festival. The dress was later purchased at an auction by the Madame Tussauds museum, and the proceeds were donated to promote her ‘Heart Ali’ project.