娱乐英语新闻:China Exclusive: Fan Bingbing: New Chinese face in Hollywood

By Xinhua writers Du Jie and Wang Junfeng

BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Fan Bingbing who plays in Blink in "X-Men: Days of Future Past", is proud to portray the Marvel heroine as an Asian.

Blink, popular in the Marvel comics, has never appeared in an "X-Men" film before, and the mutant with the power of teleportation was never an Asian.

"I was under pressure in this role, because she's loved by so many people," Fan told Xinhua in an exclusive interview. "I feel very proud, because it's difficult for Asians to play roles in Hollywood blockbusters, but Hollywood can't ignore Chinese elements any more," she said.

China is the second largest film market after the U.S., with a total box office near 22 billion yuan (3.6 billion U.S. Dollars) in 2013.

"The actors of my generation are fortunate to grow in such an era. I am very proud to see my posters in the U.S., Mexico and Australia as a part of an American mainstream movie," she said.

The Chinese market is easier when a Hollywood film adds a Chinese character, and it usually drives up the box office in China. Fans are frequently disappointed when their idols only appear for a very limited time on screen. Fan said the on-screen time isn't the only thing that she cares about.

"There are plenty of Hollywood stars in the movie, so everyone's time on screen is limited. The movie is said to be the best of the 'X-Men' franchise. So it' s a good choice to play a part in it," Fan said.

Fan Bingbing is not the only Chinese actress to star in a Hollywood film. Li Bingbing starred in "Resident Evil: Retribution" as Ada Wong. She also played a major role in Transformers: Age of Extinction, which will debut this summer.

Earlier this month, Fan topped the 2014 Forbes China celebrity list, for the second successive time. She has over 8 million followers on her Weibo account. The list is based on the popularity and income of Greater China leaders in film, sports, media and music.

During the interview, Fan wears a blue dress from the Jean Paul Gaultier 2014 spring collection. "For many foreigners, China may seem lagging behind in the fashion world,, so I feel obliged to change their perception. That is why in my international activities and work, I try my best to show the image of a Chinese woman with Chinese characteristics and, in the meantime, fashionable, just as any international star.

"I want to prove the Chinese can be even more fashionable," she said.

Guo Peiran and Shen Anni have contributed to the story.