Actresses From Singapore

"Gong Li is best celebrated among those born during the 1980s. In the 1990s and early 2000s, she won a major award almost every year. She is a driven, determined woman (self-described as “stubborn”) who has overcome many obstacles to get where she is today, and still takes her craft seriously despite her many laurels. In an industry where older women are often pushed out, Gong Li earned the title “most beautiful woman” in 2006, at age 40."

"You learn to focus on what you do well. Especially if you already have an instinct for acting, training allows you to improve very quickly. It allows you to pinpoint your talents and avoid taking roles as extras or supporting characters that aren't that beneficial to your career."

"As an actress, my criteria for accepting the role — who is the director, who are fellow cast and, above all, whether there is a good script – are basically the same whether I’m being offered a film or TV role."

"China is still a good place to work in the cinema industry. Every country has its own political system. China has a huge population of nearly 1.4 billion people and therefore needs good, strong governance."

"The tax issue is a universal one – everybody needs to pay their tax and be responsible for doing so."

"Movie is an important part of my life; I endeavor to do my best in understanding and rendering each character, as well as devoting myself with enthusiasm in the world of movie."

"Some Hollywood film-makers have asked me to play an Asian beauty but a good script is all that matters. Does it blend in well with you to create a chemistry? Or are you just a pretty face who runs around in the film, playing a role in which nobody cares if you live or die? If so, it’s meaningless even if it is a box-office success."

"Economic development can bring prosperity but it can also be a drag to arts and culture."

"When I play a character that can tap into my potential and fully unleash what I have to offer, I can’t get enough of it. But if I get an average character, I just can’t wait for filming to end."

"I don’t want to play an irrelevant role in a Hollywood production just for the sake of it."

"Rather than winning awards, it’s more important that the film is recognised on an international level. Films are not produced just to make money – they are a limitless form of art."

"I’m not going to change to make people like me because I’m not an entertainer. I’m an actress. It’s my profession and it’s my pride."

"Fans in China are very different from those overseas. In China, many people really love me and care about my life. But there is always some jealousy mixed up in this feeling of love. I think that is the big difference. Overseas, there is none of that."

"I guess my personality is that of a modern, strong Chinese woman. I don't believe in destiny. There are many things that can be changed. I don't like to be defeated by difficulties. I love freedom so when I am shaping a character, I usually do it the way I want. I always find some part of my own character in a role."

"Time has passed. We have grown up. We feel a stronger sense of social responsibility. What we say and what we do influences people. We think more about what we can do for our country. It is not a case of being inside or outside the system. I don't think I have changed a lot. I just pay more attention to what is going on around me and try to find something to do for my family, my friends and all Chinese people."

"She was co-operative and down to earth. You don’t see a lot of actresses like her. Her beauty is timeless and international."

"I think as an actress, it's very important to have a beginner's mind, and how you stick to it. If your environment is very noisy, how do you focus on the character? Shaping (the role) is not easy, so I hope my environment is not too noisy."

"No matter what you do, you should focus on it. Focus on doing it well, and you will get what you want. As an actor, sometimes it's hard to stick to it because there are so many temptations in the current society. How do you stick to what you love? Only true love can make you stick to it."

"Of course in terms of dialogue, there is a language difference, and this does make a difference. When I speak in English, my expressions become different. My attitude too. I'm not sure why, but there really is a difference. My hands move differently when I speak English. But in terms of performance, it's not that different. It won't be that because I'm in a foreign film that my approach is different. My training allowed me to make contact with a number of different possibilities. Four years in college let me work with excellent teachers who gave me a good foundation."

"Not everybody is meant to stay in your life till the end, you know, and everyone is there in certain points in your life to teach you different lessons or to show you something that you haven't seen before. And some really just come and go, and don't leave any impressions or footprints in your life as well. So, people come and go, and as of now, even though I don't have many friends, I have my family and I have a career that I thoroughly enjoy, so I'm very grateful for my life right now."

"I definitely like myself more as I grow older, and there’s no way I would want to return to my younger days of people pleasing and uncertainty. But the journey doesn’t end here. I wish to be more courageous, to have the courage to live life more fully, stand up for what I believe in and fight for who I’ll eventually fall in love with."

"You know, I used to think that immersing myself into a full day of emotions would help me get into character. But it didn’t really work for me and I’d be extremely drained by the time I got on set. I think being authentic in your acting, enjoying the moment and believing your character’s story is very important."

"It’s a very bad thing that I throw tantrums in front of my family. Sometimes I’m not appreciative of what they do, like the small things. But at the end of the day, your family are the people who accept you for who you are."

"I mean, I’m getting better now that I’m in my 30s. But in my 20s, I was very shy. Very, very shy. I wouldn’t initiate a conversation."

"I’ve gone through so many dark periods of my life, but my art has always been there. I firmly believe in this way of living, and I hope to die like this."

"Another big difference is the eye on celebrity. I wouldn’t say I’m unrecognizable in Singapore, but as a person, I guess I’ve never really taken celebrity [status] seriously. I just take my work seriously, and this has been a very calming place to be [in North America] because all I do is keep concentrating on the work. I feel protected in that fashion, and I think that this particular point of view has been honed by the fact that for many years, nobody takes your celebrity [status] very seriously in Singapore."

"My parents are the coolest parents ever. From the minute their children became adults, they have always looked at us as the "experts" in the household, simply because both my mum and my dad never had a high education. They always trusted us. And in return, we never asked them for much and always made sure our decisions worked for us. So when I told my mum and dad I was going to quit my corporate high paying, big benefits job to act for awhile, they basically said "Good. Now you have more time to rest and to go on holiday with us.""

"I have said this before in other interviews and I have said it again - if human beings can transplant hearts of any color from one body to another to save lives, surely we don't have to wait any longer for any movie to demonstrate diversity and inclusivity. The truth is out there! We are ALL humans! I repeat - We are ALL humans. 'Nuff said."

"I’ve never felt weak. I’ve never felt not seen. I do feel seen and heard, but I also have a responsibility to make all sorts of layers of representation work—myself as a woman, an older woman, a Chinese woman, a Singaporean in Los Angeles, an Asian actress in Hollywood. Bring it on, because all of them are so Kheng. This is who I am. I’m not an older woman wanting to be a younger woman. I’m not a Chinese woman wanting to be any other race."

"The consistency of my body has changed and I quite like that. Everything has gone softer and gentler, and my ease with how I look is powerful—what I consider beautiful really helps me to grow old."

"Maybe I feel more sexual and you come to realise that you don’t need to be a particular shape to be sexy. If we allow ourselves this lens—and not just women, but men—to understand that sexuality is so much a part of our lives in all the different degrees and forms, then we will all feel at peace with it."

"Maybe mothers will understand this. Being a mum is the easiest and most profound natural goodness that I have in me. I’m not a good person; I’ve got darkness, you know? But the thing about my kid is that everything to do with her that comes from me—it’s just good."

"Being in Hollywood has been wonderful. It’s a much, much bigger pond, a huge, well-oiled machinery. Being in an environment and industry where everyone is so good at what they do is invigorating rather than intimidating. I get to meet and work with many people in an industry that has such high stakes and works with such rigour! It’s rather different from what I’m used to in Singapore."

"The only thing I can say is, I'm not someone who draws a very clear line. I'm actually a very forgiving person. Once the trust is broken, it's difficult for me to mend the trust. I'm also someone who really believes that action speaks louder than words."