Actresses From China

"A child’s first teacher is its mother. Making sure that mothers are educated means we can lift more people out of poverty and build a more inclusive and sustainable society."

"In contrast to the past, Peng Liyuan pays more attention to public exchange and communication, so that people of other countries may know more about China and our national image can be enhanced. Peng Liyuan’s diplomacy is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Besides the historical inevitability, it also has the following reasons: on one hand her dignified and generous appearance is in line with Chinese expectations on traditional women."

"As UNESCO Special Envoy for the Advancement of Girls’ and Women’s Education, I am ready to further fulfil my responsibility and join hands with every one of you to make sure that more girls and women are loved, confident, and empowered."

"When education is used to empower women and greater progress is made to promote it, we will be able to work at full throttle to build community with a shared future for mankind."

"Living in one and the same global village, humanity is evolving into an interlinked community with a shared future. Women have the power to promote the development of human civilization and create a better future for mankind. Education for girls and women can awaken, enhance and fully unleash this wonderful power."

"Third, the education of the future should impart the ability to learn, innovate, and apply new technologies. Given the explosion of knowledge and technologies, future education should encourage people to think innovatively and pursue lifelong learning. Digital education should be boosted, and people trained to use the internet, big data, artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies to deal better with the changes in our world. I'm convinced that together, we will make tomorrow’s world a better place through education."

"People will then take the initiative to adapt themselves to protect nature and look after the Earth, the only home shared by all mankind. Second, the education of the future must focus on the ability to live in harmony with people from different countries and cultures. Different histories, national conditions, ethnic groups, and customs have given birth to many different civilizations and created a world rich in diversity. Through education, we can teach future generations about the cultures of other countries and nations, so that they appreciate the diversity of civilizations, and respect other people’s choices of development paths and lifestyles, while upholding their own cultural traditions and coexisting in harmony."

"I believe the education of the future should focus on helping people to improve their abilities in three key areas. First, the ability to live in harmony with nature – humans and nature constitute the community of life. In the face of challenges like climate change and the deterioration of the environment, education is essential to enable us to understand and respect nature, so that production models and lifestyles that are conducive to sustainable development can be fostered."

"We need to explore innovation, use new methods and adopt new technologies to address new problems – so that high-quality educational resources can be offered to more girls, and they can continue their education in flexible and diverse ways."

"Through education, we can teach future generations to appreciate the diversity of civilizations."

"As long as we stand in solidarity and work, together, every problem is surmountable."

"Education is essential to enable us to understand and respect nature."

"While Covid-19 continues to spread across the world, it is our shared wish that no girl is left behind because of the pandemic."

"China considers the education of girls and women from poor families a top priority, and seeks to safeguard girls’ right to education with a host of measures. These include building schools, exempting girls from tuition and miscellaneous fees, and offering them grants and nutritious meals. In addition, we have introduced various skills training programmes for women – which take regional characteristics and the local needs of women into account and help them increase their income."

"I have visited many countries and talked to people from all walks of life. I have observed many women lift themselves out of poverty and change their fate through education. I would like to share with you some of China’s experiences and practices in this regard. Through continuous endeavour, China has achieved the goal of eliminating absolute poverty. We have always stressed that for poverty alleviation, we must first provide knowledge and skills. The development of education is a very important measure to achieve this."

"The eradication of poverty and the realization of gender equality are ideals shared by all mankind, and an aspiration shared by women all over the world. The access to equitable and quality education ensures that women are able to draw the power of self-reliance from knowledge and skills. This will help them to lift themselves out of poverty and to embrace a happy life. In addition, they would be in a position to utilize this power to make contributions to society, and to pass it on to empower future generations – thus stopping the intergenerational transmission of poverty."

"Young people need good education because it is not only about giving them knowledge and skills but also helping them become responsible citizens."

"Like most female actresses, I am always aspiring to succeed and become a popular star, and my positive energy never dies out. And it wasn’t until entering my twenties that I began to identify my real dream as an actress. I realized that acting is not all about receiving people’s applause or cheer. It is about delivering the right character to the audience and feeling satisfied in who you become on stage. Therefore, I try to focus more on the abstract qualities of acting, and I hope to become a better actress throughout time."

"I’m very lucky but I don’t want to put on too much pressure, because pressure means doubt. For me, the spirit of Mulan is the simpleness and the unspeakable belief and strength. This power inspires me."

"I think it’s important in every culture that we treat family respectfully. We’re being thankful and we’re showing love. I think if you ask me what family means, I would say it is unconditional love. So at this point in time, I think it’s still another universal language."

"I would say focus is really the number one. Each day I allowed myself to forget who I am for the moment. You have to kind of lose yourself and not think about just how brave Mulan is. Yes, I am playing a hero, so we need to bring out that side, but I think every human being is complex, and complex is so beautiful. And that’s where the energy of the character is."

"But at its core, Mulan is really about the character, the spirit. She is such a famous character, but I also wanted to be myself. It was all about balance and choice. It’s always brave to be yourself."

"I think there are various sides to my personality. However, to simply summarize into one, I am a flexible person. I’m not bound by rules. I enjoy talking to people while standing, and even comfortably sitting down on the ground. I seek comfort wherever and whenever. I have a pretty lenient personality, but sometimes can be aggressive as well. But this is only seen when I am acting on stage."

"As an actress, it’s not only about looking good on camera, but being able to deliver the right emotions for the characters you play. This makes you more attractive on the screen. That’s why I focus more on acting rather than my appearance. Sometimes, I don’t even bother taking out the mirror to fix my makeup before filming."

"Instead of traveling, I tend to think about a variety of things while filming or working abroad. When I play a different role, my perspectives and ideas change each time."

"I learned so much about myself that I didn't know prior. You're just constantly outputting, and giving all you know so you don't have time to look inside of yourself and to really reflect. The four years at drama school really gave me that time and space. I got to know myself much better, I think as not only as an actor, but as a person. I was reassured about my passion for acting. I was more confident coming out of drama school."

"I’m incredibly close to my family and I think family is such an important thing, in Asian culture especially. This really spoke to me personally, but hopefully the audience will resonate with that as well. Not only Asian audiences, but also audiences from all over the world, everyone and anything can relate to the unconditional love that you share among a family and between family members. No family is perfect. We all have our differences, misunderstandings, and ups and downs. I hope people can see that we are who we are because of our family and because of our ancestry, and respect that."

"I’m not physically a super expressive person. I think I’m pretty put-together."

"All I ever wanted in my life as an actor was a safe, exploratory environment to just play and act, without being worried about if it’s going to turn out alright on camera, what the box office is going to be, what is the press going to say, what’s the review going to be like. Acting in its purest form."

"When I was a teenager in Georgia, I always felt like the odd one. I never felt like I fit in. My dad and I would go to Blockbuster and look for Asian films and we could never find any. If we saw a Jackie Chan movie, we would watch that because it was so comforting to see a face similar to ours."

"America has taken small baby steps of progress towards having more inclusion and diversity in Hollywood. It's optimistic. I'm hopeful, but there is so much more work that needs to be done."

"Even while filming we knew how important it was that we get this opportunity to showcase our culture and our uniqueness, but also, as human beings, our stories, our emotions, and, at the end of the day, our humanity."

"I wanted to break boundaries for myself as an actor, where it's not to tell the story and do a good job, but to go to another level where I feel free."

"In China, literally in elementary school, we have to sit a certain way. You can't raise your hand anytime, you can’t speak in class. So, it takes a lot of courage and experimenting to kind of try to break that."

"It was important not only to me personally, but also for all of us who were involved, that it sets an example of Asian excellence for a more prominent presence in Hollywood, and also globally."

"When I worked in Asia for a long time, I just felt like I needed a break. I needed to relearn everything about myself and unlearn a lot of things."

"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."

"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."

"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’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."

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

"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."

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

"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."

"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."

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