People keep pushing me to be the center of attention... I would prefer to be on the sidelines, because that's where you see more.
Gong LiI have been approached to direct films, but I think everybody has their limits. For me, I want to focus all my energy and efforts on acting and give the best performance possible. For now, I am focusing on that. Who knows, in the future maybe I will change my mind.
Gong LiI appreciate it if I make a Chinese film. And if there is an opportunity to make a Hollywood film, I will take it - especially because, as you probably know, in Hollywood, even today, there are not a lot of big roles for Asian performers. So it is a great opportunity. It is possible to make films that people everywhere enjoy. I travel quite a lot. I don't really feel like when I am in China, I am a Chinese person and when I'm here, I'm a foreigner. I don't feel that kind of difference anymore. In the past I did. Not anymore. I feel quite at home everywhere. The whole world is my home.
Gong LiIt is true that as he film market in China has grown, actors' and actresses' compensation has grown quite a bit. Different actors have different kind of deals. Some take percentages, some sign contracts with a company, some take a simple cash payment. But the growth also means there are many more actors out there. Competition has gotten much stiffer, too.
Gong LiSo many women now in China are entering the workforce and also taking up very important positions CEOs, for example. The problem for many such women now is how to balance all the different kind of responsibilities that they take on and that they want to take up. They have to balance family and work and maybe kids. Chinese woman really have a strong desire to do that. They want to grab a hold of all these things. They are willing and able. But there is the challenge of how to keep the balance.
Gong Li