Fan Bingbing almost tops Forbes’ most famous celebrity in China list, pulling in a close third and following in the footsteps of Zhang Ziyi and Jet Li. Actress, singer, producer and style icon, Fan Bingbing has taken fame and fortune in her stride and is swiftly becoming Asia’s most elegant superstar. Born in Qingdao, Shandong and raised in Yantai, Shandong, she had her heart set on becoming a dancer, but on graduating from Xie Jin’s Star School and Shanghai Theatre Academy she fell in love with the silver screen and has since taken both the film and fashion worlds by storm, appearing in Shaolin, Battle of Wits and Flash Point. Her pretty porcelain features and the dress-sense of Hollywood red-carpet regular mixed with a touch of her own conceptual style, has rocketed her into the hearts of the fashion pack and onto the covers of Chinese Elle, Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, L’Officiel and Marie Claire. Most recently she graced the cover of i-D’s The Role Model Issue, Fall 2012, shot by her good friend, Chen Man. With Chen Man’s forward-thinking celebration of diversity in China, and Fan Bingbing’s work with charities, including the set-up of her own, ‘Love in the Heart’, the two make quite the team of inspiring ambassadors for their country.
