How did ‘missing’ Fan Bingbing rise to become China’s top celebrity?
The actress, singer, model and producer – who has not been seen in public since early July – has enjoyed a meteoric rise to international stardom. How did a girl from Shandong rise to such giddy heights?
Chinese actress Fan Bingbing has disappeared from the public eye – whereabouts unknown. She has not been seen in public since July 1; her Sina Weibo social media account, where she has 62.6 million followers, has been dormant since July 23.
There is speculation that her withdrawal from public life may be linked to a probe by Chinese authorities into tax evasion.
Nicknamed Fan ye, which translates as “Master Fan”, she’s well known for once having said: “I don’t need to marry the rich; I am the rich.”
As an actress, singer, model and producer, Fan took top spot on the Forbes China Celebrity List 2014, and held it for four consecutive years.
Bold, formidable and outspoken, Fan is the embodiment of female toughness. She has fame, she has wealth, she has style – she has it all.
So how did a girl from Shandong, who started out in the role of a servant in a TV costume drama, ascend to become China’s highest-paid actress and a fashion touchstone?
We look at the pivotal moments from Fan’s career which helped her on the way to international stardom.
Born in Shandong province in 1981, the actress turned 37 on September 16. She was discovered by renowned Chinese film director Xie Jin, and attended the Xie Jin Film and Television Art College of Shanghai Normal University.