Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing has won Best Actress at Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Horse Awards, earning praise for her powerful and unconventional performance as a farmer, marking a significant step in her comeback following a tax evasion scandal that derailed her career.
Though she was the biggest mainland Chinese star represented at this year’s Golden Horse—often referred to as the “Chinese-language Oscars”—Fan did not attend the ceremony. Instead, she delivered her acceptance speech over the phone.
In the Malaysian film Mother Bhumi, the 44-year-old actress captivated critics with her portrayal of a widowed farmer and ritual healer, a stark departure from the glamorous roles she typically embodies.
“When the director discussed the role with me, he asked, ‘Are you willing to let me destroy your face?’ I remember answering without hesitation, ‘Fan Bingbing is ready to go all the way’,” she said during her speech in Taipei, where director Chong Keat-aun accepted the award on her behalf.
Once among China’s highest-paid stars, with credits in blockbuster franchises such as X-Men and Iron Man, Fan saw her career grind to a halt after being targeted in a 2018 tax evasion crackdown.
“For me, the role was more than a physical transformation. It was a profound connection between my soul and the character,” she said, adding that the experience deepened her appreciation for “the resilient strength inherent in women.”
She expressed hope for further breakthroughs in her career, saying she aims to create work that conveys “greater values and deeper meanings.”
Director Chong, who had previously hinted Fan might attend, admitted he did not know her current whereabouts. He later thanked her while accepting another award, for Best Original Song, saying: “We all believe you can start over. This song is for you.”
Chinese participation in the Golden Horse Awards has diminished since 2018, when Taiwanese director Fu Yue expressed support for Taiwan’s independence during her acceptance speech, prompting Beijing to ban its entertainers from attending.
This year’s Best Film award went to Taiwanese production A Foggy Tale, a story exploring the island’s past political purges. Hong Kong filmmaker Jun Li won Best Director for Queerpanorama, a same-sex drama premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. Taiwanese actor Chang Chen took home his second Best Leading Actor award for his role as an immigrant delivery worker in Lucky Lu, directed by Korean-Canadian Lloyd Kee Choi, who also earned Best New Director.
