Chinese actress Fan Bingbing named best actress at Golden Horse Awards

Taipei, Nov. 22 (CNA) Chinese actress Fan Bingbing (范冰冰) has been named best actress at the 2025 Golden Horse Awards for her performance in the film "Mother Bhumi" (地母).

Fan, who now spends most of her time outside China, claimed the trophy ahead of four Taiwanese actresses at the Golden Horse Awards, widely considered the most prestigious film honors in the Chinese-speaking world.

The other nominees in the category were Caitlin Fang (方郁婷), René Liu (劉若英), Ariel Lin (林依晨) and Alexia Kao (高伊玲) for their roles in "A Foggy Tale" (大濛), "Unexpected Courage" (我們意外的勇氣), "Deep Quiet Room" (深度安靜), and "Family Matters" (我家的事), respectively.

"I remember when the director asked me, 'Are you willing to let me completely change your face?' and I told him, 'Fan Bingbing will go all the way for this role.' That was more than just a promise -- it was a commitment I never wavered from," Fan said during a phone call with director Chong Keat-aun (張吉安) that was broadcast live on stage, as she did not attend the ceremony.

"This character was not just about a drastic change in my appearance ... immersing myself in the role helped me grow and deepened my understanding of women's resilience and strength," she said.

"As a filmmaker from China, I hope I can continue to break through and share more meaningful stories through cinema," Fan said.

She thanked Chong for his faith in her, the Golden Horse Awards for consistently supporting filmmakers across the Chinese-speaking world, and the entire crew of "Mother Bhumi."

"'Mother Bhumi' and the character of Hong Im would have been impossible without you," she said of her role in the film. "This award belongs to all of us."

In the movie, Fan portrays a widowed farmer in the late 1990s who lives a frugal life with her children amid political turmoil in northern Malaysia.

She works the fields by day and performs healing rites for women in the village at night. As disputes over Indigenous land rights intensify, questions surrounding her husband's death resurface, prompting her to seek liberation and reconciliation for her family.

Chong accepted the award on Fan's behalf and shared a story before calling the actress via phone. He recalled that Fan once followed him when he returned to Malaysia and even when he had not yet decided whether to give her the role.

"I asked her, 'Why are you trying so hard for this role?' and she told me, 'I want to start over again.'"

Fan has been active mainly outside China in recent years following a 2018 tax-evasion controversy.

She previously won best supporting actress at the Golden Horse Awards in 2007 for "The Matrimony" (心中有鬼) and was nominated for best actress in 2016 for "I Am Not Madame Bovary" (我不是潘金蓮).