Fame came to Hao Lei early: Just a year after graduating from high school in 1997, she landed the lead role in the mainland TV series Don't Cry Seventeen.

But the Shandong-born star's career really took off when she moved to films. Hao's Summer Palace with filmmaker Lou Ye in 2006 was the only Asian film in the running for the Palme d'Or at Cannes that year, although it was banned in the Chinese mainland because of its controversial theme.

Last year, Hao got together with Taiwan director Christina Yao for her debut movie Empire of Silver. Opening this Thursday, the film, adapted from a romance trilogy Valley of Silver, tells the story of a prosperous banking family in Shanxi province. The family ran the banking system of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and early Republic of China, but collapsed as the Qing Dynasty weakened.

Hao, 31, plays an intelligent woman who falls in love with her stepson (played by Hong Kong veteran actor Aaron Kwok), a rebel in the traditional family.

"Every role is different although audiences like stereotyping actors," she says. "The stepmother is placed in an old and traditional family but her heart is restless which leads her to pursue her love with the stepson."

The role calls for a lot of conversation in English because the character is supposed to have studied abroad for years. "I underwent nine months of training before shooting started. There were many long and difficult words which really challenged me," recalls the actress.

"The story is about a group of people who are part of Chinese history. They live through an era of transition and struggle between family responsibility and personal pursuits," she says.

The best part of the role was the chance it gave her to work with a cast from the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States. "We communicated in different languages but learnt from each other," she says.

Before Empire of Silver, Hao played in the popular TV series My Brother Shunliu, shown on CCTV.

"There are good and bad films, just like there are good and bad TV series. Being an actress can sometimes be a very passive exercise. You have to wait for an interesting script for a long time. When I cannot choose roles, I tell myself to try my best even if the result is not going to be good," she says.

Despite being an actress for more than 10 years, Hao is not as popular as Zhang Ziyi or Zhou Xun. She says that from the very beginning, her appeal has been restricted to a smaller audience.

"The first impression a script makes on me is very important," she says. "Sometimes, I speak the lines out unconsciously. And then I know that this is what I want to spend months doing."

When Hao talks about future goals, she doesn't list going to Hollywood or winning an international award. Instead, she talks about more personal benchmarks, like staying true to herself and living her life with a purpose.

(China Daily 07/28/2009 page19)