Hsu Chi is a lucky woman. A porn star in her early years, the Taiwanese beauty is now one of the most popular actresses in China. She was picked as Best Actress in the 42nd Golden Horse Awards on Sunday for her performance in Three Times.

About Three Times

Three Times, directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien and starring Hsu and Taiwan's Chang Chen, is about three love stories set in 1911, 1966 and 2005.

The film is a challenge for Hsu, who plays three very different roles. She is a prostitute in the 1911 story, an innocent girl in pursuit of true love in the 1966 story and a bisexual lover in the 2005 story.

Hsu has been widely praised for her acting. "She is very smart and quick in response. Her acting is very natural. She'll definitely go further in acting," said director Hou.

About success

From porn star to award-winning actress, Hsu has come a long way. As one of the busiest actresses in Hong Kong, the 29-year-old has made more than 50 films since her debut in 1996.

The US magazine Time described Hsu's life as a story that could be straight out of a Hollywood film. But the straight-talking Hsu attributes her success to hard work.

"I made a mistake in starting my career as an actress in porn movies, but I corrected the wrong by becoming a serious actress in the mainstream movie market," she said.

Overseas developments

When Hsu was in Cannes in 2000 promoting Millennium Mambo, French film fans called her "China's Juliette Binoche." Like the famous French actress, Hsu is known for her fresh and vivid acting, as well as an innocence that finds its way into her roles.

Hsu missed out on international recognition when she was unable to appear in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2001. The role went to Zhang Ziyi, immediately bringing Zhang Western recognition.

In 2002, Hsu starred in Luc-Besson's The Transporter, which ranked fourth in US box-office revenue. She also starred in So Close, another English-language movie. That year could have been her chance to go international, but Hsu finally gave up.

"I speak poor English and I'm too lazy to learn. This leaves me with few chances for success abroad. Moreover, I don't want to force myself into doing unpleasant things in a new environment in Hollywood," she said.

(Shenzhen Daily November 16, 2005)