You see, Tang Wei's debut in Ang Lee's Lust, Caution saw her play a traitor, which didn't go down well with the powers that be in her native country.
The Chinese film authorities slapped a two-year ban on the starlet, which resulted in her absence from the big screen.
She made a quiet comeback with the romance Crossing Hennessy last year.
But almost too soon, Tang Wei found herself making headlines for the wrong reasons when her scenes in the star-studded The Founding Of A Party ended up on the cutting room floor.
She was deemed "politically unsuitable" for the part of Chairman Mao's first lover, Chinese media reported.
Food, caution
We'll never know if she feels misunderstood by her countrymen, as the SK-II event dictated that everything its new spokesmodel revealed would be only skin deep.
For instance, Tang Wei declared she's an avid believer in exercise, as "beauty stems from within".
She also likes simple and light food such as congee and soups, and she steers clear of fried food.
But she likes fatty meats as they are good for the skin.
The self-professed tomboy also never liked to look at herself in the mirror, applied make-up or dress up.
She also called herself "lazy" and not one to like using multiple beauty products.
All this changed after she saw how her skin became more luminous due to SK-II's best-selling Facial Treatment Essence, which she started using last year when she was filming Wu Xia in Yunnan, China. "The weather is very dry in Yunnan because of the high altitude," said Tang in fluent English.
"After using SK-II, I noticed my skin has changed forthe better and now, I like looking at myself in the mirror."
Spoken like a true brand ambassador.
Perhaps Tang Wei recognised what pays her bills, and so cleverly steered her answers back to the purpose of the visit whenever a career-related question arose.
When the event's emcee, former actress-host Evelyn Tan, asked about Tang Wei's experience on Wu Xia, where she plays Yen's wife and mother of two young boys, the latter replied that she fell in love with the five-year-old actor who played her youngest son because "he has the most natural and beautiful eyes and he inspired me to be genuine in front of the camera, which also meant I need to look my best".
So is playing a virtuous housewife indicative of the kind of role you're looking at now, this reporter finally managed to ask.
"Yes, this is a role I've been waiting to play for a very long time. I like to play a mother. It was good hands-on practise for me to prepare me for the future."
So are you looking forward to becoming a mother, ventured another reporter quickly.
"Yes, definitely. I had set myself a goal to be a mother by 30 because I want to be a pretty mama."
All too soon, before we could ask Tang Wei to clarify her comment, since she has passed that age, her answers went back to her No. 1 fear (dry skin) and her gratitude to "miracle water" - no thanks to another "gentle reminder" to stick to beauty questions only.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
