Do not be stupid! You are just a small potato in Hollywood films.

In nowadays, more and more Chinese celebrities choose to play films in Hollywood. However, their roles in Hollywood are not as the most important roles in Chinese films. To contrast, they are just in a cameo role.

Bingbing Li in Resident Evil: Retribution

Qing Xu in Looper

Xun Zhou in Cloud Atlas

For example, the film Resident Evil: Retribution released recently, and Bingbing Li as a Chinese Character, she plays the role with very limited rate of appearance. Qing Xu, who appears in Looper as Bruce Willis’s girlfriend, even though her partner is well known by the audience, Qing only appears in three times with one short dialogue. What is more, in the trailer of the film Cloud Atlas, Xu Zhou appears with a strange make-up and even could not be realised by Chinese audiences.

All of these Chinese characters are very famous in China now, they already have a certain popularity in the Chinese market, why are they prefer to play a cameo role in Hollywood films in nowadays? Everyone knows that Hollywood choose some Chinese popular character plays in their film, because they want the broader market for Hollywood films, and Chinese market is definitely a good choice for them.

However, I do not think that is really a perfect choice for those Chinese characters as well. The roles they play in Hollywood films are not that important and even could not be recognised by Chinese audience, so I do not think foreign audiences can even remember their face, which just means nothing for them. Except they are play the most important role in the film, and that still have the condition with the quality of the films, otherwise Chinese characters are still hard to be known by foreign audiences.

What is more, to some extent, they will lose a certain reputation in Chinese market as well. Most roles they play in Hollywood films are not enough to show their skillful acting, because it provides very limited space for their acting.

Therefore, for most Chinese characters, especially who have a certain popularity audiences in Chinese market, why are they not just keep their Chinese market and earn more reputation? I think it is better for them be a leading part in Chinese films rather than play a cameo role in Hollywood films, especially in the time that China is one of the most important countries in film markets. So, just do not be stupid!