A star-studded kung-fu epic. A Hollywood debut alongside Jackie Chan. But the 31-year-old Chinese star says she's been disappointed by her recent roles. So she decided to recharge with a six-month break in New York City, where she has been taking acting classes, watching plays and lingering in museums.

Zhang is now back in China briefly to serve as a jury member at the Shanghai International Film Festival. She says: "When you have become what people perceive as a star, you don't really follow your heart when choosing roles. You think about whether the project is commercial enough."