Shu Qi, the brazenly sexy actress from Taiwan and a new Hollywood darling, sat down to talk about her new movie My Wife is a Gangster 3 (in theaters this month) and what’s truly sexy.

Entertainment is leaving your brain alone. I just want to have a good laugh while watching movies. That’s why Disney cartoons are my favorite. Mystery and suspense—they defeat the whole purpose.

Not everyone can afford to be stubborn. This world is full of constraints, and sometimes you lose control of your life.

I enjoy being an actress except when I am doing promotions, which is about 50 percent of the job.

Paparazzi suck. They are everywhere. They disturb my family. They don’t have a life and don’t want me to have one either.

I hate exercising. Never liked it. It demands so much effort. I absolutely would not exercise if I didn’t need to keep my figure. I exercise three times a week purely on an as-needed basis.

Actresses do eat. But not much. And definitely not on the day I need to do a photo shoot. If I were given the chance to eat without gaining an ounce, I would go back to Taiwan and devour all street stall snacks possible.

I am not ambitious. I tend to go with the flow.

Real life is not a war. Not all people are obsessed sociopaths dedicated to making it to the top.

There is more than one way to succeed. If a pretty face and a nice figure were the “musts” in the old days, that doesn’t mean that is necessarily true today.

Fame is very unpredictable. Many people turn famous unexpectedly.

Hollywood was never my dream. And I wonder if it ever will be.

It is hard to see oneself. I don’t think one can fully realize their own talents.

Love can be enslaving. If you really fall in love with a person, you would do everything for him. If you wouldn’t, it means you don’t love him enough.

There are people who like to be dominated. I have seen many... Some people feel good when they get yelled at.

There aren’t any good or bad lovers, only compatible or incompatible ones.

Everything tastes good when it is hot. Every day there are people killing themselves because of failed relationships. Give them six months or a year, and they will wonder, “What the hell was I thinking?”

I don’t like muscular guys with six-pack abs, tendons swelling on their arms and practically living in the gym. Yuck! Guys, be natural.

Indecisive guys piss me off. I hate deciding for someone else.

Having a handsome boyfriend is a hell of a lot of work. They are like a delicate vase you keep at home. You have to match it with beautiful flowers and change its water every day. And every night you have nightmares about breaking it by accident.

My advice for girls in their 20s: Have as much fun as you can! I am not talking about getting knocked up by a different guy every night. Women have a limited youth—try new and different things whenever you can.

Love is a small part of life. I am pretty rational about that. I won’t spoil the other 23 hours of
my day for an hour of love.—Interview by Jan Leung