SINGAPORE — Actress Fan Bingbing might be considered the biggest star in China at the moment, an accolade cemented by her top position once again on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 List this year. This makes her the only showbiz personality to have been ranked first in consecutive years.

But the 32-year-old actress was still nonetheless star-stuck by her fellow cast mates in X-Men: Days Of Future Past, which opens in Singapore next week.

According to Fan, the first two thoughts that popped into her head when she heard that she had been cast as the teleporting mutant known as Blink were “it’s a dream come true!” and “Hugh Jackman!”. Yes, in that order.

“Yes, Hugh Jackman popped right into my head. Hugh Jackman and his muscles. And body! I’m sorry! ” she laughed during our one-on-one interview at Ritz Carlton Singapore, where she was promoting the highly anticipated blockbuster that’s directed by Bryan Singer.

“Honestly,I was really excited. I’ve seen Hugh Jackman as Wolverine for years and to be part of this movie franchise has been my dream.”

Well, no one ever needs to apologise for thinking about Hugh Jackman — least of all, someone like Fan — but the actress said that she was bowled over when she finally met Jackman in the flesh.

“Well, Hugh Jackman was the co-star that surprised me the most,” she revealed. “He’s really very nice in person, always smiling at me and asking me how I was. And his appearance and acting is astonishing! He is too handsome.”

And here’s a heads-up to Singaporean film-makers. Fan said she is more than happy to work on a Singaporean film, if the opportunity presents itself.

“If there is a chance, I would really love to collaborate,” she said. “Because I know that Singapore has very good directors — many young, up-and-coming directors — with a lot of talent. Plus, Singapore has good actors like Fann Wong. She’s such a beauty. I have filmed with her before and she is one of my very good friends! So yes, if there are any suitable scripts, I’ll be most willing to take it.”

And while Fan may currently be a red-carpet regular at the Cannes Film Festival and other high profile Hollywood events, as well as being one of the most sought-after Asian celebrities — she has signed lucrative deals with, among others, Mercedes-Benz, Cartier, L’Oreal Paris, Chopard and Louis Vuitton - the actress said that she is resolutely dedicated to her craft. “No matter what I do, my job is an actress,” she said. “I hope everybody will focus more on my work.”