Wu works on the set of his new movie, Control. Provided to China Daily

Q+A

Real-life roles

Are you already worried about your 'imaginary enemies', the future boyfriends of your daughter? (Wu's daughter Raven was born on May 30.)

I was worried the day I found I was having a girl, even before she was born.

All I can think of is the day when I open the front door and I see a boy there, a teenage boy. He looks just like I did when I was 14, 15 or 16, because I know exactly what he is thinking.

I am really scared of that and not sure how I am going to handle it when that time comes.

I may just get a lot of guns.

Who are your heroes in real life?

My first kung fu teacher, I think he was my first mentor, not because he just taught me kung fu, but he was, I would say, a renaissance man. He was a Chinese doctor, he could do acupuncture, herbal medicine, he was a painter, a lawyer, he also did tai chi and qigong. He was a very well-rounded person, getting me interested in trying to learn as much as I could.

If you can change one thing about yourself what would you choose?

My mouth, it is so small. and it has this weird pointy lip. I think maybe also my ears, the funny shape, they bend backwards or something.

I guess on the inside I need to stop being such a control freak … especially when I have a daughter now.

You think you can control a child, but you cannot. You have to be able to be flexible, to go with them, and also give them the room to grow.

The natural talent that you like to be gifted with?

I wish I could have the comic sense of a stand-up comedian, because people like that are never boring. In any kind of situation they know what to say.

— Liu Wei