She was a workaholic before getting married but now she spends more time with her family.

"I am really lucky to have him because we are more than husband and wife. We are also good friends and share life together," says Chen.

Though family always comes first, Chen is still working hard. Last year she starred in three TV series.

"My husband would complain a little bit but he understands me since I enjoy playing those characters," she says. "I will have less work this year and go on vacation with him."

Unlike some actresses who withdraw from the limelight after getting married, Chen wants to continue to grow her career.

"I grew up there (onstage). The light, the smell, everything is so natural to me," says Chen, whose father was a dancer and choreographer and mother a musician.

She left her hometown in Hubei province at an early age to study ballet and classical Chinese dance in Beijing. At 22, she decided to pursue acting. In 2001, she graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, where she majored in acting. Later she joined the National Theater of China.

When she won Best Actress at the Golden Eagle Awards and the China TV Director Committee Awards, her reputation as a serious actress was elevated.

"I never feel nervous when I perform onstage. Instead, I feel powerful and confident there. It seems like no one exists anymore and all my pores open up, my arms and legs stretching out. Though I am alone, the stage is mine," Chen says.

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