Zhao was catapulted to fame after "Princess Pearl" was first shown in China in 1998, when she was just a sophomore at the Beijing Film Academy.
In the years to follow, Zhao not only played roles in an array of films including Stephen Chow's comedy "Shaolin Soccer" (2001) and John Woo's epic "Red Cliff" (2008), but also released a couple of popular albums like "Swallow " (1999) and "Angel's Suitcase" (2007).
"No one's success happens accidentally and I encountered good times when I was young," she said.
At the end of 1990s, domestic TV dramas were flourishing in China, resulting in the creation of many idols. Zhao was one of the best known thanks to "Princess Pearl."
In 2006, Zhao went back to Beijing Film Academy and became a postgraduate student pursuing a degree in directing.
"If I didn't make a change then, I would have lost my passion. You will grow impassive if you stand in the spotlight long enough."
It can be difficult becoming a director as an actor or actress, but for Zhao it was not.
"I really enjoy being a director," she said. "The only difference between acting and directing lies in their responsibilities."
Considering herself as an idealist, Zhao was demanding about every single detail in her first directorial work.
Away from films Zhao enjoys reading. Like most of her peers, she is a fan of Louis Cha, a renowned Chinese writer who specialized in martial arts novels when she was a teenager.
But movies are not far away from her thoughts. Films conveying humanistic value are her favorites. "I like Ang Lee's movies very much, like 'The Wedding Banquet' and 'Pushing Hands'," she said. For foreign movies, Zhao likes Iranian films such as "The Children of Heaven."
Moving forward, Zhao said she will devote herself to making domestic movies that convey values in humanity because the domestic market has huge potential for this category.
"The inherent value these kinds of films carry can be communicated and embraced by people in nations around the world," she said.
Epic films have been rulers of the Chinese box office after Zhang Yimou's "Hero" became a hit in 2002. However, in the past two years, light comedies and dramas have been thriving.
Two movies, "Lost in Thailand," a low-budget comedy by local director Xu Zheng and "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons," a period adventure comedy by Stephen Chow, raked in more than 1.2 billion yuan in China.
Though Zhao has been successful in her first directorial work, there is no timetable for a second movie.
Zhao will play an eccentric artist in her next movie. "I'm reading some books on depression to prepare myself for the role," she said. "It will be another challenge in my life."
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