BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhuanet  by Xinhua entertainment writer Bai Ying) -- French movie star Jean Reno dislikes the nickname of "the coolest killer in the world" given to him by his Chinese fans.

    Reno was in Beijing on Thursday to promote his current film "L'Empire Des Loups" as part of the third French Film Festival.

    The actor, famed for his tough-guy role in films like "Leon" and "Wasabi," considers "killer" a naive word and one he doesn't like. "Many films I appeared in mentioned violence, but as a citizen, I don't like violence. I love peace," he said.

    Reno headed a group of French film producers and actors at the festival, which was organized by Unifrance, an organization which promotes French cinema worldwide, along with the French Embassy and the French Cultural Center.

    "L'Empire Des Loups" was released in China on Jan. 30 and has reaped 5 million yuan (625,000 U.S. dollars), making it the most successful Western film imported to China this year, said Yang Zhan, president of the Star Image Media Group, the film's copyright provider in China.

    In the film, which centers around a series of murders of young women in the Turkish quarter of Paris, Reno plays a role that flits between a police officer and a killer.

    He met his fans after the showing and the Chinese audience was curious to find out if Reno is also a tough-guy in real life.

    "I'm only an actor. The roles have nothing to do with my life. My personality is different to those of my film characters. My characteristics are totally banal, like other people. I have my own attitude to my job, my friends, family and children. (Being anactor) is just a job," he said.

    Two Chinese actors also renowned for their tough-guy image, Hu Jun and Sun Honglei, selected by the Chinese audience, also talked with Reno at the news conference on Thursday.

    Hu described Reno as a baguette - hard on the outside and soft on the inside.

    "The image is interesting - he is reasonable," Reno said. "Actors must have different colors, powers and backgrounds. I'm sure a man is not just either tough or mild."

    In fact, Reno also played comic roles in films such as "Operation Corned-beef" and "Les Visiteurs," which are not that familiar to Chinese audience.

    Hu gave Reno a gift of a sword and Reno gave him back a gun in keeping with the "tough-guy" theme.

    France is stopping at nothing to promote its films in China by holding regular film exhibitions in succession in China and sending over French movie stars.

    During this year's festival a selection of 12 recently-released French films will be shown to Chinese audience, including "La Maison De Nina", directed by Richard Dembo, Cedric Khan's "L'Avion", and "L'Enfant", directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.

    Reno followed on the heels of Sophie Marceau, who last September attended China's premiere of her French blockbuster "Anthony Zimmer," shown at the closing ceremony of the Year of France in China.

    Marceau is more popular among Chinese audiences because of her oriental look. Her first visit to China in 2001 caused a sensation at the fifth Shanghai International Film Festival.

    Both solo film exhibitions were held at the Beijing-based China Film Archive (CFA) for Reno and Marceau, who were also scheduled to meet their Chinese fans.

    At the Alliance Francaise - an organization promoting French language around the world - and the CFA, movies are free regularly for Chinese students studying French. Enditem