ACTORS from Taiwan

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Taiwanese Actors of all time. This list of famous Taiwanese Actors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Taiwanese Actors.

1. Shu Qi (b. 1976)

With an HPI of 55.38, Shu Qi is the most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 44 different languages on wikipedia.

Lin Li-hui (Chinese: 林立慧, born 16 April 1974), better known by her stage name Shu Qi (Chinese: 舒淇), is a Hong Kong–Taiwanese actress and model. She is one of the most successful Taiwanese actresses of all time. She has received three Hong Kong Film Awards and two Golden Horse Awards among many other awards. She has collaborated with master director Hou Hsiao-hsien on three films: Millennium Mambo (2001), Three Times (2005), and The Assassin (2015). Shu Qi has also played leading roles in both art-house films and box-office hits, including If You Are the One (2008) by Feng Xiaogang, Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013) by Stephen Chow, Gone with the Bullets (2014) by Jiang Wen, and Mojin: The Lost Legend (2015) by Wuershan. Shu ranked 18th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2013, 23rd in 2014, 32nd in 2015, 48th in 2017, and 90th in 2019.

2. Brigitte Lin (b. 1954)

With an HPI of 53.53, Brigitte Lin is the 2nd most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia (Chinese: 林青霞; pinyin: Lín Qīngxiá; born 3 November 1954) is a Taiwanese actress. She is regarded as an icon of Chinese language cinema for her extensive and varied roles in both Taiwanese and Hong Kong films.

3. Joan Lin (b. 1953)

With an HPI of 52.60, Joan Lin is the 3rd most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Joan Lin Feng-jiao (born 30 June 1953) is a Taiwanese former actress. She is married to Hong Kong actor and martial artist Jackie Chan. Born 30 June 1953 in Taipei, Lin was the second child out of five children. She dropped out of school at the age of 12 due to her family's poverty. In 1972, at age 19, Lin starred in her first film, The Hero of Chiu Chow (also known as Hero of Waterfront), a Kung fu film. Many of her films are based on the novels of Chiung Yao. Lin, together with Charlie Chin and Chin Han and Brigitte Lin, were the biggest names in the Taiwanese and Hong Kong cinema industries in the 1970s. Dubbed the "Two Chins, Two Lins" (二秦二林) by the media, they were known for starring in several box-office hits, many of which were adaptations of Chiung Yao's novels. In 1979, she won Best Leading Actress at the 16th Golden Horse Awards for her performance in The Story of a Small Town. During her 10-year career, Lin appeared in more than 70 films. Joan Lin met Hong Kong actor and martial artist Jackie Chan in January 1981 and they secretly married in Los Angeles in 1982. Their only child, Jaycee Chan, was born the day after they got married. Lin has since retired from the film industry. Joan Lin at IMDb Joan Lin at the Hong Kong Movie Database

4. Sylvia Chang (b. 1953)

With an HPI of 48.98, Sylvia Chang is the 4th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Sylvia Chang (born 21 July 1953) is a Taiwanese actress, singer, director, screenwriter and producer. In 1992, she served as a jury member at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival. In June 2018, she was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In the same year, she served as a jury member at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.

5. Vivian Hsu (b. 1975)

With an HPI of 47.68, Vivian Hsu is the 5th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Vivian Hsu (Atayal: Bidai Syulan; Chinese: 徐若瑄; born March 19, 1975) is a Taiwanese actress, model, and singer. Hsu rose to fame in Japan, where she made her first appearance in 1995 and has become a highly recognized celebrity with her countless appearances in media during the late 1990s. She was also the main vocalist for Black Biscuits, a Japanese dance band which released four singles, Stamina, Timing, Relax, Bye-Bye, and one album, Life. Timing is one of the most successful songs of 1998.

6. Ruby Lin (b. 1976)

With an HPI of 46.36, Ruby Lin is the 6th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 34 different languages.

Ruby Lin Xin-ru (Chinese: 林心如; pinyin: Lín Xīnrú; born January 27, 1976) is a Taiwanese actress, television and film producer, and pop singer. American entertainment critic Derek Elley named Lin as "Taiwan's TV Drama Queen". 3 years after Lin made her acting debut in a TV commercial, she rose to national and regional prominence overnight for her role as Xia Ziwei in the TV series My Fair Princess 还珠格格 (1998-1999). My Fair Princess was highly popular in East and Southeast countries; launching Lin as a household name in Asia. She followed the success with other hit series including The Duke of Mount Deer (2000), Romance in the Rain (2001), Boy & Girl (2003), Affair of Half a Lifetime (2004), Beauty's Rival in Palace (2010), The Glamorous Imperial Concubine (2011) and The Way We Were (2014). While focusing mostly on TV series, her works also include film such as The House That Never Dies (2014), The Devotion of Suspect X (2017) and Miss Andy (2020). In 1999, she also began a singing career with her debut album Heartbeat released in Hong Kong first amongst Asian countries, and has since released 5 albums. Since Lin started her own studio in 2009, she has been producing TV dramas and TV films starring herself, both in mainland China and Taiwan. Her production debut The Glamorous Imperial Concubine (2011) won her Best Producer at the 2012 TV Drama Awards Made in China, and her first Taiwanese drama production The Way We Were (2014) won three out of seven nominations, including Best Television Series at the 50th Golden Bell Awards. According to Apple Daily, Lin was the third highest-earning Taiwanese drama actress in 2011, and the top-earning in 2012 and 2013. Lin ranked 30th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2013, 36th in 2014, 82nd in 2015, and 68th in 2017.

7. Chang Chen (b. 1976)

With an HPI of 45.67, Chang Chen is the 7th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Chang Chen (born 14 October 1976) is a Taiwanese actor. He is best known for his roles in A Brighter Summer Day (1991), Happy Together (1997), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Three Times (2005), Brotherhood of Blades (2014), The Assassin (2015) and The Soul (2021). For his performance in The Soul, he won Best Leading Actor prize at the 58th Golden Horse Awards.

8. Christina Chang (b. 1971)

With an HPI of 44.91, Christina Chang is the 8th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Christina Chang (Chinese: 張韻明; pinyin: Zhāng Yùnmíng, born 29 June 1971) is an American actress, who has appeared in 24, CSI: Miami, Nashville, and The Good Doctor.

9. Jerry Yan (b. 1977)

With an HPI of 44.66, Jerry Yan is the 9th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Jerry Yan (Chinese: 言承旭; pinyin: Yán Chéngxù), born Liao Yangzhen (Chinese: 廖洋震; pinyin: Liào Yángzhèn), is a Taiwanese actor, model and singer. A former member of boy band group F4, Yan is known for his lead role as Daoming Si in the Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden and its sequel.

10. Collin Chou (b. 1967)

With an HPI of 44.38, Collin Chou is the 10th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Collin Chou (born 11 August 1967), sometimes credited as Ngai Sing, is a Taiwanese actor and martial artist.