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. Brigitte Lin (1954 - )

With an HPI of 52.33, Brigitte Lin is the most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages on wikipedia.

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.

2. Shu Qi (1976 - )

With an HPI of 52.10, Shu Qi is the 2nd most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 40 different languages.

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.

3. Sylvia Chang (1953 - )

With an HPI of 47.24, Sylvia Chang is the 3rd most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Sylvia Chang (born 21 July 1953) is a Taiwanese actress, writer, singer, producer and director. In 1992, she was a member of the jury at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival. In 2018, she was one of the jury members of the main competition section at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.

4. Chang Chen (1976 - )

With an HPI of 46.55, Chang Chen is the 4th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Chang Chen (born 14 October 1976) is a Taiwanese actor. He was born in Taipei, Taiwan. His father Chang Kuo-chu and his brother Hans Chang are also actors.

5. Vivian Hsu (1975 - )

With an HPI of 45.59, Vivian Hsu is the 5th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 22 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 (1976 - )

With an HPI of 45.53, Ruby Lin is the 6th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 33 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. Collin Chou (1967 - )

With an HPI of 44.96, Collin Chou is the 7th 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.

8. Barbie Hsu (1976 - )

With an HPI of 41.99, Barbie Hsu is the 8th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Barbie Hsu (Chinese: 徐熙媛; pinyin: Xú Xīyuán; born 6 October 1976) is a Taiwanese actress, singer, and television host. She is best known for her leading role in the television series Meteor Garden (2001).

9. Christina Chang (1971 - )

With an HPI of 41.92, Christina Chang is the 9th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 16 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, and Nashville. Currently she plays Dr. Audrey Lim, Chief of Surgery, on The Good Doctor.

10. Jerry Yan (1977 - )

With an HPI of 41.51, Jerry Yan is the 10th most famous Taiwanese Actor.  His biography has been translated into 18 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.