Chen Kun (; born February 4, 1976), sometimes credited as Aloys Chen, is a Chinese actor and singer. He gained recognition from television dramas ''
Love Story in Shanghai ''Love Story in Shanghai'', also known as ''Symphony of Rain'', is a 2001 Chinese period television drama series directed by Zhao Baogang, set in 1930s Shanghai.
The show was broadcast on 14 national networks almost simultaneously beginning in late ...
'' and ''
The Story of a Noble Family
''The Story of a Noble Family'' () is a 2003 Chinese television series based on Zhang Henshui's novel ''Jinfen Shijia'', directed by Li Dawei. The series was first broadcast in 2003 on China Central Television in mainland China.
Due to the succ ...
'' and rose to international prominence with the films ''
The Knot'' and ''
Painted Skin''. Chen has won the
Hundred Flowers Award
The Hundred Flowers Awards () are, together with the Golden Rooster Awards, the most prestigious film awards honouring the best in Chinese cinema, as well as Hong Kong cinema and the Cinema of Taiwan, they are classified as the Chinese equivale ...
for Best Actor,
Huabiao Award
China Huabiao Film Awards (), also simply known as Huabiao Awards, is an annual awards ceremony for Chinese cinema. Named after the decorative Chinese winged columns (''huabiaos''), The Huabiao Awards were first instituted in 1957 as the Ministry ...
for Outstanding Actor, and received a
Golden Horse Award
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards () is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is us ...
nomination for Best Actor.
Chen ranked 68th on ''
Forbes''
China Celebrity 100 list in 2014, 28th in 2014, 15th in 2017, and 52nd in 2019.
Biography
Chen Kun was born in
Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Cou ...
. He was raised by his maternal grandmother. His parents divorced soon after Chen's second younger brother was born, and Chen began working part-time in high school to support his mother. He started as a typist at the municipal office and later as a solo singer at night clubs. He showed early talent in singing and was strongly recommended by his vocal trainer and mentor to join the China Oriental Song and Dance Ensemble (now China National Song and Dance Ensemble) at Beijing in 1995. In 1996, he was admitted to the
Beijing Film Academy
Beijing Film Academy (BFA; ) is a coeducational state-run higher education institution in Beijing, China. The film school is the largest institution specializing in the tertiary education for film and television production in Asia. The academy h ...
, where he began taking acting classes.
In 2010, Chen established his own agency K Pictures (Dongshen Tonghua). He then set up a series of public charities named "Power to Go", aimed to encourage people to simply go outside and walk, in an effort to improve their health and spirit. The events were held on separate occasions in Qinghai and Tibet. In 2012, he published and co-authored the book ''Heading East, in the Direction of Peace'' (往西,宁静的方向), the first in a series of five books promoting the charity program. Chen was crowned as the "Weibo King" at the 2013 Sina Weibo Night for his popularity, influence and philanthropy work on the micro-blogging site. He was also the "Philanthropy King" at the 2014 iQiyi Awards Night.
Chen is also a keen writer, having published and co-authored several books. His first book ''Suddenly Walked to Tibet'' (突然就走到了西藏) was published in 2011, and contains a collection of autobiographical essays. It was a huge commercial success, and Chen became the first and only actor to make it on to China's Writers Rich List. In 2014, he also published ''Strange Aquarius'' (鬼水瓶录), a short-story collection that takes inspiration from his Weibo posts and life story.
Although he is not married, Chen has one son born in 2002 named Youyou. Chen does not intend to reveal the identity of Youyou's mother.
Career
1999–2004: Debut and rising popularity
Chen debuted in the 1999 film ''
The National Anthem''. He rose to prominence with the 2001 television drama ''Love in Shanghai''. His role as a poor clock repairer who manages to get through to a girl from a wealthy family suffering from infantile autism, made him an audience favorite.
Chen gained more international recognition in 2002, after starring in Franco-Chinese romance film ''
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
''Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress'' (french: Balzac et la petite tailleuse chinoise, links=no) is a semi-autobiographical novella written by Dai Sijie, and published in 2000 in French and in English in 2001. A film based on his novel d ...
''. The film was nominated at the
Golden Globe Awards for
Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is a Golden Globe Award presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Until 1986, it was known as the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, meaning that any non-American film coul ...
.
He then starred in the Republican series ''
The Story of a Noble Family
''The Story of a Noble Family'' () is a 2003 Chinese television series based on Zhang Henshui's novel ''Jinfen Shijia'', directed by Li Dawei. The series was first broadcast in 2003 on China Central Television in mainland China.
Due to the succ ...
'' (2003), adapted from the novel of the same name by Zhang Henshui. The series was a commercial success, and recorded the highest ratings of the year. The role of Jin Yanxi became his most prolific work in his earlier years.
2005–2016: Films and acclaim
Chen then starred in ''
A West Lake Moment'' (2005), playing a love-seeking and idealistic young man who is not easily satisfied. He was nominated as Best Actor for his performance at the
Golden Horse Awards
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards () is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is u ...
.
He next starred in ''The Music Box'' (2006), which earned him the Best Actor accolade at the
Shanghai Film Critics Awards for capturing his screen character's years of arduous life and as well as his struggles and joys.
Chen rose to international prominence with ''
The Knot'' (2007). He described the role as a "big challenge" to him, as he had to portray the maturing process of his character over 20 years.
The film was a huge success and garnered 8 nominations at the 16th
Golden Rooster Awards, including Best Actor for Chen. He also won Best Actor at the 2007
Huabiao Film Awards
China Huabiao Film Awards (), also simply known as Huabiao Awards, is an annual awards ceremony for Chinese cinema. Named after the decorative Chinese winged columns (''huabiaos''), The Huabiao Awards were first instituted in 1957 as the Ministry ...
. He next starred in
Gordon Chan's horror-adventure film ''
Painted Skin'' (2008), which won him the Best Actor award at the
Hundred Flowers Awards
The Hundred Flowers Awards () are, together with the Golden Rooster Awards, the most prestigious film awards honouring the best in Chinese cinema, as well as Hong Kong cinema and the Cinema of Taiwan, they are classified as the Chinese equival ...
.
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chen participated in the patriotic tribute ''
The Founding of a Republic'' (2009). He played
Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo (27 April 1910 – 13 January 1988) was a politician of the Republic of China after its retreat to Taiwan. The eldest and only biological son of former president Chiang Kai-shek, he held numerous posts in the government ...
, and was praised by the media and critics alike for his excellent portrayal of a passionate nationalist who was unable to prevent the fall of his party. He then played his first antagonist role in
Jiang Wen
Jiang Wen (born 5 January 1963) is a Chinese actor, screenwriter, and director. As a director, he is sometimes grouped with the "Sixth Generation" that emerged in the 1990s. Jiang is also well known internationally as an actor, having starred wit ...
's gangster film ''
Let the Bullets Fly
''Let the Bullets Fly'' is a 2010 Chinese action comedy film written and directed by Jiang Wen, based on a story by Ma Shitu. The film is set in Sichuan during the 1920s when the bandit Zhang (Jiang Wen) descends upon a town posing as its new gove ...
'' (2010).
Chen starred in wuxia film ''
Flying Swords of Dragon Gate
''Flying Swords of Dragon Gate'' is a 2011 ''wuxia'' film directed by Tsui Hark and starring Jet Li, Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Li Yuchun, Gwei Lun-mei, Louis Fan and Mavis Fan. The film is a remake of '' Dragon Gate Inn'' (1966) and ''New Dragon Gate ...
'' directed by
Tsui Hark in 2011. His dynamic portrayal of two distinct characters; the cold and cruel Yu Huatian and the witty and humorous Feng Lidao, won him Best Actor nominations at the
Asian Film Awards
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
and
Hundred Flowers Awards
The Hundred Flowers Awards () are, together with the Golden Rooster Awards, the most prestigious film awards honouring the best in Chinese cinema, as well as Hong Kong cinema and the Cinema of Taiwan, they are classified as the Chinese equival ...
. The dual roles marked a turning point in Chen's popularity and acting career, and has become one of his most representative works to date.
Chen played the role of
Qian Xuesen
Qian Xuesen, or Hsue-Shen Tsien (; 11 December 1911 – 31 October 2009), was a Chinese mathematician, cyberneticist, aerospace engineer, and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of aerodynamics and established engineering ...
in the
biopic of the author released in 2012. He received critical acclaim for his capturing his character's growth from young to old, and was awarded the Best Actor award at the
Shanghai Film Critics Awards for the second time. The same year, he starred in ''
Painted Skin: The Resurrection'', the sequel to ''
Painted Skin''. The film grossed over 700 million yuan ($109.8 million), becoming the highest-grossing Chinese-language movie of all time then.
Chen then starred in ''
Bends'', which was screened in the
Un Certain Regard section at the 2013
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
. Chen won the Best Actor award at the 2013 International du Film de Femmes de Sale held in
Morocco.
Chen starred in fantasy epics in 2015; ''
Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal'' as well as ''
Mojin: The Lost Legend'' where he played Hu Bayi, the main character of the popular
tomb-raiding novel series. ''Mojin'' was a huge commercial success, breaking the box office record for a local language IMAX film in China.
In 2016, Chen starred alongside
Bai Baihe
Bai Baihe (, born 1 March 1984) is a Chinese actress. She was among the highest paid film actresses in China. She is best known for her roles in such films as '' Love is Not Blind'', '' Personal Tailor'', ''Monster Hunt'' and '' Go Away Mr. Tu ...
in crime caper film ''
Chongqing Hot Pot
''Chongqing Hot Pot'' () is a 2016 Chinese caper screwball comedy film written and directed by Yang Qing and starring Chen Kun, Bai Baihe, Qin Hao and Yu Entai. The film had its world premiere in March 2016 at the 2016 Hong Kong International ...
''. The film received acclaim and positive
word-of-mouth, grossing 152 million yuan in four days. He also made a special appearance in the romantic comedy ''
Beautiful Accident'' opposite his ''Rest on Your Shoulder'' co-star
Gwei Lun-mei
Gwei Lun-mei (; born 25 December 1983) is a Taiwanese actress. She started her acting career in 2002, with the film ''Blue Gate Crossing''. Gwei then appeared in a few more films before achieving wide recognition for the film ''Secret'', direc ...
. The same year, Chen co-produced and starred in his first television variety ''Twenty Four Hours''. The first episode was broadcast on January 21 on
Zhejiang Television and ranked first in ratings.
2017–present: Return to television
In 2018, Chen starred in republican spy drama ''Lost in 1949'' as twin brothers, and historical drama ''
The Rise of Phoenixes
''The Rise of Phoenixes'' () is a 2018 Chinese television series that is loosely based on the novel ''Huang Quan'' () by Tianxia Guiyuan, taking place in the fictional kingdom of Tiansheng. It stars Chen Kun and Ni Ni. The series premiered on Hun ...
'' as a calculating and ambitious royal prince. These two dramas are co-produced by Chen himself, and also mark his return to the small screen after a decade.
Chen is set to star in the wuxia film ''The Weary Poet'', and fantasy film ''
The Yinyang Master
''The Yinyang Master'' () is a 2021 Chinese fantasy film directed by Li Weiran and starring Chen Kun and Zhou Xun. It is adapted from the NetEase game ''Onmyōji'' (which in turn is based on the novel series, ''Onmyōji'' by author Baku Yumemak ...
'', adapted from Ohmyoji game.
In 2021, he was selected as jury member at
11th Beijing International Film Festival for Tiantan Awards.
Music
Apart from acting, Chen is also an established singer. He frequently performs theme songs for his television series and has released three full-length studio albums.
Chen made his debut as a singer in 2004 with the album ''Osmosis''. He then released his second album ''Make It Come True Again'', won him Most Popular Male Vocalist at the MTV Asia Awards. To support his third album ''Mystery&Me'', he held his first solo concert in Beijing in February 2010. He wrote the lyrics to the single "Power to Go", which he released for a philanthropy program to advocate environmental awareness and protection.
Brand endorsements and brand ambassadors
In 2012, Chen Kun's wax figure entered the Madame Tussauds Museum in Shanghai and became the second wax figure of a famous Chinese actor in the museum's collection. He has also been designated as China's Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF
In 2014, he became the product ambassador of Huawei's honorary brand in China.
In 2015, Chen became the global ambassador of the Giorgio Armani brand and the luxury watch brand Baume & Mercier.
In 2017, he became the spokesperson for the skin care brand Fresh in China and the brand spokesperson for Motorola's new flagship mobile phone moto in 2018
Filmography
Film
Television series
Discography
Accolades
Endorsements and Ambassadorship
Chen was appointed as one of the goodwill ambassadors for China-ROK Exchange Year in 2007. He was also appointed as UNICEF Ambassador for China.
In 2012, Chen became the second Chinese male celebrity to have a wax figure of himself displayed at
Madam Tussaud
Anna Maria "Marie" Tussaud (; née Grosholtz; 1 December 1761 – 16 April 1850) was a French artist known for her wax sculptures and Madame Tussauds, the wax museum she founded in London.
Biography
Marie Tussaud was born 1 December 1761 in St ...
in Shanghai.
In 2014, he became the product ambassador of
Huawei's Honor brand in China.
In 2015, Chen became the global ambassador of
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer. He first gained notoriety working for Cerruti and then for many others, including Allegri, Bagutta and Hilton. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expande ...
and luxury watch brand
Baume et Mercier
Baume & Mercier () is a Swiss luxury watchmaker founded in 1830. It is a subsidiary of the Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont.
History
Baume & Mercier was founded as "Frères Baume" in 1830 by brothers Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume, who op ...
.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Kun
1976 births
21st-century Chinese male actors
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Male actors from Chongqing
Singers from Chongqing
Living people
Chinese male film actors
Chinese male television actors
Chinese Mandopop singers
21st-century Chinese male singers