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
The 42nd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 13 to 24 February 1992. The festival opened with '' The Inner Circle'' by Andrei Konchalovsky. The Golden Bear was awarded to American film ''Grand Canyon'' directed by Lawrence K ...
.
In 2018, she was one of the jury members of the main competition section at the
75th Venice International Film Festival
The 75th Venice International Film Festival was held from 29 August to 8 September 2018. Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro was named as the President of the Jury. '' First Man'', directed by Damien Chazelle, was selected to open the fes ...
.
Early life
Chang was born in
Chiayi
Chiayi (, Taigi POJ: ''Ka-gī''; ), officially known as Chiayi City, is a city located in the plains of southwestern Taiwan. Formerly called ''Kagee'' during the late Qing dynasty and ''Kagi'' during the Japanese era (), its historical nam ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northe ...
. She dropped out of school when she was 16, and started her career as a
radio DJ
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
.
When she was 18 years old she acted in her first film.
Career
Chang acted in her first film, ''The Tattooed Dragon'' (龍虎金剛) (1973), when she was 18 years old.
Chang often attempted to do her own
stunt
A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery sp ...
s in the four-part film series ''
Aces Go Places''.
She stated in an interview with film editor Clarence Tsui, "I still think
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
's film industry is male-dominated".
She also believes that "There aren't many male filmmakers who would write scripts for women".
She helped write the script of ''
Run Papa Run'',
[Sylvia Chang](_blank)
in the Internet Movie Database
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
based on the novel by Benny Li Shuan Yan,
Run Papa Run
', IMDB that follows a man who belongs to the
Triad
Triad or triade may refer to:
* a group of three
Businesses and organisations
* Triad (American fraternities), certain historic groupings of seminal college fraternities in North America
* Triad (organized crime), a Chinese transnational orga ...
and the relationship he has with his mother, wife, and daughter.
Chang said in an interview that, "I thought why don't I explore the gentler side of men".
Chang first began performing in theatre productions more than 30 years ago. She returned to the stage in the production of ''Design For Living'' that premiered in November 2008 and went on into 2009.
Chang stated in an interview that, "The reason for me to take on stage play again after 20 years is because I was lured by the director, he has invited handsome guys like
Zheng Yuan Chang ''
ic' and
David Huang into the play".
Critics have remarked upon the versatility in her roles along with her willingness to always try for something new.
Chang is also a singer and her music has become popular in
karaoke
Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music i ...
,
where her song "The Cost of Love" is commonly sung.
In the 1980s, Chang's second film to direct,
''Passion'', which she wrote and also starred in, won the
Hong Kong Film Award
The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, is an annual film awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremonies are typically in April. The awards recognise achievement in various aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, ...
for Best Actress.
She has stated, "I had never went to any school as a director or a filmmaker, so all my film education actually was from the set".
For a time, Chang was the head producer of
New Cinema City in Taiwan, but left a few years after joining.
In ''
20 30 40
''20 30 40'' is a 2004 Taiwanese film directed by Sylvia Chang. It was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival, and was Taiwan's submission to the 77th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Lan ...
'', she played the 40-year-old woman protagonist, wrote and directed it.
Critical reception
Chang once said of her films that, "I've always felt that animation or special effects shouldn't just be limited to science-fiction films and their ilk. Dramas can also play around with them".
One critic wrote of her, that "In an industry that kisses young actresses with celebrity, then swallows them and spits them out, Chang has a sequoia's longevity. She is the only Hong Kong actress of her generation—the early '70s—to keep starring in movies".
Chang's films have been accepted into the London and Toronto International film Festivals.
She has served on the jury for the Berlin Film Festival.
She also holds the record for the most nominations for
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress
The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually at the Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA). It is given to honour an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a Hong Kong film. The 1st Hong Kong Film Awards
The 1 ...
, with nine nominations and 2 wins.
Personal life
Chang married Hong Kong-based journalist Bob Liu in 1979. They divorced in 1984. Chang married Taiwanese businessman Billy Wang Jing-xiong in 1991 and they have one son, Oscar. She also has two stepsons.
In July 2000, Chang's nine-year-old son Oscar was kidnapped and held for a ransom of
HK $15 million.
The
police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest a ...
found him after a few days, safe, and arrested the kidnappers. Chang stated, "With your life, you have to move on, there's no other choice; so, out of no choice, then, it's a matter of your attitude".
Philanthropy
Chang is an advocate and a "life-long volunteer" for
World Vision International
World Vision International is an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy organization. It prefers to present itself as interdenominational and also employs staff from non-evangelical Christian denominations. It was ...
,
the humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy organization. She created an advertisement, sponsored by World Vision, to promote the company, . She is a member and advocate for the World Vision-sponsored "
30 Hour Famine
Famine events are localized events of voluntary fasting for 30 or 40 hours depending on the region to raise money and awareness for world hunger. These events are usually coordinated by one of various World Vision organizations and are done by yout ...
."
Filmography
As actress
* ''Kong zhong wu shi'' (1973)
* ''The Tattooed Dragon'' (1973) as Ai-Chia
* ''Xiao ying xiong da nao Tang Ren jie'' (1974) as Lin Hsiu-yin
* ''Slaughter in San Francisco'' (1974)
* ''Shi qi shi qi shi ba'' (1974)
* ''Bruce: Hong Kong Master'' (1975)
* ''The Story of Four Girls'' (1975)
* ''A Mao zheng chuan'' (1976)
* ''Bi yun tian'' (1976)
* ''
Victory
The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a ...
'' (1976)
* ''Wen nuan zai qiu tian'' (1976) as Hsu Hsiao-hui
* ''
Eight Hundred Heroes'' (1976)
* ''Warmth in Autumn'' (1976)
* ''Qiu chan'' (1976)
* ''Lang hua'' (1976)
* ''Xing yu'' (1976)
* ''Luo ye piao piao'' (1976)
* ''The Lady Killer'' (1976)
* ''Mitra'' (1977) as Mitra
* ''The Longest Bridge'' (1977)
* ''The Golden Age'' (1977)
* ''A Pirate of Love'' (1977)
* ''Zuo ri chong chong'' (1977)
* ''Qing se shan mai'' (1977)
* ''Shan liang de ri zi'' (1977)
* ''Tai bei qi qi'' (1977)
* ''Taibei liu shi liu'' (1977)
* ''
Jin yu liang yuan hong lou meng'' (1977) as Lin Daiyu
* ''Feng yu zhao yang'' (1977)
* ''Dan dan san yue qing meng long'' (1977)
* ''Ai qing wo zhao dao le'' (1977)
* ''Shuo huang shi jie'' (1978)
* ''
M*A*S*H
''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker (auth ...
'' (1979, TV Series) as Sooni
* The Secret (1979) - Lin Jeng-ming.
* ''
Legend of the Mountain'' (1979) as Cloud
* ''Crazy Disaster'' (1979) as Lin Jeng-ming
* ''Ma feng nu'' (1979)
* ''Tian xia yi da xiao'' (1980)
* ''The Imperious Princess'' (1980) as Princess Sheng Ping
* ''White Jasmine'' (1980)
* ''Da xiao jiang jun'' (1980)
* ''Xue jian leng ying bao'' (1980)
* ''Yuan'' (1980)
* ''
Attack Force Z'' (1981) as Chien Hua
* ''Zhong shen da shi'' (1981) as Chu Wei
* ''The Funniest Movie'' (1981)
* ''My Grandfather'' (1982)
* ''
Aces Go Places'' (1982) as Supt. Nancy Ho
* ''Nan xiong nan di'' (1982)
* ''Xue jian gui xiang lu'' (1982)
* ''He Lives by Night'' (1982) as Sissy
* ''
In Our Time In Our Time may refer to:
* ''In Our Time'' (1944 film), a film starring Ida Lupino and Paul Henreid
* ''In Our Time'' (1982 film), a Taiwanese anthology film featuring director Edward Yang; considered the beginning of the "New Taiwan Cinema"
* ''In ...
'' (1982)
* ''
Aces Go Places 2'' (1983) as Supt. Nancy Ho
* ''1938 Da jing qi'' (1983) as Su San
* ''Cabaret of the Streets'' (1983)
* ''
That Day, on the Beach'' (1983) as Jiali
* ''Cabaret Tears'' (1983)
* ''
Aces Go Places 3'' (1984) as Supt. Nancy Ho
* ''Funny Face'' (1984)
* ''
Shanghai Blues'' (1984) as Shu-Shu
* ''Double Trouble'' (1984)
* ''The Story in Sorghum Field'' (1984)
* ''My Favorite Season'' (1985) as Liu Xiang‑mei
* ''
Crazy Romance
''Crazy Romance'' (求愛反斗星) is a 1985 Hong Kong romantic comedy film directed by Tommy Leung and starring Natalis Chan, Sylvia Chang and Leslie Cheung.
Cast
* Natalis Chan as Hung Ka-po
*Sylvia Chang as Cheung Ka-ka
* Leslie Cheung ...
'' (1985) as Cheung Ka-ka
* ''Ba Fan keng kou de xin niang'' (1985)
* ''
Aces Go Places IV'' (1986) as Supt. Nancy Ho
* ''
Lucky Stars Go Places'' (1986) as Quito
* ''Passion'' (1986) as Wendy Pai
* ''Immortal Story'' (1986) as Chang Mei Ling
* ''
Sister Cupid'' (1987)
* ''Kidnapped'' (1987)
* ''
Seven Years Itch'' (1987) as Sylvia
* ''
Soursweet'' (1988) as Lily
* ''Yellow Story'' (1988) as Mrs. Hui
* ''
Chicken and Duck Talk'' (1988) as Mrs. Hui
* ''
All About Ah-Long'' (1989) as Sylvia Poon / 'Por-Por'
* ''
Full Moon in New York
''Full Moon in New York'' (also known as ''Ren zai Niu Yue'') is a 1989 American and Hong Kong drama film directed by Stanley Kwan and produced by Henry Fong. This film has been music composed by Hung-Yi Chang.The film starring Sylvia Chang, M ...
'' (1989) as Wang Hsiung-Ping
* ''
Eight Taels of Gold'' (1989) as Odds and Ends
* ''Two Painters'' (1989)
* ''
The Fun, the Luck & the Tycoon'' (1990) as Hung Leung-yuk
* ''
Queen of Temple Street'' (1990) as Big Sis Wah
* ''
My Mother's Tea House'' (1990)
* ''A Rascal's Tale'' (1991)
* ''Sisters of the World Unite'' (1991) as Sylvia Lau
* ''
The Banquet'' (1991) as Herself
* ''
The Twin Dragons'' (1992) as Mrs. Ma (Twins' Mother)
* ''Lucky Encounter'' (1992) as Pregnant Woman
* ''
C'est la vie, mon chéri'' (1993) as Deputy Director of Hospital
* ''Huan ying'' (1993)
* ''
In Between
In Between or related spellings may refer to:
Film and television
* ''In Between'', a 1991 film featuring Alexandra Paul
* ''In Between'' (1994 film), a Hong Kong romantic anthology film
* ''In Between'' (2005 film), a film with a score by Suz ...
'' (1994) as Anna Lau (segment "Yuan fu julebu")
* ''
Eat Drink Man Woman
''Eat Drink Man Woman'' () is a 1994 Taiwanese comedy-drama film directed by Ang Lee, from a script co-written with James Schamus and Hui-Ling Wang.Howe, Desson.‘Eat Drink Man Woman’" ''The Washington Post''. 19 October 1994. Retrieved on ...
'' (1994) as Jin-Rong
* ''Killer Lady'' (1995) as Show Show
* ''I Want to Go on Living'' (1995) as Pui Yan
* ''
The Fragile Heart'' (1996, TV Series) as Dr. Zhao Quing
* ''
A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation'' (1997) as Shine (Mandarin version, voice)
* ''
The Red Violin'' (1998) as Xiang Pei (Shanghai)
* ''King of Stanley Market'' (1998)
* ''
Tempting Heart'' (1999) as Cheryl
* ''Forever and Ever'' (2001) as Mrs. Tam Li Min-Chun
* ''
20 30 40
''20 30 40'' is a 2004 Taiwanese film directed by Sylvia Chang. It was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival, and was Taiwan's submission to the 77th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Lan ...
'' (2004) as Lily
* ''
Rice Rhapsody'' (2004) as Jen
* ''American Fusion'' (2005) as Yvonne
* ''
The Go Master'' (2006) as Shu Wen - Wu's mother
* ''
Buddha Mountain'' (2010) as Chang Yueqin
* ''
Mountains May Depart'' (2015) as Mia
* ''
Office
An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific d ...
'' (2015) as Winnie Chang
* ''
Shuttle Life'' (2017) as Li Jun
* ''
Love Education
''Love Education'' is a 2017 Chinese-Taiwanese drama film directed and co-written by Sylvia Chang. It stars Chang, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Lang Yueting, Song Ningfeng, and Wu Yanshu. It focuses on three generations of women in Henan Province.
The ...
'' (2017) as Qiu Huiying
* ''
Long Day's Journey into Night'' (2018)
* ''Jìyuántái qihào'' (2019) as Mrs. Mei
* ''
The Garden of Evening Mists
''The Garden of Evening Mists'' is the second English-language novel by Malaysian novelist Tan Twan Eng, first published in November 2011. The book follows protagonist Teoh Yun Ling, who was a Prisoner of war, prisoner of the Japanese during the ...
'' (2019) as Older Teoh Yun Ling
* ''Are You Lonesome Tonight?'' (2021) as Liang's mother
* ''
A Light Never Goes Out'' (2021) as Mei-heung
As filmmaker
Discography
;Kolin Records (歌林)
* 1973 ''Never Say Goodbye'' 別說再見
* 1974 ''Tearfully Say to You'' 含淚向你說
* 1977 ''Farewell'' (惜別)
* 1980 ''Maybe / We Were Young'' (也许 / 我們曾經年輕)
;
Rock Records
The Rock Records Co., Ltd. () commonly known as Rock Records (), is a record label based in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in the 1980s as the Rock Music Publishing (滾石有聲出版社; ) by Tuan Chung-tan and Tuan Chung-i, It is the largest record ...
* 1981 ''
Childhood
A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger t ...
'' (童年)
* 1985 ''Busy and Blind'' (忙與盲)
* 1986 ''Do You Love Me?'' (你愛我嗎)
* 1987 ''Xi shuo'' (細說), lit. "clarify" or "elaborate"
* 1992 ''The Price of Love'' (愛的代價)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
Sylvia Chang at dianying.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chang, Sylvia
1953 births
Living people
Taiwanese film directors
Taiwanese women film directors
Best Actress Asian Film Award winners
Hong Kong film actresses
Hong Kong film directors
Hong Kong film producers
Hong Kong people of Taiwanese descent
Hong Kong screenwriters
Hong Kong women writers
Hong Kong writers
20th-century Hong Kong actresses
21st-century Hong Kong actresses
Taiwanese film actresses
Taiwanese film producers
Taiwanese women singers
Taiwanese screenwriters
Taiwanese stage actresses
People from Chiayi County
Taiwanese women writers
Taiwanese women film producers