Chen Shu-fang

Chen Shu-fang (; born July 2, 1939) is a Taiwanese actress. She made her film debut in 1957 and television debut in 1971. In 2020, she was the recipient of the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the 57th Golden Horse Awards. Early life Chen Shu-fang was born Siao Chen on July 2, 1939, in Káu-hūn (九份), Taiwan. Siao means "smile" in Chinese, and was chosen by her grandfather in the hopes that she would smile often. She later chose the stage name Shu-Fang, a combination of her virtuous personality and her hometown, Ruifang. Her father was in charge of the town's quarries, while her uncle was the town's mayor. Chen's grandfather opposed her dreams of becoming an actor, so she instead studied to be a director at the National Taiwan University of Arts, giving her access to the entertainment industry. However, after her father’s death, Chen dropped out of school to support her family financially, taking small roles in films to earn money. At the National Taiwan University of Arts, Chen's passion for dancing was noticed by her instructor, Zhang-Ying, and he invited her to perform in a stage show that he was directing. During the performance, she was noticed by a talent scout and invited to act the leading role in Whose Sin (1957), which would be her starring debut. She was a prominent actress in the first heyday of the Taiwanese film industry. With a fair and beautiful appearance, Chen was known as the “pocket beauty” of the Taiwanese film industry. In her early career, she also taught dancing when not filming movies.