Kai Ko Chen-tung (Chinese: 柯震東; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Koa Chìn-tong; born Ko Chia-kai on 18 June 1991) is a Taiwanese actor, singer and film director. Ko won Best New Actor at the 48th Golden Horse Awards[1] and the 12th Chinese Film Media Awards for his starring role in the film You Are the Apple of My Eye, also his film debut. In November 2011, Ko released his debut studio album, Be Yourself.[2] His career was derailed when he was arrested on drug charges in 2014, which led him to be banned in Mainland China.

Kai Ko
Ko in 2023
Born
Ko Chia-kai (柯家凱)

(1991-06-18) 18 June 1991 (age 33)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
  • film director
Years active2011–present
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Also known asKe Zhendong
OriginTaiwan
GenresMandopop
LabelsSony Music
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese柯震東
Simplified Chinese柯震东
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinKē Zhèndōng
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingO1 Zan3 Dung1
Southern Min
Hokkien POJKoa Chìn-tong

Personal life

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Relationships

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Ko dated Cherry (黃慶宜), a TV showgirl, before he became famous for You Are the Apple of My Eye. He made headlines when his romance with pop singer Elva Hsiao, who is 12 years senior to him and a bigger star, broke in 2012. They split in 2014. Ko then has an on-and-off relationship with singer Tia Lee since 2014.[3][4]

Drug use

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On 18 August 2014, Ko was arrested along with Jaycee Chan, son of Hong Kong film star Jackie Chan, by the Beijing Police for drug use, amid a broad anti-drug crackdown on the Chinese celebrities. Police said both actors tested positive for marijuana and admitted using the drug. Ko was given a sentence of 14 days in administrative detention.

Ko had appeared in a 2012 anti-drug advertisement in Taiwan in which he and other celebrities declared, "I don't use drugs".[5][6] He was released on 28 August and faced another round of interrogations by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office after returning to Taiwan.[7]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2011 You Are the Apple of My Eye Ko Ching-teng Golden Horse Awards for Best New Actor
Chinese Film Media Awards for Best New Actor
2012 When a Wolf Falls in Love with a Sheep Tung / Wolf
2013 Machi Action Face (stand-in) Cameo
Together A-tzu
Tiny Times Gu Yuan
Tiny Times 2 Gu Yuan
Dive in 2013 Ke Dong Short film
2014 Dive in 2014 Ke Dong Short film
Tiny Times 3 Gu Yuan
2015 Tiny Times 4 Gu Yuan Scenes edited out due to drug use conviction
2016 The Road to Mandalay Ah Guo
2017 Mon Mon Mon Monsters Student on bus Cameo
2020 A Choo Wang Yi-zhi
2021 Moneyboys Fei
Till We Meet Again Ah Lun Taipei Film Awards for Best Actor
Grit Croc / Xiao Yu
2022 Mama Boy Hsiao Hung
Bad Education Directorial debut
2023 Miss Shampoo Long Legs

Television series

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Year Title Role Notes
2022 The Exorcist
2023 Agent from Above Han Jie [8]
2024 Let's Talk About CHU Chou Ping-ke
2024 Imperfect Us Yu Xiang-li

Discography

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Title Album details Track listing
Be Yourself
有話直說[9][10]
Track listing
  1. "Qing Rang Wo Jixu Xihuan Ni" (請讓我繼續喜歡你; Please Let Me Continue to Like You)
  2. "Qing Bi Wo Ai Ta" (請比我愛她; Please Love Her Better Than I Do)
  3. "You Hua Zhi Shuo" (有話直說; Just Say It)
  4. "Ai Ni Jie Bu Liao" (愛你戒不了; Can't Stop Loving You)
  5. "Ai Jiu Ai" (愛就愛; Just Love)
  6. "Piao Liu Ping" (漂流瓶; Drifting Vase) featuring Michelle Chen
  7. "Zuo You" (左右; Left Right)
  8. "Feng Suo Ni" (封鎖你; Blocking You)
  9. "Be My Baby"
  10. "Bai Shi Zhi Ling" (百式之零; Zero of Hundred)

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2011 48th Golden Horse Awards Best New Performer You Are the Apple of My Eye Won
2012 12th Chinese Film Media Awards Best New Performer Won
6th Asian Film Awards Best Newcomer Nominated
Changchun Film Festival Best Actor Nominated
2016 53rd Golden Horse Awards Best Leading Actor The Road to Mandalay Nominated
2017 Youth Film Handbook Awards Male Actor of the Year Won
8th To Ten Chinese Films Festival Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Won
58th Asia-Pacific Film Festival Best Actor Nominated
2021 58th Golden Horse Awards Best Leading Actor Moneyboys Nominated
2022 24th Taipei Film Awards[11] Best Actor Till We Meet Again Won
59th Golden Horse Awards Best New Director Bad Education Nominated
2024 26th Taipei Film Awards[12] Best Supporting Actor Miss Shampoo Nominated
6th Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards[13] Best Supporting Actor Imperfect Us Nominated
59th Golden Bell Awards[14][15] Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film Won

References

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  1. ^ 柯震東獲金馬獎最佳新演員 [Kai Ko wins Golden Horse for Best New Actor]. Yahoo HK! News (in Chinese). 26 November 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  2. ^ Be yourself (有話直說) by 柯震東 [Be yourself (有話直說) by Kai Ko]. KKBOX (in Chinese). 21 November 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  3. ^ "與李毓芬3年情變!那些年柯震東曾經追的女孩原來有這些". ELLE HK.
  4. ^ 娛樂組 (20 November 2018). "【斷開戀姐癖】柯震東二度分合李毓芬 最終破局原因曝光". 鏡週刊 Mirror Media (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  5. ^ "China's anti-drug crackdown ensnares Jackie Chan's son, Taiwanese actor Ko Kai". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  6. ^ "Taiwanese actor apologizes for drug offenses". Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  7. ^ 【獨家】不只柯震東吸毒? 藝人染毒風暴恐擴大
  8. ^ Allie Hsieh (25 November 2022). "Netflix《乩身》7大看點!史上最貴台劇、柯震東為「三太子」王柏傑賣命降妖,宛如東方版「驅魔神探」!" (in Chinese). Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  9. ^ "‎有話直說 by Kai Ko on Apple Music". Apple Music. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  10. ^ "有話直說 - 台灣索尼音樂娛樂股份有限公司". Sony Music Taiwan. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  11. ^ "台北電影獎完整得獎名單!柯震東、陳湘琪封帝后 《月老》連拿3大獎". Ettoday. 9 July 2022. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022.
  12. ^ "台北電影獎/《周處除三害》入圍13項大贏家 阮經天、周渝民搶影帝". Yahoo News. 15 May 2024. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024.
  13. ^ Naman Ramachandran (30 August 2024). "Wong Kar-wai's 'Blossoms Shanghai,' Netflix's 'Cigarette Girl' Among Busan Streaming Awards Nominees – Global Bulletin". Variety. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  14. ^ Charlie Lee (11 September 2024). "【2024金鐘獎】金鐘59完整入圍名單". Harper's Bazaar Taiwan (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  15. ^ Guo Yuru (19 October 2024). "金鐘59迷你劇集男配角獎 柯震東奪得". Central News Agency (Taiwan) (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on 20 October 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
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