Ella Chen Chia-hwa (traditional Chinese: 陳嘉樺; simplified Chinese: 陈嘉桦; pinyin: Chén Jiāhuà; born 18 June 1981) is a Taiwanese singer, actress, and television host. She is a member of the Taiwanese girl group S.H.E.
Ella Chen | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ella Chen in 2015 | |||||||
| Born | Chen Chia-hwa 18 June 1981 | ||||||
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress, television host | ||||||
| Years active | 2001–present | ||||||
| Agent(s) | EHalo Entertainment CO., LTD | ||||||
| Children | 1 son | ||||||
| Musical career | |||||||
| Also known as | Chen Jiahua | ||||||
| Genres | Mandopop | ||||||
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano, guitar | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 陳嘉樺 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 陈嘉桦 | ||||||
| |||||||
Musical career
editOn 8 August 2000, HIM International Music held a 'Universal 2000 Talent and Beauty Girl Contest' in search of new artists to sign under their label. When Chen traveled with her older sister to Taipei for a holiday, she discovered that her sister had registered her for the competition. Intimidated by the long line of contestants and worried of facing ridicule for her tomboy personality, Chen almost gave up before the first round, but her sister convinced her to stay. Chen's deep voice caught the label's attention, and she reached the final round. Her alto voice was noted for its strong and beautiful nature.[1]
Following the conclusion of the contest, Chen returned to her duties at a local hospital, but received a call from HIM International requesting an additional audition. After test recordings were done, she signed on as part of HIM's newest girl group, S.H.E. Her English name 'Ella', which means courage, was derived from a personality test set by HIM Management Co.[2] When Chen first tested out her signature, HIM employees were concerned that the signature would be easily forged due to its simplicity; thus, during S.H.E's early days, Ella signed autographs using the last character of her name, (pinyin: huà). However, as S.H.E's autograph sessions drew larger audiences, Chen reverted to her simpler, English signature.[3]
During her career with S.H.E, Chen has been the most accident-prone member. On 29 July 2003, she was sent to the hospital after jumping from the third story of a building and injuring her spine while filming a variety program; the two other members refused to jump. She returned three weeks later to promote Super Star. In 2005, during the filming of Reaching for the Stars, Chen burned her ears and hair on a candle, prompting crew members to send her to the National Taiwan University Hospital.[4] She stayed away from filming for two days, during which she cut off approximately two centimeters of burnt hair on both sides of her head.[4]
In 2007, Chen was voted by online fans as Taiwan's most down-to-earth artist.[5] Since the release of S.H.E's first album in 2001, Chen has usually been the one to answer reporter's questions.[6] As the tomboy of S.H.E, Chen is frequently the subject of jokes targeting her gender and sexual orientation, but she usually takes the jabs in stride.[7] In one online poll she was labelled as one of China's Four Main Tomboys of the past century.[8]
In 2009, Chen composed a song for her seniors Power Station, entitled "Love Crazy/愛到瘋癲" (originally titled Shi Mian/Insomnia (失眠), written after her failed heartbreaking relationship). The song was given to them as repayment for Power Station have given S.H.E the song "Freezer". Chen had also composed a station song entitled "Pop Radio 91.7 jingle" for Taiwan Pop Radio station "Pop Radio 91.7," 再这里 for Huang Yi Da (黄义达), 鸟 for Yao Yao.
Acting career
editHer unusually deep voice earned her a starring role as the voice of Arthur in the Mandarin version of Arthur and the Minimoys.[citation needed]
In 2003, Chen starred in drama series The Rose (薔薇之戀) with Joe Cheng (鄭元暢) and Jerry Huang (黃志瑋). The drama was voted the Most Popular Drama at the Golden Bell Awards.[citation needed]
In 2005, Chen and her S.H.E group mates were involved in a drama called Reaching for the Stars (真命天女). She was the only member nominated for Best Lead Actress at the 41st Golden Bell Awards.[citation needed] In 2006, Chen accepted a role in drama series Hanazakarino Kimitachihe (花样少年少女) with Wu Chun (吳尊). The show was popular both in Taiwan and internationally in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and in non-Chinese speaking countries like Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, the USA and some European countries.[citation needed]
2010 marked Chen's return to the drama series arena when she starred alongside Jerry Yan (言承旭), in Down With Love (就想賴著妳).
In 2012, Chen ventured onto the big screen in her first full-length film New Perfect Two (新天生一對) alongside Vic Zhou (周渝民). This was immediately followed by another equally successful movie, Bad Girls (女孩坏坏) with Mike He (賀軍翔). Bad Girls' theme song was covered by Chen and became the carrier single of her first commercial mini album entitled To Be Ella/I am Chen Jia Hua, which topped the charts all over Asia and gained various praises from the critics and nominations from different award giving bodies on the same year.
As a singer and an actress, Chen has also appeared in various music videos such as 愛的重唱曲-覆水難收篇 (2004-04-05), 再一次拥有 (2005) by Kaira Gong and 愛到瘋癲 (2009) by Power Station.
In 2013, Chen filmed a Chinese New Year Drama in Shanghai entitled Ji Pin Da Zuo Zhan which required her to film one month straight as she went back and forth from Taiwan to Shanghai to fulfill her group activities in her home country.
Chen also hosted a dating show, Take Me Out, with Harlem Yu which began airing on 13 April 2013. She was nominated for Best Entertainment TV Show Host along with Yu at the 49th Golden Bell Awards. Chen was a judge in Season 2 of the Chinese reality singing television show, Masked Singer.
Chen was a vocal mentor on Produce 101 China, which aired in 2018. In 2020, Chen joined Season 2 of the Chinese survival show, Youth With You, otherwise also known as Idol Producer Season 3, as a vocal coach along with Cai Xukun, Lisa and Jony J.[9]
Personal life
editIn October 2016, Chen announced that she was 6 weeks pregnant with her first child with her husband, Alvin Lai, who is Malaysian. Their child, a boy, was born on 12 April 2017.[10] She first revealed her son nine months after his birth on social media.[11] He later appeared at S.H.E 17th anniversary concert as a surprise guest.[12]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit- Why Not – released 17 April 2015
- Bad Habits – released 01 April 2024 ella chen's instragram
Extended plays
edit- Qiang Qiang – released 27 August 2007.
- To Be Ella – released 30 March 2012.
- Me vs. Me – released 28 October 2016
- Ella Show - Entertainment Unlimited Company – released 16 November 2020
Solo / duet
edit- 单手超人 (Dān Shǒu Chāorén / Single-handed Superman)
- 我就是我 (Wǒ Jiù Shì Wǒ / I Am Just Me) – A self-penned and self-composed song she made for her Solo Performance in the S.H.E Is The One Concert Tour.[13]
- 跟月亮Say Goodbye (Gēn Yuèliàng Say Goodbye / Say Goodbye with the Moon) – Solo – unreleased but leaked around April 2010.[14]
- 你被寫在我的歌裡 (Nǐ Bèi Xiě Zài Wǒ De Gē Li / You're To Write in My Songs) – Duet with Wu Qing-feng – was the featured artist in What Is Troubling You (你在煩惱什麼) Album by Sodagreen, released 11 November 2011.
- 別 (Bie / Don't) – A solo in Girl's Dorm (女生宿舍)
- 偷偷愛著你 (Tou Tou Ai Zhe Ni / Secretly in Love with You) – Opening theme song of Hana Kimi, but 'Zen Me Ban' was chosen. It was used as a jingle for Pop Radio 2011.
- NTC – NIKE 2012 Be Amazing Movement declaration song
- 熱水澡 (Re Shui Zao / Hot Bath) – Commercial single from the original song for Stanley Huang's Leng Shui Zao.
- 你好，疯子 (Ni Hao, Feng Zi / Hello Crazy) – Single by Ella Chen from the title of the movie with the same name.
- 真的我 (Zhen De Wo) - Ending Theme Song for Taiwan Drama 謊言遊戲 (The Lying Game)
- 我的寶 My Baby (Wo De Bao, My Baby / My Treasure, My Baby)
- 終於愛情 Finally in Love (Zhong Yu Ai Qing) – Theme song for the movie, 脫單告急 (Dude's Manual)
- Anytime is Happy Time - Commercial single for Taiwan Beer
- 心不名狀 Inexplicable (Xin Bu Ming Zhuang) - Theme Song for the movie, 大三元 (Big Three Dragon)
- 都幾歲了 How Old Are You (Dou Ji Sui Le) - Theme Song for the Taiwan GTV drama, 幸福一家人 (The Family)
- 囉哩叭唆 Stop Nagging (Luo Li Ba Suo)
- 晚安歌 Good Night (Wan An Ge)
Filmography
editTelevision series
edit| Year | English title | Original title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Magical Love | 愛情大魔咒 | Juliet | |
| 2003 | The Rose | 薔薇之戀 | Zheng Baihe | |
| 2005 | Reaching for the Stars | 真命天女 | Ren Jie | |
| 2006 | Hanazakarino Kimitachihe | 花樣少年少女 | Lu Ruixi (Ashiya Mizuki) | |
| 2007 | The Lollipop Idol Drama | 棒棒糖偶像劇 | Herself | |
| 2010 | Down With Love | 就想赖着你 | Yang Guo | |
| 2013 | Ji Pin Da Zuo Zhan | 極品大作戰 | Yang Aiwa | |
| 2014 | The Lying Game | 謊言遊戲 | Sun Zhen | |
| 2014 | Love by the River | 河畔卿卿 | Chen Yuanxiu | |
| 2023 | Dr. Lifesaver | 生命捕手 | Xu Min’an | |
| 2024 | Dr. Lifesaver 2 | 生命捕手2 | Xu Min’an |
Film
edit| Year | English title | Original title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The Long Goodbye | |||
| 2011 | Abba | |||
| 2012 | Perfect Two | 新天生一對 | Ma Niu | |
| 2012 | Bad Girls | 女孩壞壞 | Ah Dan | |
| 2015 | Lucky Star | 吉星高照2015 | Wang Zu Hong | |
| 2015 | The Missing Piece | 缺角一族 | Sha Sha | |
| 2019 | Big Three Dragons | 大三元 | Shen Wu Que | |
| 2023 | Red Line | 速命道 | Hui Hui |
Variety show
edit| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Produce 101 | 創造101 | Vocal Instructor | |
| 2020 | Youth With You 2020 | 青春有你2 | Vocal Instructor |
Music videos
edit| Year | Song title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Beginning of the End" (終於結束的起點) | Mayday |
| 2019 | "Like Boom Boom" (來個蹦蹦) | Nine One One |
References
edit- ^ "网易教育频道". 5 November 2003. Archived from the original on 7 September 2007. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "Selina revealed what their English names were before S.H.E". YouTube. 6 December 2009. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
- ^ "《S.H.E生活的娱乐叙事》(4)". Sina.com. 14 September 2004. Archived from the original on 7 April 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ a b Feng Yijian. Liberty Times. Ella catches fire; hair burnt, ears swollen. Archived 26 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine 23 June 2005. Retrieved 15 February 2007.
- ^ (in Chinese) Yahoo! China News. Fans vote; sweetheart Cindy Wang is too fake, Tony Chen's fakeness gets him first place[permanent dead link]. 16 March 2007. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
- ^ (in Chinese) S.H.E Girl Friends had three people sleeping on one bed. Archived 14 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine 2 December 2001. Retrieved 27 February 2007.
- ^ Woodworth, Max (13 August 2004). "Pop Stop - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "T２T！流行娛樂台". Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2007.
- ^ "Ella Chen Praises BLACKPINK's Lisa as a "Human Barbie"". 三八姐姐. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Meet S.H.E singer Ella Chen's newborn baby boy". The Straits Times. 13 April 2017. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
- ^ "Ella Chen's Son Is Nine Months Old And He's A Total Cutie". 8 Days. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Ella Chen's son steals spotlight at S.H.E's 17th anniversary concert". 8 Days. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ Chansingh, Joyce. XINMSN Entertainment. S.H.E is the One! Archived 21 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. 18 April 2010
- ^ (in Chinese) HIM Official Website. HIM Staff clarifies the issue about Ella's leaked song Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. 14 April 2010
- ^ "Ella Chen at douban.com". Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ^ "Ella Chen at chinesemov.com". Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
External links
edit
- Ella Chen at IMDb
- Ella Chen at the Hong Kong Movie Database
- Ella Chen on Facebook
- Ella Chen on Instagram
- Ella Chen on Weibo (in Chinese)
- Ella Chen's channel on YouTube
- Ella Chen at HIM International Music (in Chinese)
- S.H.E at HIM International Music (in Chinese)