Edison Chen
Edison Koon-Hei Chen is a Hong Kong-based Canadian Chinese film actor, rapper, Cantopop singer, model, record producer, fashion designer, and a pop icon. Chen is also the founder of CLOT Inc., and the CEO of Clot Media Division Limited. His native language is English, and he speaks some Cantonese, Mandarin, and Japanese, which allows him to be a part of multiple entertainment industries around the world. On 21 February 2008 he publicly announced that he intended to step away indefinitely from the Hong Kong entertainment industry due to a sex photo scandal in 2008, devoting his time instead to public causes.
By December 2008 under the Google search engine rankings, Chen’s Chinese name was the number 1 most popular search term in China, and number 3 in Taiwan. Chen came second to then US president-elect Barack Obama in the poll conducted by government-run RTHK radio.
Early life
Chen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to parents (father is business tycoon Edward Chen) of Chinese and 1/8 Portuguese descent. He was a student at R.C. Palmer Secondary School in Richmond, British Columbia and also attended High School at the private Hong Kong International School. He was in the same class as fellow pop icon Nicholas Tse in 10th grade.
Career
Film
In 1999, a talent scout approached Chen while he was clubbing with friends in Hong Kong and asked him to film a commercial at the age of 19. From then on, his career began with the Japanese film Dead or Alive 2: Birds. He made his Hong Kong film debut in the film Gen-Y Cops in 2000. He has starred in many popular films including Infernal Affairs, Infernal Affairs II, Initial D and Dog Bite Dog. His latest film is Trivial Matters. Determined on expanding his horizons beyond Hong Kong, he also starred as the male lead in the Japanese drama Under the Same Moon.
Music
In 2000, at the age of 20, Chen landed a record deal with Emperor Entertainment Group. It took him a number of album releases before he got the chance to produce a hip hop album.[10] His first hip-hop release was in February 2004, Please Steal This Album backed by MC Yan and Singaporean musician Hanjin Chen. Several singles from the album topped local pop charts. Chen has mentioned the difficulty of fitting the material in Hong Kong where it has been dominated by cantopop, but said the potential of hip hop is great.[10]
He is featured on m-flo’s album, Cosmicolor, on the track “LOVE ME, HATE THE GAME” with Chan, Thaitanium and Ryohei Yamamoto.
Fashion
Edison’s foray into the fashion industry accompanied his rising success as a young pop icon. Edison, along with partners Kevin Poon and Billy Ip, became the founders of CLOT Inc., a clothing company described as a “lifestyle company” that is geared toward youth culture, and bringing street fashion to China and Hong Kong. The company has collaborated with many big clothing companies, such as Nike and A Bathing Ape.
Multimedia company
In February, 2007, he invested $10 million HKD to open his own multi-media company, Clot Media Division, which plans to produce movies, commercials and music albums. In June, 2007, he released a Mandarin album, 讓我再次介紹我自己 (Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself) with tracks produced by Kanye West, Just Blaze and Clinton Sparks.
Community work
As early as 2001 Chen had appeared in Vancouver charity shows. He has also been a supporter for the gay and lesbian community in Hong Kong, including being voted as an icon in 2001
In 2007 he was invited by Be@rbrick toys for a charity event in Hong Kong harbor city. The charity proceeds were donated to “Hong Kong Blood Cancer Foundation”.
Incidents
2004 Chen assault incident
In March, 2004, two male teenagers assaulted Chen in Central District of Hong Kong. The two teenagers mocked Chen with dance moves outside a record store. Immediately following the dance taunt, both of the teenagers punched Chen. Upon doing so the two teenagers fled the scene, and Chen gave chase. Chen eventually caught up to the two individuals as they were trying to board a bus. They were turned over to Hong Kong Police. As a result of the incident, Chen reported that he sprained his ankle and that his cheekbone and ear were also injured. Chen declined to press charges and the two individuals were released.
Chen, not pressing charges on the teens:
“Their lives would be ruined if I pressed charges. Their mother asked me to forgive them. I went to the hospital and got checked out and since it’s just bruises, I decided to let it go.”
2007 Taxi dent incident
Chen drove to his home after midnight 9 March 2007. The gate was blocked by a Toyota Crown Comfort taxi that had just dropped off its passengers. The taxi driver then signalled Chen to move away so he could pull out, clearing the way for Chen to enter. Chen’s security guard told the taxi driver to pull over so that Chen could pass. The taxi-driver insulted the security guard. Chen proceeded to have an argument with the taxi driver. Despite the presence of the security guard and other witnesses, he got out of his car and kicked the taxi several times, denting it and breaking all its windows.
He was subsequently charged by the police. On the basis of these charges he was convicted and placed on a one year good behaviour bond. He was also fined; the taxi company was granted HK$4,700 in compensation for the damage inflicted to the car.
2008 Photo scandal
Before the Philippines‘ Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili Video scandal was exposed this 2009, the Chen photo scandal exploded last year.
In January 2008, Chen was involved in a widely publicized sex scandal when sexually explicit nude photographs of himself became widely circulated on the Internet. Celebrities implicated in the scandal included Gillian Chung, Bobo Chan, Mandy Chen, Candice Chan, Rachel Ngan and Cecilia Cheung. Nude photos of Edison’s current girlfriend, Vincy Yeung, were also made public and the future of the relationship is in doubt.
Hong Kong police have stated that they confiscated a collection of sex-related photos that involve 6 other identifiable and other unidentifiable females.
Initially the authenticity of the photos was denied, and digital manipulation was used as the primary explanation for the pictures. However, Hong Kong police and Photoshop experts argued that the photos were in fact real and not digitally altered. This brought about a serious reaction towards all parties involved in the scandal. As a result, Chen indirectly admitted his role and expressed remorse and subsequently announced his indefinite departure from the Hong Kong entertainment industry at a press conference.
Due to the scandal, the Google search engine rankings for 2008 resulted in Chen’s Chinese name being the number 1 search term in China, and number 3 in Taiwan. Chen was runner-up to US president-elect Barack Obama in the Hong Kong Person of 2008 poll by government-run RTHK radio, with just under 30% of votes in the Person of the Year. On June 1, 2009, Edison Chen broke his silence in regards to his scandal and has done an exclusive interview with CNN which will air on June 3rd as he addresses his side and also the criticisms he has received from those involved.
Personal
In Chen’s personal blog, he referred to an anonymous girlfriend as ‘V’. In 2007, he finally announced that he has been dating Vincy Yeung (the niece of EEG founder Albert Yeung) for 3 years. On an entertainment show in Taiwan, Chen disclosed that he planned to marry Vincy and that his previous playboy and womanizing habits have stopped because of his love for his current girlfriend.
Discography
|
Year |
Album |
Label |
Notes |
|
30 November 2000 |
陳冠希 (Edison Chen) |
EEG |
Cantonese EP |
|
11 May 2001 |
Fast and Furious |
EEG |
Cantonese Album |
|
5 June 2001 |
Visual Diary (Version 2) |
EEG |
Cantonese Album |
|
21 August 2001 |
超人佳亞 (Ultraman Gaia) |
EEG |
Cantonese EP |
|
2 November 2001 |
Ed Is On |
EEG |
Mandarin Album |
|
20 December 2001 |
Peace and Love |
EEG |
Cantonese Album |
|
3 July 2002 |
Break Through |
EEG |
Cantonese Album |
|
29 August 2002 |
Transition |
EEG |
Mandarin Album |
|
13 February 2003 |
Hits or Misses |
EEG |
Cantonese Compilation |
|
26 February 2004 |
Please Steal This Album |
EEG |
Cantonese Album |
|
4 January 2005 |
Hazy: The 144 Hour Project |
EEG |
Cantonese Album |
|
18 April 2005 |
Hazy: The 144 Hour Project (Version 2) |
EEG |
Cantonese Album |
|
21 December 2005 |
The Best Collection |
EEG |
Cantonese Compilation |
|
12 May 2006 |
69FM Mixtape |
- |
Cantonese Mixtape |
|
15 June 2007 |
讓我再次介紹我自己 (Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself) |
Clot Media Division |
Mandarin Album |
|
10 August 2007 |
讓我再次介紹我自己 (Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself) (Version 2) |
Clot Media Division |
Mandarin Album |
Filmography
Films
- 2000 – Dead or Alive 2: Birds (Dead or Alive 2: 逃亡者) (Japan)
- 2000 – Gen-Y Cops (特警新人類2)
- 2001 – Final Romance (願望樹)
- 2001 – Cats & Dogs (貓狗鬥一番) (Voice only, Cantonese version)
- 2001 – Dummy Mommy, Without a Baby (玉女添丁)
- 2001 – Dance of a Dream (愛君如夢)
- 2002 – Princess D (想飛)
- 2002 – Nine Girls and a Ghost (九個女仔一隻鬼)
- 2002 – Infernal Affairs (無間道)
- 2003 – The Twins Effect (千機變)
- 2003 – The Medallion (飛龍再生) (Cameo)
- 2003 – Infernal Affairs II (無間道II)
- 2003 – The Spy Dad (絕種鐵金剛)
- 2003 – Infernal Affairs III (無間道III: 終極無間) (Cameo)
- 2004 – Sex and the Beauties (性感都市)
- 2004 – Moving Targets (2004 新紮師兄)
- 2004 – Life, Translated (時差7小時)
- 2004 – Jiang Hu (江湖)
- 2004 – The Twins Effect II (千機變II: 花都大戰)
- 2004 – A-1 Headline (A-1 頭條)
- 2005 – Initial D (頭文字D)
- 2005 – Under The Same Moon (同じ月を見ている) (Japan)
- 2006 – Dog Bite Dog (狗咬狗)
- 2006 – The Grudge 2 (咒怨2)
- 2007 – Shrek the Third (史力加之咁就三世) (Voice only, Cantonese version)
- 2007 – Trivial Matters (破事兒)
- 2008 – The Dark Knight (蝙蝠俠：黑夜之神) (Cameo)
- 2009 – The Sniper (神鎗手)
Television drama
- 2002 – Feel 100% (百分百感覺)
- 2003 – Hearts Of Fencing (當四葉草碰上劍尖時) Guest
- 2005 – Eight Heroes (八大豪俠).
Other appearances
- 2001 – Weakest Link (一筆OUT消)
- 2005 – MTV Whatever Things
- 2006 – Gumball 3000: Drivin’ Me Crazy
