Barbie Hsu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barbie Hsu
徐熙媛
Hsu in 2022
Born	(1976-10-06)6 October 1976 Taipei, Taiwan
Died	2 February 2025(2025-02-02) (aged 48) Tokyo, Japan
Alma mater	Taipei Hwa Kang Arts School
Occupation	Actress singer television host
Years active	1994–2025
Spouse(s)	Wang Xiaofei ​ ​ (m. 2011; div. 2021)​ Koo Jun-yup ​ (m. 2022)​
Children	2
Relatives	Dee Hsu (sister)
Musical career
Also known as	Big S (大S; Da S) Barbie Shu
Genres	Mandopop

Barbara Hsu (Chinese: 徐熙媛; pinyin: Xú Xīyuán; 6 October 1976 – 2 February 2025), also known by her stage name Big S (大S), was a Taiwanese actress, singer, and television host. She was best known for her leading role in the television series Meteor Garden (2001).

Early life

Hsu was born on 6 October 1976 to Hsu Chien and Huang Chun-mei in Taipei as the middle child of three sisters. She had an elder sister, Hsu Si-hsien, and a younger sister, Dee Hsu. Her family runs a jeweller’s shop, founded by her paternal grandfather, in Taipei.

Career

Barbie and her sister Dee debuted in 1994 as pop duo S.O.S. (Sisters of Shu), with a hit song "Ten-Minute Love" (十分鐘的戀愛) in 1995. After contractual disputes with their agency, which banned them from releasing albums under the group name, they changed the name to A.S.O.S [zh] and switched their career focus from singing to hosting. They co-hosted variety show Guess (1996–2000), entertainment news program 100% Entertainment (1998-2005), and cooking show Gourmet Secrets of the Stars  [zh] (2007-2008).

Hsu rose to pan-Asian fame with her leading role in Meteor Garden (2001) along with boy group F4. Meteor Garden brought her fame in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand after the television show was dubbed in the languages of those countries. She was also known for her roles in TV series Mars (2004), where she co-starred with F4 member Vic Chou, Corner with Love (2007), Summer's Desire (2010), as well as films Silk (2006), My So Called Love (2008), Connected (2008), Hot Summer Days (2010) and Reign of Assassins (2010).

In 2004, Hsu published the best-selling beauty guide Beauty Queen, followed by a sequel in 2007. Both books became popular across the Chinese-speaking world. She was one of the first to experiment with using the hair-loss treatment Regaine on her eyebrows to enhance their thickness. Hsu had also been an active supporter of animal rights and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

After marrying Chinese entrepreneur Wang Xiaofei in 2011, she retreated from acting but still appeared in variety shows and advertisements. From 2011 to 2012, she served as a stand-in host for Dee in the variety-comedy talk show Kangsi Coming. In 2018, she participated in the marriage reality show Xing Fu San Chong Zou (幸福三重奏) with her then husband Wang Xiaofei. In 2019, she participated in the second season of reality show Dream Space (戀夢空間). She also co-produced Dee's Talk [zh] (2021–2022) hosted by Dee.

Personal life

Hsu dated Blackie Chen for seven years starting in high school. She dated South Korean singer Koo Jun-yup from late 1998 to 2000. They broke up due to the "dating ban" by Koo's agency. She dated actor Lan Cheng-lung from 2001 to 2005, followed by a two-year relationship with actor Vic Chou until early 2008.

On 16 November 2010, Hsu married Chinese entrepreneur Wang Xiaofei in Beijing. They held their wedding banquet on the island of Hainan on 22 March 2011. Just four days before their wedding, Hsu had a miscarriage and underwent a surgery to remove the foetus.

After Hsu married Wang, she stopped her vegetarianism of over ten years, which she had started after her pet dog recovered from an illness; according to Hsu, Wang's mother influenced her to give up vegetarianism so that she could bear children. Hsu and Wang had two children: a daughter and a son.

On 22 November 2021, Hsu and Wang announced their divorce. After her divorce, she and Koo Jun-yup rekindled their relationship. On 8 March 2022, they announced their marriage. In 2022, Hsu said that she had 10 tattoos, including at least two that Koo had tattooed on her, such as a tattoo of their wedding ring.

Hsu was known to suffer from epilepsy and mitral valve prolapse and had been previously hospitalised after experiencing seizures, including a near-fatal episode that occurred while giving birth to her son.

Death

On 29 January 2025, Hsu traveled to Japan during the Taiwanese Lunar New Year holiday. She died in Tokyo on 2 February, at the age of 48. The cause of death was pneumonia stemming from influenza complications.

Discography

As ASOS

Filmography

Film

Television series

Variety shows

• Guess Guess Guess - 1998 to 2000
• 100% Entertainment - 1998 to 2005
• Gourmet Secrets of the Stars [zh] - 2007 to 2008
• Let's Dance [zh] - 2008 to 2009
• Miss Beauty (Beauty小姐) - 2018
• 我们是真正的朋友 - 2019

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Barbie Hsu para niños