Marcus Chang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marcus Chang
張立昂
Chang in 2020
Born	Chang Wen-chien (張文謙) (1983-05-28) 28 May 1983 (age 42) Taipei, Taiwan
Nationality	Taiwanese
Alma mater	University of Auckland
Occupation	Actor singer songwriter
Years active	2014–present
Awards	Seoul International Drama Awards – Asian Star Prize 2021 Lost Romance
Musical career
Also known as	Marcus C
Origin	Taiwan
Genres	Mandopop
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Labels	Sony Music Taiwan
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	張立昂
Simplified Chinese	张立昂
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhāng Lì'áng Bopomofo ㄓㄤ ㄌㄧˋ ㄤˊ Wade–Giles Chang1 Li4-ang2 Hakka Pha̍k-fa-sṳ Chong Li̍p-ngong Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Zoeng1 Laap6 Ngong4 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Tiuⁿ Li̍p-gông

Marcus Chang (Chinese: 張立昂; born 28 May 1983) is a talented actor and singer-songwriter from Taiwan. He first started acting in the movie Café. Waiting. Love in 2014. He became very well-known after starring in the TV show Back to 1989 in 2016.

Marcus Chang gained international fame for playing two different characters in the romantic fantasy series Lost Romance (2020). For this role, he won the Asian Star Prize at the 16th Seoul International Drama Awards. Some of his other popular works include Behind Your Smile (2016-2017), Between (2018), and Trick or Love (2023).

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in Taiwan and New Zealand

Marcus Chang was born in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 28, 1983. He has a younger brother named Jarvis. After finishing elementary school in Taiwan, Marcus went to a boarding school in Auckland, New Zealand. This was at St Peter's College.

Living in a new country at a young age taught him to be independent. He learned to play the piano and guitar early on. He even wrote his first song when he was just 15 years old.

Pursuing Music and Returning Home

By age 17, Marcus dreamed of becoming a professional singer-songwriter. Even though his family hoped he would join their business, he chose to study music. In 2005, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts from the University of Auckland. He focused on popular music and jazz piano. He also studied audio engineering at the SAE Institute in Auckland.

In 2006, Marcus returned to Taiwan to help with his family's business. His father was facing health issues at the time.

Starting His Music Journey

In 2007, Marcus took part in One Million Star, a popular TV singing competition in Taiwan. After completing his mandatory military service in 2009, and once his father recovered, Marcus decided to follow his dream. His family did not support his music career, so he left home.

To support himself, he worked many different jobs. He worked at Taipei Children’s Amusement Park and Taipei Zoo, sometimes even wearing a mascot costume. He also wrote songs for children’s theater, commercials, and other projects. Marcus Chang speaks both Mandarin and English fluently.

Acting Career

First Roles and Breakthrough

In 2012, Marcus Chang appeared in commercials. This led to him being discovered by producer Angie Chai. He then signed with her management company, Star Ritz International Entertainment.

His acting debut was in 2014 in Giddens Ko’s film Café. Waiting. Love. He played a mysterious character that the main character had a crush on. In 2015, he was cast in the TV series To the Dearest Intruder.

Marcus Chang's big break came in 2016. He got his first main role in the TV series Back to 1989. He played Chen Che, a man from 2016 who accidentally travels back in time to 1989. This role made him widely recognized. He was nominated for Best Actor and won the Best Potential Award at the 5th Sanlih Drama Awards.

Continuing Success and Dual Roles

After Back to 1989, Marcus starred in Behind Your Smile (2016-2017). He played Zhao Yi-ting, a businessman seeking revenge. In 2018, he played Luo Cheng-kai, an ambitious executive, in the TV series Between.

In 2019, Marcus appeared in the film Nina Wu. He also had a small guest role in the TV series Let's Go Crazy on Live!.

In 2020, Marcus Chang worked again with Vivian Sung in the romantic-fantasy series Lost Romance. He played two different characters: He Tian-xing, a calm CEO in the real world, and Situ Ao-ran, a strong and bossy CEO in a fictional romance novel. People praised his ability to play both characters so well. Lost Romance was named the “Most Popular Taiwanese Drama of the Year.” Marcus and Vivian were praised for their great chemistry, which made the show very popular. His performance in Lost Romance helped him gain many more fans around the world. He won the Asian Star Prize at the 16th Seoul International Drama Awards in 2021 for this role.

In 2021, Marcus made a surprise guest appearance in Giddens Ko’s film Till We Meet Again. He played the college boyfriend of Vivian Sung’s character.

Health Challenges and Return to Acting

In 2022, Marcus Chang was in the hospital for 11 days because of a collapsed lung. He needed emergency treatment and a long time to recover. After getting better, he returned to acting in 2023 with the TV series Trick or Love. However, he soon took another break. He shared that he had been struggling with a recurring collapsed lung, which is a condition called pneumothorax.

After fully recovering in 2024, Marcus attended a press conference in Tokyo, Japan. He was there for his upcoming black comedy miniseries A Controversial Entertainer, which is set to be released in 2026.

Music Career

Extended Plays and Concerts

Marcus Chang's first music collection, called an extended play (EP), was Zero (±1). Sony Music Taiwan released it on August 31, 2018. This EP showed his two sides as both an actor and a musician. Because it was successful, he released his second EP, Oxymoron, on December 26, 2019.

He also held two solo concerts at Legacy Taipei, a famous music venue.

Soundtrack Contributions

Marcus Chang also contributed to the soundtrack of the TV series Lost Romance (2020). He sang the songs “Lose to You,” “Tonight I’m Here,” and "Talk To Me.”

Filmography

Television Series

Films

Web Series

Theater Plays

Music Videos

Discography

Extended Plays (EPs)

Singles

Compositions

Marcus Chang wrote the music and lyrics for these songs.

Awards and Nominations