Ruby Lin facts for kids

In this Taiwanese name, the family name is Lin.

Quick facts for kids Ruby Lin
林心如
Lin at the 57th Golden Bell Awards in October 2022
Born	(1976-01-27) January 27, 1976 (age 49) Taipei, Taiwan
Occupation	Actress singer producer
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Wallace Huo (m. 2016)
Children	1
Awards	Full list


Chinese name
Chinese	林心如

Hanyu Pinyin	Lín Xīnrú
Jyutping	Lam⁴ Sam¹-jyu⁴

Ruby Lin Xin-ru (Chinese: 林心如; pinyin: Lín Xīnrú; born January 27, 1976) is a famous actress, television and film producer, and singer from Taiwan.

She started her career as a model in 1993. Ruby Lin became very well-known across Asia for her role as Xia Ziwei in the popular TV show My Fair Princess (1998-1999). After this success, she starred in many other TV series. These included The Duke of Mount Deer (2000), Romance in the Rain (2001), and The Way We Were (2014).

While she mostly worked in TV, she also acted in movies. Some of her films are The House That Never Dies (2014) and The Devotion of Suspect X (2017). As a singer, she has released six albums. Her first album was Heartbeat (1999).

In 2009, Ruby Lin started her own studio. This allowed her to produce TV dramas and films, where she often starred herself. Her first show as a producer, The Glamorous Imperial Concubine (2011), won her an award for Best Producer. Her first Taiwanese drama, The Way We Were (2014), won Best Television Series at the 50th Golden Bell Awards.

Ruby Lin has been recognized as one of Taiwan's top-earning actresses. She also appeared on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list several times.

Early Life and Career Start

Ruby Lin was born and grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. She is the oldest of four children. Her English name, Ruby, comes from her mother's love for the jewel. When Ruby was seven, her parents divorced. She lived with her mother and often visited Japan.

Ruby went to Ri Xin Primary School and Zhong Dian High School. She had thought about studying in the United Kingdom after high school. However, she began her acting career at age seventeen as a part-time model. Her first TV commercial was for Jasmine Tea in 1994.

At first, Ruby's parents did not want her to work in entertainment. But after she appeared in many commercials, they agreed. She signed a contract with an entertainment company. After high school, on her 20th birthday, she joined Jessie and Jones Entertainment Ltd.

Career Highlights

First Steps in Acting: 1995–1996

In 1995, Ruby Lin had her first small role in front of the camera. This made her love acting. After her first TV commercial, directors noticed her. She got her first movie role in School Days. From 1995 to 1997, Ruby acted in several Taiwanese TV shows. She started to get attention from the media. In 1996, she went to China for the first time to film. She saw this as a great chance to learn more about acting.

Becoming a Star: 1997–2001

After playing small parts, Ruby Lin was chosen for a main role in My Fair Princess. This was a big drama made by China and Taiwan. Ruby was originally picked for Princess Saiya. But she ended up playing Xia Ziwei.

The show became incredibly popular in mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. Ruby Lin became famous very quickly.

After My Fair Princess, Ruby starred in many successful TV shows. In 2000, she was in Hong Kong TVB's The Duke of Mount Deer. She played Princess Jian Ning, a fun and sassy character. This role showed she could play different kinds of characters. The next year, she starred in Romance in the Rain. This show was also a big hit and had the highest ratings that year. For two years, Ruby Lin was named one of the Top Ten Most Famous Asian Superstars.

Ruby felt she had done a lot in TV, so she started acting in movies. In 2000, she appeared in three Hong Kong films. These included the action movie China Strike Force. Even with a smaller role, she learned a lot. These movies helped her enter the Hong Kong film market.

Growing Success: 2002–2005

From 2002, Ruby Lin focused on her career in mainland China. In 2003, she starred in three shows. These were Half Life Fate, Boy & Girl, and Flying Daggers. Ruby played the main female role in the TV version of Half Life Fate. This was a challenging role for her.

Her hard work paid off. Her acting made her even more famous. The show was shown in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea. That same year, she was in the romantic TV series Boy & Girl. It was shown on CCTV and had the highest ratings of all shows in 2003. Ruby was chosen as one of the Top 10 actresses of the year. She was the only one from Taiwan. She then appeared in the martial arts show Flying Daggers. In this show, she played a cold assassin, which was different from her usual sweet roles. These three shows helped Ruby become even more popular across Asia.

Even though she focused on TV, she also acted in movies. These included Life Express and the romantic comedy Love Trilogy.

Ruby Lin helped start a trend of China-Korea collaborations. She starred in Amor de Tarapaca (2004) with a Korean actor. She was also in Magic Touch of Fate with a Taiwanese actor and a Korean idol. This show was one of the most expensive mini-series in Asian TV history at the time.

After almost ten years of non-stop filming, Ruby wanted to go back to school. In late 2004, she decided to study language and acting in New York City for three months. She studied English and performance there.

When she returned to Taiwan in 2005, Ruby starred in Paris Sonata. For this role, she learned to play the piano. After that, she chose the TV drama Sound of Colors. In this show, she played a blind radio DJ. Her performance received good reviews. This drama was shown in many countries. She then acted in Star Boulevard and Da Li Princess.

New Achievements: 2006–2009

Lin in 2007

In 2006, Ruby Lin starred in Ancestral Temple. This role helped her show even more of her acting skills. On June 6, 2006, she won the Most Popular Actress in Taiwan award. She was also often named one of the Top 10 Chinese actors.

At the end of 2006, Ruby left her management company after 10 years. She then signed with Huayi Brothers Film and Television group. This is one of the biggest film companies in China. In September 2007, she was a guest star in the historical drama Su DongPo. She played the first wife of Su Dongpo, a famous poet.

After filming Evening of Roses, Ruby took on more challenging roles. In late 2007, she played Daji in The Legend and the Hero 2. Daji was known for her beauty and cruelty. Ruby's performance received good comments from the media. She often said, "Comparing with other people is meaningless, I just want a breakthrough from past looks, to surpass myself."

Lin in Beijing, China in 2008

In 2008, Ruby returned to Taiwan for the show Love in Sun Moon Lake. She played an aboriginal woman. This was the first TV show to allow mainland Chinese actors to film in Taiwan. It was also announced that Ruby would play Sun Shangxiang in the new Romance of the Three Kingdoms TV show, Three Kingdoms. This show aired in May 2010 and was very popular.

In early 2009, she was in Fallen City. In this film, Ruby played a rebellious woman during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In July 2009, Ruby starred as Empress Dou in the big historical drama Beauty's Rival in Palace. The show was a huge success. Ruby received positive reviews from audiences and critics. Beauty's Rival in Palace was also sold well in Korea and Japan. This show was another important step in Ruby's career.

New Challenges: 2010–2011

In May 2010, Ruby's first stage play, Sweet Sweet Love, started a tour in China. The play was based on a romantic film. It was performed in several cities.

In June, Ruby played a psychiatrist in the romantic film You Deserve To Be Single. She was nominated for Best Actress at the 2010 Shanghai International Film Festival Press Prize. She also won an award for Favorite Taiwanese Actress in Vietnam. After that, Ruby starred in the film Driverless. She played a strong businesswoman. Critics praised her performance, saying she showed a great range of emotions.

After the success of Beauty's Rival in Palace, Ruby was chosen for a main role in the Chinese TV series Monopoly Exposure.

2010 was a very successful year for Ruby. She won the Most Popular Actress award at the 5th Seoul International Drama Awards. She was voted best actress by people in Asian countries. She also won the Favorite Actress of the Year award at the TV Drama Awards Made in China. Korean media called her Taiwan's number-one actress.

In January 2011, Ruby started her first project as a producer, The Glamorous Imperial Concubine. This show had excellent ratings. Ruby won "Best producer of the year" award. She also acted in the film Blood Stained Shoes, a horror movie. Her role was very different from her previous characters.

In October 2011, Ruby started her second production, the Taiwanese idol drama Drama Go! Go! Go!. The show was released in November 2012. Ruby's performance was well-liked by audiences.

Producing and More Success: 2012–2018

Lin in 2012

In March 2012, Ruby Lin was named Most Influential TV Actress. She was also nominated for Best TV Actress for her role in The Glamorous Imperial Concubine.

She then filmed The Patriot Yue Fei, a historical drama. Ruby played the wife of General Yue Fei.

On April 27, 2012, Ruby announced her third project, the TV film Forgotten. She was both the producer and main actress. She played a wife whose marriage was falling apart. Critics praised Ruby's performance in Forgotten. Xinhua News said, "Ruby Lin is recognized as one of the best promising producer. Also as actress, she is in a different class from others."

In August 2012, Ruby was honored as Best Producer at the Asian Idol Awards for The Glamorous Imperial Concubine. In December 2012, Ruby was named one of the highest-paid Chinese celebrities. She earned a lot of money through her studio.

In August 2013, Ruby won Most Favorite Actress at the 8th Beijing Film Festival for Youth Welfare. She spent a lot of time preparing for the drama Singing All Along.

In April 2014, Ruby won the Outstanding Actress award. In May 2014, she returned to Taiwan with the TV film Mother Mother. She played a strong mother. Ruby said she would continue to film one Taiwanese show each year. That same year, Ruby starred in the TV series The Way We Were. This marked her return to Taiwanese TV after 10 years. As both actress and producer, Ruby received great reviews. The show had high ratings and was very popular.

In 2015, Estée Lauder Companies chose Ruby as their new brand ambassador for Taiwan. She also became a spokesperson for HTC.

After filming Phantom of the Theatre, Ruby joined the show We Are In Love, a remake of the Korean show We Got Married. In November, she received her first Asian Television Awards nomination for Best Actress for The Way We Were.

In early 2016, Ruby won Best Actress in a TV Series at the Huading Awards. She also won the Woman's Media Award for Most Influential Woman of the Year. In April 2016, Ruby starred in Magical Space-time, a time-travel TV series. She also acted in the adventure film The Precipice Game.

In March 2017, Ruby returned to work after having her baby. She played a loving mother in the mystery-thriller The Devotion of Suspect X. This film brought Ruby and Alec Su together again after they starred in Magic Touch of Fate in 2004. In May, Ruby announced her return to Taiwanese drama with the romantic TV series My Dear Boy, which she also produced.

On November 15, 2018, Ruby's new project, Miss Andy, won an award at the Golden Horse Film Project Promotion Awards Ceremony. This award came with money, which was helpful for her first movie as a producer. Filming was planned for April 2019 in Malaysia. Ruby also took on the role of a Vietnamese worker in the movie.

Recent Work: 2019–Present

In 2020, after filming Miss Andy in Malaysia, Ruby Lin appeared as a special guest in the Taiwanese Netflix series The Victims' Game. This series was very popular on Netflix. Ruby's performance was highly praised for her complex character. A reviewer said, "The series’ ace in the hole is Ruby Lin... she sheds her smooth and pretty image completely, in an impressively somber and chilling turn."

In 2020, Ruby starred in and produced the modern drama The Arc of Life. She was ranked among the highest-paid Taiwanese actors in 2020.

Ruby Lin Studio

In 2009, Ruby Lin started her own production company, Ruby Lin Studio (林心如工作室). This company handles all parts of her career, including acting, singing, and film roles. By 2016, the studio had two artists and one director. As a producer, Ruby has more control over TV projects. She can oversee scripts, hire people, and choose the cast. Ruby said, "I just kept getting offered the same type of role. Being an actress, you cannot really do much. Actresses can only wait for the roles to come. Now I can choose everything myself... I feel much more in control over what I get to do."

Ruby's first production was a big hit. It won several awards, including "TV series of The year" and "Best producer." Even with her success as a producer, she says acting is still her main focus.

In July 2021, Ruby's studio in Hengdian, China, closed its business registration there. Since 2020, she has been based in Taiwan and moved all her operations back to Taiwan.

Personal Life

Ruby Lin dated Taiwanese actor Jimmy Lin from 1995 to 1997. They met while filming School Days. In 2006, they appeared on a talk show and said distance caused their breakup.

On May 20, 2016, Ruby Lin confirmed her relationship with Taiwanese actor Wallace Huo. They had been friends for over 10 years after working together in Sound of Colors in 2005. They reportedly started dating around Ruby's birthday in January 2016. Ruby married Wallace Huo on July 31, 2016, in Bali. Many famous friends attended their wedding. They also had another wedding reception in Taipei on August 2, 2016. Their daughter, Amelia, was born in Taipei in January 2017.

In 2019, Ruby enrolled in an MBA program at Shih Hsin University in Shanghai. Due to the pandemic, she moved to the Taipei campus in 2020 and graduated in June 2021. Ruby received an Outstanding Achievement Award from her professors.

Philanthropy and Endorsements

Helping Others

Ruby Lin is very involved in charity work.

In 1999, she helped raise money for the 1999 Jiji earthquake.
In 2003, she became a sponsor for a Vietnamese boy through World Vision.
Since 2005, she has been a spokesperson for the fashion company Xuezhu. She also set up a fund to help poor people in China.
In 2007, Ruby received an award for her charity work. She also filmed a short movie for a charity TV show with a blind girl.
After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Ruby donated money. She also recorded a song called "We have love" for the earthquake relief.
In 2008, Ruby funded a school for children in rural areas. She gave money to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation to build an elementary school. The Red Cross made her a philanthropic ambassador.
In 2009, Ruby became an ambassador for a campaign by the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). This campaign helps provide daily food for children. She visited a KFC restaurant to encourage more people to donate. She also became a sponsor of 'Ruby Lin benevolence primary school' for rural children.
In 2011, Ruby received the "Charity star of the year" award for her charity work.
In 2012, Ruby became a spokesperson for the Maria Society Welfare Foundation. She promoted a campaign on her social media to raise money for children.
In 2018, Ruby flew to Zambia for World Vision's Sponsor-A-Child program. She met her sponsored child, Elidah. She also sponsors other children from Cambodia and Honduras.
For many years, Ruby has supported Linfen red ribbon school. This school helps children living with HIV.

Brand Partnerships

After becoming famous, Ruby Lin worked with many brands. In 2001, she was named Taiwan's most popular advertisement star. She was a spokesperson for Coca-Cola and Esprit. She was also a spokesperson for Mentholatum and Pantene. In 2005, she was ranked second on the China Top Ten Most Popular Commercial Model list.

Ruby is known for her style. In 2006, MTV China named her the most stylish actress of the year. That same year, she won the Most Stylish Actress in China award.

In 2009, Estee Lauder chose her as their "My Cover Girl in 2009" for China and Taiwan. In 2010, Ruby was a spokesperson for over 20 brands. Media called her a "commercial queen." She also won the Most Charming Actress of the Year award.

Ruby Lin has worked with many well-known brands. These include Christian Dior watches, VOV Cosmetics, China Mobile, and Glico. She also served as an ambassador for wildlife protection and friendship. Her endorsements were a big part of her income. In 2009, she was chosen as Best Artist for Advertisements. After her daughter was born in 2017, she became an ambassador for children's brands like Fisher-Price. In 2019, Nuna signed Ruby as their first Asian brand ambassador. In 2020, Ruby became the new spokesperson for Estee Lauder's Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Collection in Taiwan.

Jury Roles

2019: She was a jury member for Best Television Series at the 54th Golden Bell Awards.
2021: She was a jury member for the preliminary stage at the Taipei Film Festival.
2022: She was an executive jury member at the International Golden Short Film Awards.

Filmography

Discography

Albums

1999: Heartbeat (心跳)
2001: Double Faced Ruby Lin (雙面林心如)
2001: Pala Pala (趴啦趴啦)
2004: Eighteen Springs New and Best collection (半生缘新歌和精选)
2004: Possessing Ruby Lin (拥有林心如)
2008: New Rubyology (新如主义)

Soundtracks

1999: My Fair Princess Original Soundtrack (还珠格格音乐全记录)
2004: Amor de Tarapaca Original Soundtrack (紫藤戀電視劇原)

Ambassadorships

2023 Ambassador of The Genesis Social Welfare Foundation (G.S.W.F)
2020 Charity Ambassador of the TVBS Foundation 'Infinite Love' fundraising campaign
2020 Charity Ambassador of Shiatzy Chen's charity activity
2018 Ambassador of China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation 'Donate One Yuan Campaign'
2018 Ambassador of World Vision Taiwan's Sponsor-A-Child programme
2017 Ambassador of Child Welfare League Foundation
2017 Save the Children Goodwill Ambassador
2016 Ambassador of Tourism in Hawaii
2016 Qiong Yao Culture Foundation
2014 Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign
2012 Ambassador for the Maria Society Welfare Foundation in Taiwan
2011 Trend Health - Find most beautiful& healthy body of china
2010 Raily Good and Healthy Life campaign
2010 Sohu "EasyGo China" charity campaign
2008 China Music Radio Kappa Project
2009 World Food Programme(WFP)'s "Donate $1, Offer Compassion, Deliver Nutrition"
2009 Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign
2009 Ambassador of Tourism in Seoul, Korea
2008 China Red Cross elementary-school building project
2007 Beijing Olympics public-service promotional campaign
2007 Anti-Depression Ambassadors of China for its campaign, including a concert
2005 Promoter of Annapurna Conservation Area Project
2004 Chinese Culture Festival in Seoul, Korea
2001 Promoter of Hong Kong Community Chest Walkathon
1999 Ambassador of Hong Kong Anti-Drug and -Crime Campaign

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

Lin at the 57th Golden Bell Awards in October 2022
Lin in 2007
Lin in Beijing, China in 2008
Lin in 2012