Sylvia Chang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sylvia Chang
張艾嘉
Chang at the 57th Golden Bell Awards in October 2022
Born	(1953-07-21) 21 July 1953 (age 71) Dalin, Chiayi County, Taiwan
Other names	Zhang Aijia
Occupation	Actress, writer, director, singer, producer
Years active	1973–present
Spouse(s)	Bob Liu ​ ​ (m. 1978; div. 1984)​ Billy Wang ​ (m. 1991)​
Children	1
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	張艾嘉
Simplified Chinese	张艾嘉
Hanyu Pinyin	Zhāng Àijiā
Jyutping	Zoeng1 Ngaai6gaa1

Sylvia Chang (born 21 July 1953) is a talented artist from Taiwan. She is well-known as an actress, singer, director, writer, and producer. She has been involved in many important film events. For example, she was a jury member at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival in 1992. In 2018, she joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is the group that gives out the Oscars. That same year, she also helped judge films at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.

Early Life

Sylvia Chang was born in Chiayi, Taiwan. She decided to leave school when she was 16 years old. She began her career working as a radio DJ. When she was 18, she got her first role in a movie.

Career Highlights

Acting Roles

Sylvia Chang's first movie was The Tattooed Dragon (龍虎金剛) in 1973. She was 18 at the time. In the Aces Go Places film series, she often tried to do her own stunts. This shows how dedicated she was to her roles.

Chang has talked about how the film industry in Hong Kong often focuses more on men. She believes that not many male filmmakers write stories for women. She helped write the script for Run Papa Run. This movie explores the softer side of men through a story about a man in a Triad and his family.

Directing and Writing

Sylvia Chang has also directed many films. Her second movie as a director was Passion (1986). She also wrote the script and starred in it. This film won her the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress. She learned how to make films by working on movie sets. She never went to a special film school.

For a while, Chang was a main producer at New Cinema City in Taiwan. She also wrote and directed the movie 20 30 40. In this film, she played the main character, who was a 40-year-old woman. In 2010, she became the vice-chair of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society.

Music and Theatre

Besides films, Sylvia Chang is also a singer. Her songs are very popular, especially in karaoke. Her song "The Cost of Love" is often sung by many people.

She also has a long history in theatre. She started performing on stage over 30 years ago. She returned to the stage in 2008 for a play called Design For Living. Critics have praised her for being able to play many different kinds of roles. They also admire her willingness to always try new things.

Personal Life

Sylvia Chang married a journalist named Bob Liu in 1979. They later divorced in 1984. In 1991, she married Taiwanese businessman Billy Wang Jing-xiong. They have one son named Oscar. She also has two stepsons.

In 2000, her nine-year-old son Oscar was kidnapped. The kidnappers asked for a large amount of money. Luckily, the police found him safely after a few days. The kidnappers were arrested. Sylvia Chang shared that it's important to keep moving forward in life, no matter what happens.

Helping Others

Sylvia Chang is a strong supporter of World Vision International. This organization helps people in need around the world. She is a "life-long volunteer" for them. She even made an advertisement for World Vision to help promote their work. She also supports the "30 Hour Famine" event, which raises money for those who are hungry.

Filmography

Sylvia Chang at the 2011 Hong Kong International Film Festival.

As an Actress

As a Filmmaker

Music Albums

Kolin Records (歌林)

• 1973 Never Say Goodbye 別說再見
• 1974 Tearfully Say to You 含淚向你說
• 1977 Farewell (惜別)
• 1980 Maybe / We Were Young (也许 / 我們曾經年輕)

Rock Records

• 1981 Childhood (童年)
• 1985 Busy and Blind (忙與盲)
• 1986 Do You Love Me? (你愛我嗎)
• 1987 Xi shuo (細說), lit. "clarify" or "elaborate"
• 1992 The Price of Love (愛的代價)

Awards and Honors

See also

In Spanish: Sylvia Chang para niños