Sylvia Chang (born 21 July 1953) is a Taiwanese actress, singer, director, screenwriter, and producer.
Early life Chang was born in Chiayi, Taiwan. She dropped out of school when she was 16 and started her career as a radio DJ. When she was 18 years old she acted in her first film.
Career Chang acted in her first film, The Tattooed Dragon (龍虎金剛) (1973), at the age of 18. Chang often attempted to do her own stunts in the four-part film series Aces Go Places.
She stated in an interview with film editor Clarence Tsui, "I still think Hong Kong's film industry is male-dominated". She also believes that "There aren't many male filmmakers who would write scripts for women". She helped write the script for Run Papa Run,Sylvia Chang in the Internet Movie Database based on the novel by Benny Li Shuan Yan,Run Papa Run, IMDB that follows a man who belongs to the Triad and the relationships he has with his mother, wife, and daughter. Chang said, "I thought why don't I explore the gentler side of men".
Chang first began performing in theatre productions more than 30 years ago. She returned to the stage in the production of Design For Living (華麗上班族之生活與生存) that premiered in November 2008 and went on into 2009. Chang stated in an interview, "The reason for me to take on a stage play again after 20 years is because I was lured by the director, he has invited handsome guys like Zheng Yuan Chang [sic] and David Huang into the play". Critics have remarked on the versatility in her roles along with her willingness to always try for something new.
Chang is also a singer and her music has become popular in karaoke, where her song "The Cost of Love" is commonly sung.
In the 1980s, the second film Chang directed, Passion, which she wrote and also starred in, won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress. She has stated, "I never went to any school as a director or a filmmaker, so all my film education actually was from the set".
For a time, Chang was the head producer of New Cinema City in Taiwan, but she left a few years after joining. For 20 30 40, she not only played the 40-year-old woman protagonist but also wrote and directed it.
In 1992, she served as a jury member at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival.
In August 2010, Chang joined the board of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society as its vice-chair.
In June 2018, she was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In the same year, she served as a jury member at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.
Critical reception Chang once said of her films that "I've always felt that animation or special effects shouldn't just be limited to science-fiction films and their ilk. Dramas can also play around with them". One critic wrote of her: "In an industry that kisses young actresses with celebrity, then swallows them and spits them out, Chang has a sequoia's longevity. She is the only Hong Kong actress of her generation -— the early '70s —-to keep starring in movies".
Chang's films have been selected to screen at the BFI London Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, and Tokyo Filmex. She has served as a jury member at the Berlin International Film Festival, as well as the Venice Film Festival. She also holds the record for the most nominations for the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress, with ten nominations and two wins.
At the 49th Toronto International Film Festival, Chang received an honourable mention from the Platform Prize jury for her performance in the film Daughter's Daughter—the first time in the history of the award that the Platform jury has recognized an individual performer. The film also earned Chang a nomination for Best Leading Actress at the 61st Golden Horse Awards.
Personal life Chang married Hong Kong-based journalist Bob Liu in 1979. They divorced in 1984. Chang married Taiwanese businessman Billy Wang Jing-xiong in 1991, and they have one son, Oscar. She also has two stepsons.
In July 2000, Chang's nine-year-old son Oscar was kidnapped and held for a ransom of HK $15 million. The police found him after a few days, safe, and arrested the kidnappers. Chang stated, "With your life, you have to move on, there's no other choice; so, out of no choice, then, it's a matter of your attitude".
Philanthropy Chang is an advocate and a "life-long volunteer" for World Vision International, the humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy organization. She created an advertisement, sponsored by World Vision, to promote the company . She is a member of and advocate for the World Vision-sponsored "30 Hour Famine."
Filmography
As actress
Kong zhong wu shi (1973) The Tattooed Dragon (1973) as Ai-Chia Xiao ying xiong da nao Tang Ren jie (1974) as Lin Hsiu-yin Slaughter in San Francisco (1974) Shi qi shi qi shi ba (1974) Bruce: Hong Kong Master (1975) The Story of Four Girls (1975) A Mao zheng chuan (1976) Bi yun tian (1976) Victory (1976) Wen nuan zai qiu tian (1976) as Hsu Hsiao-hui Eight Hundred Heroes (1976) Warmth in Autumn (1976) Qiu chan (1976) Lang hua (1976) Xing yu (1976) Luo ye piao piao (1976) The Lady Killer (1976) Mitra (1977) as Mitra The Longest Bridge (1977) The Golden Age (1977) A Pirate of Love (1977) Zuo ri chong chong (1977) Qing se shan mai (1977) Shan liang de ri zi (1977) Tai bei qi qi (1977) Taibei liu shi liu (1977) Jin yu liang yuan hong lou meng (1977) as Lin Daiyu Feng yu zhao yang (1977) Dan dan san yue qing meng long (1977) Ai qing wo zhao dao le (1977) Shuo huang shi jie (1978) M*A*S*H (1979, TV Series) as Sooni The Secret (1979) - Lin Jeng-ming. Legend of the Mountain (1979) as Cloud Crazy Disaster (1979) as Lin Jeng-ming Ma feng nu (1979) Tian xia yi da xiao (1980) The Imperious Princess (1980) as Princess Sheng Ping White Jasmine (1980) Da xiao jiang jun (1980) Xue jian leng ying bao (1980) Yuan (1980) Attack Force Z (1981) as Chien Hua The Juvenizer (1981) as Chu Wei The Funniest Movie (1981) My Grandfather (1982) Aces Go Places (1982) as Supt. Nancy Ho Nan xiong nan di (1982) Xue jian gui xiang lu (1982) He Lives by Night (1982) as Sissy In Our Time (1982) Aces Go Places 2 (1983) as Supt. Nancy Ho 1938 Da jing qi (1983) as Su San Cabaret of the Streets (1983) That Day, on the Beach (1983) as Jiali Cabaret Tears (1983) Aces Go Places 3 (1984) as Supt. Nancy Ho Funny Face (1984) Shanghai Blues (1984) as Shu-Shu Double Trouble (1984) The Story in Sorghum Field (1984) My Favorite Season (1985) as Liu Xiang‑mei Crazy Romance (1985) as Cheung Ka-ka Ba Fan keng kou de xin niang (1985) Aces Go Places IV (1986) as Supt. Nancy Ho Lucky Stars Go Places (1986) as Quito Passion (1986) as Wendy Pai Immortal Story (1986) as Chang Mei Ling Sister Cupid (1987) Kidnapped (1987) Seven Years Itch (1987) as Sylvia Soursweet (1988) as Lily Yellow Story (1988) as Mrs. Hui Chicken and Duck Talk (1988) as Mrs. Hui All About Ah-Long (1989) as Sylvia Poon / 'Por-Por' Full Moon in New York (1989) as Wang Hsiung-Ping Eight Taels of Gold (1989) as Odds and Ends Two Painters (1989) The Fun, the Luck & the Tycoon (1990) as Hung Leung-yuk Queen of Temple Street (1990) as Big Sis Wah My Mother's Tea House (1990) A Rascal's Tale (1991) Sisters of the World Unite (1991) as Sylvia Lau The Banquet (1991) as Herself The Twin Dragons (1992) as Mrs. Ma (Twins' Mother) Lucky Encounter (1992) as Pregnant Woman C'est la vie, mon chéri (1993) as Deputy Director of Hospital Huan ying (1993) In Between (1994) as Anna Lau (segment "Yuan fu julebu") Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) as Jin-Rong Killer Lady (1995) as Show Show I Want to Go on Living (1995) as Pui Yan The Fragile Heart (1996, TV Series) as Dr. Zhao Quing A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation (1997) as Shine (Mandarin version, voice) The Red Violin (1998) as Xiang Pei (Shanghai) King of Stanley Market (1998) Tempting Heart (1999) as Cheryl Forever and Ever (2001) as Mrs. Tam Li Min-Chun 20 30 40 (2004) as Lily Rice Rhapsody (2004) as Jen American Fusion (2005) as Yvonne The Go Master (2006) as Shu Wen - Wu's mother Buddha Mountain (2010) as Chang Yueqin Mountains May Depart (2015) as Mia Office (2015) as Winnie Chang Shuttle Life (2017) as Li Jun Love Education (2017) as Qiu Huiying Long Day's Journey into Night (2018) Jìyuántái qihào (2019) as Mrs. Mei The Garden of Evening Mists (2019) as Older Teoh Yun Ling Are You Lonesome Tonight? (2021) as Liang's mother A Light Never Goes Out (2021) as Mei-heung Daughter's Daughter (2024) Ai's Kitchen (2024)
As filmmaker Year Title Role Notes1981 Once Upon a Time Co-director, co-writer 1986 Passion Director, writer 1987 Yellow Story Director 1989 All About Ah-Long Co-writer (story) 1991 Sisters of the World Unite Director, co-writer, producer 1992 Mary from Beijing Director, writer 1992 Three Summers Co-writer, producer 1994 In Between Director, writer, producer also known as Conjugal Affairs or The New Age of Living Together segment "Unwed Mother"1995 Siao Yu Director, co-writer 1995 I Want to Go on Living Co-writer 1996 Tonight Nobody Goes Home Director, co-writer 1998 Bishonen Executive producer 1999 Tempting Heart Director, co-writer 2002 Princess D Director, co-writer, producer 2004 20 30 40 Director, co-writer 2008 Run Papa Run Director, co-writer 2007 Happy Birthday Co-writer 2011 10+10 Writer segment "The Dusk of the Gods"2012 My Way Executive producer Documentary2015 Murmur of the Hearts Director, co-writer 2015 Office Writer 2017 Love Education Director, co-writer 2021 Hero Director segment "Hong Kong"
Discography 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 nominations