Megan Lai (; born 5 December 1979) is a Taiwanese actress and singer who is best known for Bromance, Miss Rose, Meteor Garden II and Mars.
Life and career
Early life and education Lai was born on 5 December 1979 in Yonghe, Taipei County. She is the younger of two daughters. Her father operates a Chinese medicinal herb shop, and her older sister is a teacher.
Lai is left-handed, and is able to produce handwritten mirror text, in addition to normal writing with her right hand. As a result, she often has difficulty distinguishing left from right.
Lai graduated from Taipei Municipal Datong High School, where she was the president of her school's pop dance club. Lai completed her bachelor's degree in Information Communications at Shih Hsin University. In 2008, she enrolled as a part-time learner in Ming Chuan University. She graduated in 2011 with a Master of Arts in design management.
Lai is also licensed barista, having attained her barista certificate in 2016.
Career
Career beginnings In 1999, Lai made her first television appearance on the Taiwanese variety show Guess in the segment "Do not judge a book by its cover", where she was a contestant along with Hebe Tien of girl group S.H.E, amongst others. She was later scouted by a modelling agency, where she started her career modelling for magazine pictorials, television advertisements, music video productions and fashion shows.
In 2002, Lai was scouted by notable television producer Angie Chai after appearing in Vic Chou's music video.
In December 2004, Lai released her first studio album, Love, which featured soundtracks from the television series' Mars and Starry Night, in which Lai also starred in.
Transition into leading roles In 2010, Lai appeared alongside Baron Chen, Lego Lee and Chie Tanaka in the drama Because of You.
Upon graduating with a Master of Arts in January 2011, Lai was cast in the police crime drama Next Heroes. Filming began in the same month, and only commenced its broadcast run in October of the same year. Concurrently in 2011, Lai played the role of Su Hai-er in the period drama The Invaluable Treasure 1949. The role earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 46th Golden Bell Awards.
In 2012, Lai was cast in the SETTV romantic comedy Miss Rose in which she played the titular character opposite Roy Chiu.
Rising popularity In 2014, Lai was cast in the role of A Bu-si, a lesbian barista in the highly anticipated movie adaptation of Café. Waiting. Love, penned by well-known Taiwanese novelist Giddens Ko. Lai started taking barista lessons and shed her long hair in preparation for the role, even going to the extent of not attending any public event to maintain the secrecy of her participation in the movie before her casting was announced to the public.
Lai was also cast as an ultramarathon coach in Jay Chou's first movie as an executive producer, 10,000 Miles, starring opposite Sean Huang and Darren Wang. To prepare for the role of an ultramarathon coach, Lai underwent training for three months under ultramarathon runner and executive producer, Kevin Lin. The movie was released in December 2016 to poor critical reception.
In September 2015, Lai received her fourth nomination for the Golden Bell Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film for her role in the film The End of Love. The same month, Lai commenced filming for the romantic comedy Bromance, in which she played the role Pi Ya-nuo, a girl who has to pretend to be a boy until her 26th birthday to be safeguarded a smooth-sailing life. The drama ended its broadcast run to massive domestic and international success, and Lai received tremendous support for her portrayal in the drama.
In 2016, Lai joined the cast of the musical More Than Words, which celebrated the life and works of musical artist Chang Yu-sheng.
In 2018, after a short hiatus from acting, Lai returned to the small screen in the television series Meet Me @ 1006 in a guest appearance. Lai was then cast alongside Sammi Cheng, Kenny Bee and Richie Jen in the movie Fagara, the silver screen adaptation of Amy Cheung's novel Wo De Ai Ru Ci Ma La. The role earned her a Best Actress nomination for the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award.
Lai also starred in the blockchain corporate warfare movie The Last Thieves opposite Yen Tsao, Joanne Tseng, and Eric Tsang, which was released in fall 2019.
Filmography
Television Year English title Original title Role Notes 2002 Meteor Garden II 流星花園IIMimi 2003 Spicy High-School Pupils 麻辣高校生 Chen Hui-min Guest appearanceHi Working Girl Hi 上班女郎 Tseng Ai-lin Love Storm 狂愛龍捲風 Tina Guest appearance 2004 Mars 戰神 Lai Ching-mei Starry Night 愛在星光燦爛時 Megan 2005 Good Beautiful Clinic 2 好美麗診所II嘿哈 Chen Ruo-nan 2006 Silence 深情密碼 Mi Hsiao-kuang White Robe of Love 白袍之戀 Sun Qian 2007 Sweet Relationship 美味關係 Jen Ko-hsin 2007–2008 Wish to See You Again 這裡發現愛 One half of a couple Episode 52008–2009Time Story 光陰的故事 Wang Chien-chien 2010 Because of You 星光下的童話Yu You-tung Rice Family 飯糰之家Yen Hsin-ya 2011 The Invaluable Treasure 1949 瑰寶1949Su Hai-er Next Heroes 真的漢子Hai Qiao 2012 Miss Rose 螺絲小姐要出嫁Luo Sze-yi 2013 Two Fathers 兩個爸爸 Fang Ching-chu Jiu Jiu Nu Er Hong 九九女兒紅 Tao Jiudan 2014 High Heels and a Scalpel 白袍下的高跟鞋 Wu Ya-fan 2015–2016 Bromance 愛上哥們 Pi Ya-nuo / Pi Ya-chi 2018Meet Me @ 10061006的房客Chen Yu-fangGuest appearance2021Piggy's Counterattack三隻小豬的逆襲Chu Hsiao-tung2023Love Yourself沒有你依然燦爛Sun Min-min
Film Year English title Original title Role Notes2004 Free as Love 浮生若夢 Ah Pin 2005 How's Life 生命狂想曲 Lai Hsin-yi TelevisionAshia's Dream 愛絲希雅的夢中夢 Nurse Guest appearanceChocolate Rap巧克力重擊 Ally Lin 2006 Auctioning Off A Corner of the World 拍賣世界的角落 Fran Television2007 Motorbike on Fire! 燃燒吧！機車 Wu Ke-wei Short film2008 Clinic 黑道診所 Ai Hsiao-hui Television2009 Taipei 24H 台北異想 Megan Lai Segment "Share the Morning"L-O-V-E 愛到底 Yen Segment "San sheng you xing"2011 Will You Still Love Me 妳是否依然愛我 Peggy Tien You Are the Apple of My Eye 那些年，我們一起追的女孩 One half of a couple Guest appearance2012 Jumping Boy 不倒翁的奇幻旅程 A-yun 2014 Proposal 家事提案 Lee Hsiao-tung TelevisionCafé. Waiting. Love 等一個人咖啡 A Bu-si 2015 The End of Love 愛情的盡頭 Li Yi-lun Television2016 10,000 Miles 一萬公里的約定 Ellie 2019 Fagara花椒之味Branch Au-yeung The Last Thieves聖人大盜Hsu Ching 2020Get the Hell Out逃出立法院Hsiung Ying-ying2023Cyber Heist斷網Sandy To Wing-shan
Variety show Year English title Original title Notes 2005 Super Deal 超級好康A Host 2007–2010 GoGo Japan Host
Music video appearances Year Artist Song title 2000 Shino Lin "This is" 2001 Chiang Yu-heng "Deny" Stefanie Sun "Kite" Sammi Cheng "Future" Tiger Huang "Firework Live" Shunza "There's No Ugly Woman" 2002 Vic Chou "Hotline for Help" Eason Chan "Men's Fault" Yang Kun and Chen Lin "World of Us" 2004 Faith Yang "Queen" 2010 Huang Pin-yuan "Pisces Love" A-Lin "Give Me A Reason To Forget" 2011 Cindy Yen "Let Go" 2012 Princess Ai "Love Forever" 2017 Wu Bai & China Blue "Ai Ni Wu Mu Di" Bii "Think Of You"2020JJ Lin"Drifters"
Discography
Studio albums TitleAlbum detailsTrack listingLove Released: 28 December 2004 Label: Black Mustard Formats: CD, digital downloadFace Released: 27 March 2015 Label: More Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download
Soundtrack appearances YearSong titleAlbumNotes2004"The Hardest Note"Mars OST"感覺你"Starry Night OST"愛可以燦爛很久"2006"轉身的時候"Silence OST2007"愛的勇氣"Corner with Love OST"有你有我"Sweet Relationship OST"直覺"2010"小雨心事"Because of You OST"團團愛"Rice Family OST"冬末之戀"2011"行行好"Rainbow Sweetheart OST"如果不是你"2012"快樂不倒翁"Jumping Boy OSTCrazy Idol Soap OSTMusical2013"如果沒有你"Two Fathers OST2014"未完待續"High Heels and a Scalpel OST2015"Flow"Future Mr. Right OST2016More Than Words OSTMusical2017"依然是你"Art in Love OST2018"舞魅娘"Wuda's Girls OST
Songwriting credits YearAlbumArtistSong titleLyricsMusicNotesCreditedWithCreditedWith2004LoveMegan Lai"The Hardest Note"林尚德from Mars OST"感覺你"from Starry Night OST20112 be differentCindy Yen"釋懷"Alang Huang 黃俊郎2012Crazy Idol Soap OSTMegan Lai"忘掉"2014Bring Me Home Charity Event Theme SongMickey Huang Fang Wen-lin
Landy Wen
Xiu Jie Kai
Lin Yu-pin
Jay Shih
Steven Sun
Lyla Lin"帶我回家"Ian Chen (F.I.R.)FaceMegan Lai"未完待續"from High Heels and a Scalpel OST2015"臉""Stray Dog"Real Huang (F.I.R.)"Flow"from Future Mr. Right OST"剛才"Deepwhite 深白色"女孩"2018Art in Love OST"依然是你"Chris Yen 顏維霆
Theater Year English title Original titleRole2009 Fools 傻瓜村Su Wan-tung2010 Seventeen Year Itch 17年之癢Misa2011 By the End of the Flora Season 花季未了Chiang Yen-ping2012 Crazy Idol Soap 瘋狂偶像劇An-chiThe Goodbye Girl再見女郎Bao-chi2012–20132014Crazy Idol Soap瘋狂偶像劇An-chi2015 Crazy Television 3 瘋狂電視台3-來自地球的你2016 More Than Words天天想你Hsu Man2017 Crazy Idol Soap 瘋狂偶像劇An-chi2019
Published works
(e-book)
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result2005 40th Golden Bell Awards Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film How's Life 42nd Golden Horse Awards Best New Performer 200651st Asia-Pacific Film FestivalBest ActressChocolate Rap 2011 46th Golden Bell Awards Best Actress Invaluable Treasure 1949 2013Sanlih Drama AwardsBest ActressTwo FathersBest Kiss (with Weber Yang) 2014 49th Golden Bell Awards Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film Proposal 201550th Golden Bell AwardsBest Actress in a Miniseries or Television FilmThe End of Love Sanlih Drama Awards Best ActressBromance 202026th Hong Kong Film Critics Society AwardBest ActressFagara 39th Hong Kong Film AwardsBest Supporting Actress
References
External links
Megan Lai at Sina Weibo Megan Lai's Official Youtube Music Channel