Lin Min Chen (; born 1 June 1990) is a Malaysian actress active in Malaysian, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong cinema. Debuting as a singer in Taiwan, Lin embarked on her acting career with the Taiwanese romance series ''Love Me'' and ''
Prince of Wolf'' (both 2016). She gained recognition in Hong Kong with her role as Summer/Winter in the horror romance film ''
Vampire Cleanup Department
''Vampire Cleanup Department'' (救僵清道夫) is a 2017 Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by Yan Pak-wing and Chiu Sin Hang.
The film is a memorial for Lam Ching-ying's death in 1997.
Plot
Prologue
In 1840 in Oxtail Village-Hong Kong ...
'' (2017) and has since appeared in various Hong Kong productions, including ''The Fatal Raid'', ''
A Journey of Happiness'' (both 2019), and ''
One Second Champion
''One Second Champion'' () is a 2020 Hong Kong sports film directed by Chiu Sin Hang, marking his second feature film project after '' Vampire Cleanup Department'' (2017). Chiu also takes on a lead role, alongside Endy Chow, Chanon Santinatorn ...
'' (2021). Lin delivered a breakout performance as Meow in the comedy film ''
Table for Six'' (2022), earning a nomination for
Best Supporting Actress in the
41st Hong Kong Film Awards. She reprised the role in the sequel ''
Table for Six 2'' (2024).
Early life
Lin was born on 1 June 1990, in
Penang
Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...
, Malaysia.
She was of Chinese descent with ancestral roots from
Chaozhou
Chaozhou ( zh, t=潮州), alternatively Chiuchow, Chaochow or Teochew, is a city in the eastern Guangdong province of China. It borders Shantou to the south, Jieyang to the southwest, Meizhou to the northwest, the province of Fujian to the east, ...
,
Guangdong
) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
.
Her mother was a lounge bar singer,
and she had an elder sister and two younger brothers.
When she was six years old, her family moved to
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...
.
After graduating from high school, Lin ran a beauty salon with her sister to raise money for her brothers' school fees.
In her childhood, she never intended to join the entertainment industry; instead, she aspired to become a chef. She had plans to study culinary arts in Australia after saving enough money from the salon business.
Career
In 2014, Lin gained popularity on the internet when a customer took a photo of her at the beauty salon.
Several artist agencies, including singer 's recently established studio, approached her. Yu Heng invited Lin to Taiwan to record a demo after recognizing her potential.
In 2015, Lin signed with as a singer and moved to
Taipei
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country ...
to begin her career.
She released her first single, "My Happy Adventure" in 2016, and subsequently starred in lead roles in the romance web series ' and ''
Prince of Wolf''.
During the same year, the production crew of the horror romance film ''
Vampire Cleanup Department
''Vampire Cleanup Department'' (救僵清道夫) is a 2017 Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by Yan Pak-wing and Chiu Sin Hang.
The film is a memorial for Lam Ching-ying's death in 1997.
Plot
Prologue
In 1840 in Oxtail Village-Hong Kong ...
'' directed by
Chiu Sin Hang
Chiu Sin Hang (; born 11 March 1984) is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter, film director and actor. Debuting as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band ToNick, Chiu gained public recognition with the band's first album ''Let's Go'' and their ...
, went to Taiwan to audition for a suitable lead actress.
Lin's agency recommended her for the audition, and she won the dual role of Summer/Winter, a vampire who died in the nineteenth century.
Her performance in the film garnered public recognition in Hong Kong and marked the beginning of her career there.
Lin filmed an advertisement for a Hong Kong fintech company in 2017,
and released her second EP ''#Me'' in both Taiwan and Hong Kong.
In 2019, she starred in the comedy action thriller film ' and the Hong Kong-Malaysian comedy film ''
A Journey of Happiness'', playing lead roles.
She also released her third EP ''Whoo'' in the same year. In 2021, Lin appeared in Chiu Sin Hang's sports film ''
One Second Champion
''One Second Champion'' () is a 2020 Hong Kong sports film directed by Chiu Sin Hang, marking his second feature film project after '' Vampire Cleanup Department'' (2017). Chiu also takes on a lead role, alongside Endy Chow, Chanon Santinatorn ...
'' as Yiu, a yoga teacher at a struggling boxing gym,
and landed a recurring role in the Singaporean horror mystery thriller series '.
In 2022, Lin achieved a breakout role in the Hong Kong comedy film ''
Table for Six''.
She portrayed Meow, a Taiwanese media personality who moves to Hong Kong and stays with a family starring
Dayo Wong
Dayo Wong Tze Wah (born 5 September 1960) is a Hong Kong actor and standup comedian. Known as a pioneer of stand-up comedy in Hong Kong, he is known for his stadium shows integrating political satire and social commentary. He has performed at ...
,
Stephy Tang
Stephanie Tang Lai-yan (; born 15 October 1983) is a Hong Kong singer and actress. She was formerly the leader of the Cantopop group Cookies. She won the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress in 2017 for her performance in ''The E ...
,
Louis Cheung
Louis Cheung (; born 11 January 1980) is a Hong Kong singer, songwriter, and actor. He is an alumnus of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in acting. His first play was in 1997, and he has performed in a total of more than 20 ...
,
Ivana Wong
Ivana Wong Yuen-chi (; born 18 June 1979) is a Hong Kong singer, songwriter, and actress. She made her debut in 2005 with the self-titled EP ''Ivana''. She is a four-time winner of the Ultimate Song Chart Awards Singer-songwriter Gold Award ...
, and
Peter Chan
Peter Ho-sun Chan (born 28 November 1962), also known as Peter Chan, is a Hong Kong-born filmmaker best known for directing films that span a wide range of genres, including romantic comedies, musical dramas, and historical epics. He is r ...
.
Her performance, along with her iconic greeting posture in the film, generated significant buzz on the internet, and she received a nomination for
Best Supporting Actress in the
41st Hong Kong Film Awards.
Lin reprised her role in the sequel ''
Table for Six 2'' in 2024, and her performance, particularly a crying monologue scene, received positive acclaim.
She was also named the Youth Ambassador in the
16th Asian Film Awards.
In May 2024, Lin announced that she would be taking a hiatus from acting due to health conditions.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lin, Min Chen
1990 births
Living people
21st-century Malaysian actresses
Malaysian people of Teochew descent
Malaysian film actresses
Malaysian television actresses
Malaysian expatriates in Taiwan
Malaysian expatriates in Hong Kong