Ken Chu (Chinese: 朱孝天; pinyin: Zhū Xiàotiān; born January 15, 1979) is a Taiwanese singer and actor. He is known for his time as a member of Taiwanese boy group F4, as well as his work in solo music, film, and television.
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Early life
Chu was born in Taipei, Taiwan. Raised by a single mother, he was sent to Singapore to attend Boon Lay Secondary School. He returned to Taiwan at the age of seventeen.
Career
2001-2005: Breakthrough and F4
Chu worked as a waiter in Taiwan until he was discovered by TV producer Chai Zhiping, who was working on the television series Meteor Garden (2001). Meteor Garden and its sequel, Meteor Garden II (2002), became Chu's breakthrough role. The drama was a massive success across Asia. Today, the series is credited with the establishment of the idol drama genre. Chu and his three co-stars formed the boyband F4, named after the fictional group from the show. F4 signed a record deal with Sony Music Taiwan and released their debut album, Meteor Rain, in 2001. The following year, they released their second album, Fantasy 4ever.
2005-2010: Solo music and acting
After F4 released Fantasy 4ever, Chu and the other members decided to pursue their own solo music and alternate creative paths. In January 2005, he released his debut solo album, On Ken's Time. The tracks "永不停止" (Never Stopping) and "La La La" were nominated for Top 10 Gold Songs at the Hong Kong TVB8 Awards, presented by television station TVB8, in 2005.
Outside of music, Chu made his film debut as the lead in Sky of Love (2003) and Tokyo Trial (2006). In 2007, Chu starred alongside Iza Calzado in the movie Batanes: Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan, directed by Adolf Alix. In 2006, he released a cookbook, Mei Wei Guan Xi (Delicious Relations) in Taiwan, China, and Japan. He also played the main lead in the Chinese comedy stage play, "Love on A Two Street/He and His Two Wives", which played across China from November 2009 to February 2010.
In February 2007, Chu held his first solo concert in Japan. Later that same year, F4 released their third and final album Waiting For You before disbanding in 2009.. Not long after, Chu had a falling-out with his label over what would be his second and final album, as the label failed to meet the production budget. After his ten-year management contract expired, Chu struggled with depression due to high pressure and intense media scrutiny.
2010-present: Education and social media
Chu lived in Beijing, China, where he opened an antique shop, but decided to close it in the late 2010s. In 2014, Chu was enrolled as an undergraduate of Department of Directing at the Beijing Film Academy. Chu graduated with a master’s degree in retail management from the NEOMA Business School in collaboration with University of International Business and Economics in 2019. Chu moved back to Taiwan before the COVID-19 pandemic. In a 2021 interview, Chu stated that he was the “least successful member of F4,” revealing that he had little to no income in Taiwan over the past two years. Chu has primarily focused on creating online content, including travel shows and e-commerce.
F4 reunited in July 2025 for a surprise performance, and announced a reunion concert tour not long afterward. Due to a contract disagreement with F4's management label B'in Music, Chu was not invited to participate (the only of the four singers to be excluded).
Personal life
Chu suffers from fibromyalgia, a condition that causes chronic pain across the body.
From February 2003 to April 2005, Chu was in a relationship with actress Mai Sato until he was photographed having a hotel fling with actress Li Bingbing. From 2006 to 2011, Chu was in a relationship with actress Kelly Lin. In 2015, Chu met Han Wenwen, his co-star on The Dream Come True. They married in 2016.
Filmography
Discography
Studio albums (solo)
Soundtrack
2003 – Love Storm – "Inside of My Guitar"
