Chang Chen Advises Taiwan's Emerging Actors to 'Be Like Water' at TCCF Showcase
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee chair offered guidance to rising talent during a special panel event in Taipei.
Published 7 November 2026
Chang Chen Shares Guidance at TCCF Showcase
Chang Chen, chair of the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee and a previous best leading actor winner for 'Lucky Lu', recently addressed six rising performers in Taipei.
The event, titled the 'TCCF x The Golden Horse Awards: Taiwan Emerging Actors Showcase', took place during the Taiwan Creative Content Fest.
Connecting Talent with Global Teams
The showcase was designed specifically to bridge the gap between emerging local performers and international creative teams, investors, and media professionals.
The participants featured in the lineup were all either nominees or winners of the Best New Performer honor at the Golden Horse Awards, which represent the top accolades for Chinese-language cinema.
A Diverse Lineup of Rising Performers
The featured actors included Bai Xiao-ying and Ho Man-xi, who are nominees for this year's Best New Performer award for their roles in 'Girl' and 'Sunshine Women's Choir' respectively.
Ma Shih-yuan won the award last year for 'Left-Handed Girl', while Rosen, Jimmy Liu, and Lin Yi-ting earned nominations for 'Marching Boys', 'Blind Love', and 'A Dance With Rainbows'.
Martial Arts, Dance, and Unique Backgrounds
The performers brought diverse skills to the table, with Bai noting she began acting at age six and trained in traditional Chinese martial arts for a decade. Ho drew on her extensive dance training and expressed a desire to take on physically demanding roles in suspense action films.
Other actors shared varied experiences, including Liu's seven years of taekwondo practice, Ma finding an emotional outlet through acting, and Rosen learning Western fencing while preparing for a project.
Shifting Away From Familiar Casting
When discussing their future goals in the industry, Bai, Ma, and Liu expressed a strong desire to break away from familiar casting types and take on comedy or villain roles.
The rising stars emphasized the importance of sincerity in performance and supporting fellow cast members during the creative process.
The 'Be Like Water' Philosophy
Offering his perspective on the craft, Chang praised the six performers and urged them to adopt a flexible approach to their work. He noted that actors must be like water, changing their shape to fit whatever vessel they are placed into.
He also shared advice he received from Ang Lee about reading biographies of people with different personalities to better understand how to inhabit various characters.
News Overview
Chang Chen spoke to six rising actors at a Taiwan Creative Content Fest showcase in Taipei, offering advice on navigating different film sets and international productions. The event highlighted nominees and winners from the Golden Horse Awards to connect them with global media and investors.
Key facts
- Chang Chen is the chair of the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee.
- Chang Chen won best leading actor last year for 'Lucky Lu'.
- The showcase event was held at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest in Taipei.
- Six rising performers were featured at the showcase.
- Bai Xiao-ying and Ho Man-xi are nominees for Best New Performer for 'Girl' and 'Sunshine Women's Choir'.
- Ma Shih-yuan won Best New Performer last year for 'Left-Handed Girl'.
- Rosen, Jimmy Liu, and Lin Yi-ting were nominated for 'Marching Boys', 'Blind Love', and 'A Dance With Rainbows'.