Yen Cheng-kuo
Yen Cheng-kuo | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 10, 1974 |
| Died | October 7, 2025 (aged 50) |
Yen Cheng-kuo (Chinese: 顏正國; October 10, 1974 – October 7, 2025) was a Taiwanese actor, director and calligraphy teacher.
Early life and career
Yen was born October 10, 1974 in Xizhi, Taipei County. His father was a soldier in the Republic of China Army.[1][2] He entered the film industry at the age of six, debuting in My Native Land (1980), directed by Li Hsing.[3][4]
Throughout his career, he acted in a number of feature films directed or executive produced by Hou Hsiao-hsien, including Growing Up (1983), A Summer at Grandpa's (1984), and Dust of Angels (1992).[5][6] He was nominated for the Golden Horse Award for Best Child Star in 1983, for his role in The Sandwich Man.[7][8]
Personal life and death
In the late 1980s, Yen became addicted to drugs and was arrested in 1991 for using amphetamines, causing public uproar. He was also arrested for possessing a firearm.[9]
On July 1, 2001, Yen and a group of other people kidnapped Shi Jindu, a drug dealer in Dacun, Changhua County, and extorted NT$200 and 2 kilograms of amphetamine.[10] He was released from Taichung Prison in March 2012 after serving 11 years.[11]
In later life, he worked as a calligraphy teacher and published a book, Giving Up Fists and Painting a New Life through Calligraphy — Kung Fu Kid Yen Cheng-kuo's Youth and Awakening.[12][13]
Yen died at the age of 50 of lung cancer on October 7, 2025, while hospitalized at Far Eastern Memorial Hospital.[5][14]
References
- ^ 黃文鉅 (2018-02-18). "其他童星成為導演和工程師 只有他成為囚犯". Mirror Media (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2025-10-08.
- ^ 黃文鉅 (2018-02-19). "【一鏡到底】我拿青春作人質 顏正國". Mirror Media (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2025-10-08.
- ^ "顏正國2段婚姻/現任獄中筆友到結婚.愛妻改變了阿國的人生 8日發文：「謝謝大家」". Yahoo News (in Chinese). 2025-10-08. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
- ^ "公視官網 404 Page". www.pts.org.tw. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
- ^ a b "Taiwanese actor Yen Cheng-kuo dies at 50 from lung cancer". TVBS. October 8, 2025. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
- ^ "顏正國自導自演 微電影今首映｜蘋果新聞網｜蘋果日報". 蘋果新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
- ^ "顏正國 YEN Cheng-Kuo". Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
- ^ "台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival". www.goldenhorse.org.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ^ "【法網專題】民國91年一念之差! 顏正國童星變囚犯". 華視新聞網 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-10-08.
- ^ "好小子顏正國涉勒贖 綁人勒索200萬及2公斤安毒 1同夥落網". United Daily News. 2001-07-16.
- ^ "《好小子》演员颜正国狱中娶笔友 二度当爹_娱乐频道_凤凰网". ent.ifeng.com. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
- ^ "顏正國昔服刑勤練書法！「戀上女筆友」 假釋出獄立即結婚". Yahoo News (in Chinese). 2025-10-08. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
- ^ "Ex-Kung Fu kid relishing new role". Taipei Times. May 11, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
- ^ Wang, Hsin-yu; Low, Y.F. (October 7, 2025). "'The Kung-Fu Kids' star Yen Cheng-kuo dies at 50". Central News Agency. Retrieved October 8, 2025. Republished as: "'The Kung-Fu Kids' star Yen Cheng-kuo dies at 50". Taipei Times. October 8, 2025. Retrieved October 8, 2025.