Ruco Chan

Ruco Chan Chin-pang (born 14 January 1977) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Chan made his acting debut when he was seventeen years old, appearing in an episode of the TVB television drama Instinct (1994). After years of playing background and minor supporting characters, Chan got his first major role in the ATV television drama Love In a Miracle (2003). Though he continued to star in ATV television dramas for the next three years, his drama series were not commercially successful.

Chan returned to TVB in 2008 and gained fame when he starred as the young barrister Keith Lau in the TVB legal drama The Other Truth (2011), a role that also established him as a leading television actor. Chan received critical acclaim for his performance in Brother's Keeper (2013), earning him his first top-five Best Actor nomination at the TVB Anniversary Awards. In 2015, Chan won the TVB Anniversary Award for Most Popular Male Character for his performance as the Eleventh Prince in Captain of Destiny.

Chan is the first actor to win My Favourite TVB Actor at the StarHub TVB Awards for three consecutive years (2014, 2015, 2016). He is also the first actor to make two consecutive wins for Favourite TVB Actor at the TVB Star Awards Malaysia (2015, 2016).

Early life

Chan was born in Hong Kong. His father was a firefighter and his mother was a tailor. Influenced by his father at a young age, Chan developed a love for table tennis and joined the Hong Kong Table Tennis team after receiving rigorous training at the Jubilee Sports Academy when he was thirteen. He was the youngest player to represent Hong Kong in overseas competitions at the time.^[1] After five years of committing to the sport, Chan left the team upon finishing his high school education exams. After graduation, Chan was accepted into a technical institution and, attracted by the 3,000 HKD monthly income, also joined TVB's Artiste Training Class. Being only seventeen at the time, Chan was required to have his parents' signed approval before signing a management contract with TVB. His father initially refused, but later gave in when TVB offered an automatic contract cancellation if Chan didn't do well in his classes. Chan graduated from TVB's Seventh Artiste Training Class of 1994.

Career

Chan's television debut was in the serial drama Instinct in 1994, where he briefly appeared as the young friend of Ekin Cheng's character Pao Man-lung. Weeks later, he made a brief appearance in the sitcom A Kindred Spirit as the friend of Andy, portrayed by Hawick Lau, who was Chan's training class classmate. For the next three years, Chan performed in minor roles in over eighteen TVB television dramas. Chan left TVB in 1998 after signing a record deal with PolyGram. Prior to the release of his debut EP, Universal acquired PolyGram and Chan's contract with PolyGram became defunct. For the next few years, Chan won several small supporting roles in various Hong Kong films. When he had no filming jobs, he would work as a renovation worker, earning only 300 HKD per day.

In 2001, Chan signed with ATV to start working on television acting again. According to Chan, his first two years at ATV were "rough, uncomfortable, and filled with regret."^[2] Despite his past acting experiences in both television and film, ATV only gave him minor roles and spots in music videos. Chan's first major role was in the 2004 period drama Love in a Miracle, playing the main antagonist. He was then given a major supporting role in My Date with a Vampire III (2004). Besides performing in television dramas, Chan also made appearances in many variety shows, and hosted many gala ceremonies for ATV.

Unsatisfied with his career at ATV, Chan returned to TVB in 2008 and signed an eight-year management contract with the company.^[3] He was cast into supporting roles in several successful television dramas, such as The Threshold of a Persona (2009), Burning Flame III (2009), The Mysteries of Love (2010), Ghost Writer (2010), When Lanes Merge (2010), and Every Move You Make (2010), most of them being villainous roles. In 2011, Chan garnered media attention and critical acclaim for his portrayal of barrister Keith Lau in the television legal drama The Other Truth. Chan was nominated for Best Actor and My Favourite Male Character at the 2011 TVB Awards Presentation.

Personal life

Chan began a romantic relationship with Miss Asia winner Eunis Yiu in 2008. They broke up in 2010.^[4]

Filmography

Television dramas

Key

Denotes dramas that are in production or have not yet been released

Title	Chinese title	Year	Role	Notes
Instinct	笑看風雲	1994	Peter	Episode 19
Happy Harmony	餐餐有宋家	1994	Nick
Man of Wisdom II	金牙大狀（貳）	1995	Cheung Hok-sau
Sharp Shooters	廉政英雌	1995	News reporter
A Kindred Spirit	真情	1995	Eric	Episode 6
To Love With Love	水餃皇后	1995	Chu Tak-pak	15 episodes
Down Memory Lane	萬里長情	1995	Chi-hung	Episode 15
The Criminal Investigator	O記實錄	1995	Wu Sai-kit	Episode 15
The Condor Heroes 95	神鵰俠侶	1995	Sung Tak-fong	Episode 23
Stepping Stone	總有出頭天	1995	On
File of Justice IV	壹號皇庭IV	1995	Frankie Fan	Episode 23
When a Man Loves a Woman	新同居關係	1995	Fong Sai-hoi	2 episodes (Eps. 10–11)
From Act to Act	娛樂插班生	1995	Peter
A Good Match From Heaven	天降奇緣	1995	Fong Sai-wah
Detective Investigation Files II	刑事偵緝檔案II	1995	Hair stylist
Cold Blood Warm Heart	天地男兒	1996	Rookie
Mutual Affection	河東獅吼	1996	Scholar
Outburst	900重案追兇	1996	Au Lik-keung
Wars of Bribery	廉政行動組	1996	Ah Sei
State of Divinity	笑傲江湖	1996	Lau Fei
Nothing to Declare	緝私群英	1996	Yeung Sau-chuen
The Price to Pay	五個醒覺的少年	1996	Hung
Once Upon a Time in Shanghai	新上海灘	1996	Deputy commander
ICAC Investigators 1996	廉政行動1996	1996	Chan Chin-man
One Good Turn Deserves Another	地獄天使	1996	Lai Tin-wong
Show Time Blues	樂壇插班生	1997	Program host
Mystery Files	迷離檔案	1997	Lai Ka-leung
Against the Blade of Honour	圓月彎刀	1997	Sing
Justice Sung	狀王宋世傑	1997	Extra
The Disappearance	隱形怪傑	1997	Chai
Before Dawn	愛在暴風的日子	1998	Extra
The Hitman Chronicles	大刺客	1998	Aisin Gioro Yin-to
The New Adventures of Chor Lau-heung	新楚留香	2001	Wen Liangyu	8 episodes
As You Wish	有求必應	2002	Kam Dor-bo
Project Ji Xiang	吉祥任務	2002	Albert Yung Siu-lung
Light of Million Hopes	萬家燈火	2003	Chiu Ko-hing
Thunder Cops	暴風型警	2003	Chan Sing-yau
Son from the Past	子是故人來	2004	Lam Ying (youth)
Love in a Miracle	愛在有情天	2004	Chong Ning
My Date with a Vampire III	我和殭屍有個約會III之永恆國度	2004	Ho Yau-cau / Destiny
Happy Family	喜有此理	2005	Tsan-po / Ho-nam
The Blind Detective	盲俠金魚飛天豬	2006	Jian Tailang
Legend of Fang De and Miao Cuihua	方德與苗翠花	2006	Tiger Lui
Hong Kong Criminal Files	香港奇案實錄	2006	Kam Chin-yu	3 episodes (Eps. 16–18)
Concubines of the Qing Emperor	大清後宮	2006	Yu Tai
Walled Village	大城小故事	2007	Chan Heung-ching
Stupid Child	笨小孩	2007	Ko Siu-lam	Main role
Hong Kong Ghostbusters	靈舍不同	2007	Lau Chi-pang	Main role
The King of Snooker	桌球天王	2009	Yau Yat-kiu (youth)
The Threshold of a Persona	ID精英	2009	Kelvin Mak Chi-hin
Burning Flame III	烈火雄心3	2009	Kelvin Pang Chi-ban	9 episodes
Cupid Stupid	戀愛星求人	2010	Frankie Chung Kin Pong
The Mysteries of Love	談情說案	2010	Ben Wong Chi-ban	2 episodes (Eps. 14–15)
Ghost Writer	蒲松齡	2010	Po Pak-ling
When Lanes Merge	情越雙白線	2010	Tony Kwan Syu-yan	10 episodes
Every Move You Make	讀心神探	2010	Chiu Man-hoi	4 episodes (Eps. 16–20)
A Great Way to Care	仁心解碼	2011	Dr. Leo Fong Wing-chun
Only You	Only You 只有您	2011	Ng Siu-hoi	4 episodes (Eps. 4-6, 27)
Grace Under Fire	女拳	2011	Lui Kong (youth)	Episode 4
Relic of an Emissary	洪武三十二	2011	Zhu Quan, the Prince of Ning
The Other Truth	真相	2011	Keith Lau Sz-kit	Main role
Forensic Heroes III	法證先鋒III	2011	Jim Fong Sai-yau	10 episodes
No Good Either Way	衝呀！瘦薪兵團	2012	Alex Mo Nga-lik	Main role
Three Kingdoms RPG	回到三國	2012	Zhou Yu	8 episodes
Reality Check	心路GPS	2013	Summer Ha Yat-cheung	Main role
Slow Boat Home	情越海岸線	2013	Kevin Ching Lai-wing (Fit Wing)	Main role
Brother's Keeper	巨輪	2013	Sam Kiu Tin-seng	Main role
Outbound Love	單戀雙城	2014	Luk Kung-tsz	Main role
Ruse of Engagement	叛逃	2014	Carson Chong Yau-ching	Main role
ICAC Investigators 2014	廉政行動2014	2014	Officer Kelvin Chan Kwok-yan	Episode 4: "Goal Tricks"
All That Is Bitter Is Sweet	大藥坊	2014	Ding Yat-yuen	Main role
Eye in the Sky	天眼	2015	Cheng Nik-hang	Main role
Captain of Destiny	張保仔	2015	Man-ho, the Eleventh Prince / Bowie	Main role
ICAC Investigators 2016	廉政行動2016	2016	Officer Chan Kwok-yan (Batman Sir)	Main role
A Fist Within Four Walls	城寨英雄	2016	Chor Au-kuen	Main role
Brother's Keeper II	巨輪II	2016	Sam Kiu Tin-seng	5 episodes
Burning Hands	乘勝狙擊	2017	Chak Koon-yat	Main role
The Unholy Alliance	同盟	2017	Ko Chi-kit	Main role
Heaven's Will	天命	2017	Heshen	Main role

Film

Discography

• 1998: Blue
• 1998: Chui Ho Kwan Hai (最好關係)
  • CD1, Track 9: "Wan Ha La" (玩吓啦)

Soundtrack appearances

Other appearances

Awards and nominations

TVB Anniversary Awards

TVB Star Awards Malaysia

StarHub TVB Awards

Weibo Stars Awards

Others

• 2012 Singapore Entertainment Awards—Most Popular Hong Kong TV Actor
• 2013 Singapore Entertainment Awards—Most Popular Hong Kong TV Actor
• 2014 Singapore Entertainment Awards—Most Popular Hong Kong TV Actor
• 2015 Yahoo! Asia Buzz Awards—Most Searched Male TV Artist
• 2016 McMillan Woods Global Awards—Asia Pacific Best Male Actor

References

External links

• Ruco Chan at Sina Weibo
• Ruco Chan at TVB.com
• Woody Chan at the Internet Movie Database
• Ruco Chan Chin-Pang at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase