Brigitte Lin
Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia (林青霞; born 3 November 1954) is a Taiwanese actress.
Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia (林青霞), born on November 3, 1954, in Chiayi, Taiwan, is a celebrated Taiwanese actress revered as an icon of Chinese language cinema. Lin’s journey to stardom began unexpectedly in 1972 when she was scouted on the streets of Taipei after completing high school and while preparing for university.
Her film debut was in the adaptation of Chiung Yao’s “Outside the Window” (1973), which catapulted her to fame. She became a prominent figure in Taiwanese cinema, known as part of the “Two Chins, Two Lins” group alongside Joan Lin, Charlie Chin, and Chin Han. This group was famous for their roles in romantic movies based on Chiung Yao’s novels, dominating the Taiwanese box office in the 1970s.
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Rising Stardom and Acclaim
Lin joined Chiung Yao’s company in 1976 and starred in 12 of her films by 1982. She won the Best Actress award at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival for her role in “Eight Hundred Heroes” (1976). Between 1972 and 1979, Lin appeared in 55 films, primarily portraying romantic heroines. In 1979, she took a break to study and relax in the U.S. for a year and a half.
Transition to Hong Kong Cinema
Lin’s collaborations with Hong Kong New Wave directors like Ringo Lam, Tsui Hark, and Jackie Chan in films like “Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain” (1983), “The Other Side of Gentleman” (1984), “Police Story” (1985), and “Peking Opera Blues” (1986) brought her international success. She won the Best Actress trophy at the 27th Golden Horse Awards for her role in “Red Dust” (1990).
Androgynous Roles and Iconic Performances
Lin is renowned for her androgynous roles, beginning with Jia Baoyu in the 1977 adaptation of “Dream of the Red Chamber.” She played a guerrilla revolutionary in “Peking Opera Blues” (1986) and the leader of the Heavenly Dragon Sect in “Royal Tramp II” (1992). Lin’s dual role as Yin and Yang in “Ashes of Time” (1994) and her portrayal of Dongfang Bubai in “Swordsman II” (1992) are especially memorable. “Swordsman II” was a peak in her career, with Time magazine listing her performance among the ten greatest in cinema history.
Legacy and Retirement
Lin starred in more than 100 movies, becoming a trans-island legend and boosting Taiwan’s film production in the 1970s before gaining popularity in Hong Kong in the 1990s. She retired from acting in 1994, with “Ashes of Time” being her last film.
Personal Life
Lin traces her family roots to Shandong, China. She was romantically linked with both Chin Han and Charlie Chin in the 1970s and was briefly engaged to the latter. Lin married Hong Kong businessman Michael Ying in 1994 and is the mother of Eileen Ying Oi Lum and Melani Ying Yin-oi, and stepmother to Claudine Ying.
Lin made a public appearance at the 2008 New York Film Festival screening of “Ashes of Time Redux.” In 2015, she appeared as a cast member in “Up Idol,” a Chinese reality show on Hunan Television.
Brigitte Lin Filmography