Kai Ko Chen-tung (; born Ko Chia-kai on 18 June 1991) is a Taiwanese actor, singer and film director.
Career Ko rose to fame with You Are the Apple of My Eye (2011), for which he won Best New Actor at the 48th Golden Horse Awards and 12th Chinese Film Media Awards. He released his debut studio album, Be Yourself, the same year.
Following the success of the Tiny Times film series, his career was disrupted in 2014 when he was arrested in Beijing for marijuana possession, along with Jaycee Chan, leading to their blacklisting in mainland China. Ko's scenes in the Chinese films Monster Hunt and Tiny Times 4 were removed. His advertisement deals and his variety show engagements were also cancelled.
Ko returned to acting with The Road to Mandalay (2016) in Taiwan. In 2020, A Choo, a film he had acted in before the 2014 arrest, was released in Taiwan after he acquired the distribution rights from the Chinese copyright holder.
In 2021, Ko worked with Giddens Ko again in Till We Meet Again. In 2022, Ko won Best Actor at the 24th Taipei Film Awards for his role in the film.
Personal life
Relationships Ko dated Cherry (黃慶宜), a TV showgirl, before he became famous for You Are the Apple of My Eye. He made headlines when his romance with pop singer Elva Hsiao, who is 12 years senior to him and a bigger star, broke in 2012. Ko then has an on-and-off relationship with singer Tia Lee since 2014.
Drug use Ko had appeared in a 2012 anti-drug advertisement in Taiwan in which he and other celebrities declared, "I don't use drugs".
On 18 August 2014, Ko was arrested along with Jaycee Chan by the Beijing Police for drug use, amid a broad anti-drug crackdown on the Chinese celebrities. Police said both actors tested positive for marijuana and admitted using the drug. Ko was placed in administrative detention for 14 days. He was released on 28 August and faced another round of interrogations by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office after returning to Taiwan.
On 29 June 2018, NARS invited Ko to a promotional event in Taipei. After backlash on Weibo, NARS China issued a statement on 1 July expressing regret over the Taiwan team’s decision and apologizing; Ko deleted his social media posts of the event the same day.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2011 You Are the Apple of My Eye Ko Ching-teng Golden Horse Awards for Best New ActorChinese Film Media Awards for Best New Actor 2012 When a Wolf Falls in Love with a Sheep Tung / Wolf 2013 Machi Action Face (stand-in) Cameo TogetherA-tzu Tiny Times Gu Yuan Tiny Times 2 Gu Yuan Dive in 2013 Ke Dong Short film2014 Dive in 2014 Ke Dong Short film Tiny Times 3 Gu Yuan2015Monster HuntScenes edited out due to drug use conviction Tiny Times 4 Gu YuanScenes edited out due to drug use conviction2016The Road to MandalayAh Guo2017Mon Mon Mon MonstersStudent on busCameo2020A ChooWang Yi-zhi2021MoneyboysFeiTill We Meet AgainAh Lun Taipei Film Awards for Best ActorGritCroc / Xiao Yu2022Mama BoyHsiao HungBad EducationDirectorial debut 2023Miss ShampooLong Legs2026We WishChi-huaKung Fu
Television series Year Title Role Notes/2022The Exorcist 2024Let's Talk About ChuChou Ping-keImperfect UsYu Xiang-li2026Agent from Above Han Jie
Discography TitleAlbum detailsTrack listingBe Yourself 有話直說Released: November 11, 2011 Format: CD, streaming, download Label: Star Ritz, Sony Music Taiwan
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2011 48th Golden Horse Awards Best New Performer You Are the Apple of My Eye2012 12th Chinese Film Media Awards Best New Performer 6th Asian Film Awards Best Newcomer Changchun Film Festival Best Actor 2016 53rd Golden Horse Awards Best Leading Actor The Road to Mandalay 2017 Youth Film Handbook Awards Male Actor of the Year 8th To Ten Chinese Films Festival Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role 58th Asia-Pacific Film Festival Best Actor 2021 58th Golden Horse Awards Best Leading Actor Moneyboys 2022 24th Taipei Film Awards Best Actor Till We Meet Again 59th Golden Horse Awards Best New Director Bad Education 2024 26th Taipei Film Awards Best Supporting Actor Miss Shampoo 6th Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards Best Supporting Actor Imperfect Us 59th Golden Bell Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film
References
External links
Kai Ko at Chinesemov.com