Kai Ko

Kai Ko, born Ko Chia-kai on June 18, 1991, is a Taiwanese actor, director, and singer professionally known as Kai Ko Chen-tung. He gained widespread popularity in the entertainment industry through his performances in film, eventually expanding his work into music and directing.

Ko's career reached an early turning point in 2011 when he starred in the feature film You Are the Apple of My Eye. His performance brought him major regional attention and earned him the Best New Actor award at both the 48th Golden Horse Awards and the 12th Chinese Film Media Awards. Capitalizing on his early acting success, he also launched his music career in 2011 by releasing his first studio album, titled Be Yourself.

He continued to build his profile by starring in the popular Tiny Times film franchise. However, his professional trajectory experienced significant disruption in August 2014 following his arrest in Beijing alongside Jaycee Chan for marijuana usage during a broader crackdown on public figures. Both actors tested positive for the substance and acknowledged using it, resulting in Ko serving a 14-day administrative detention. Upon his release, he faced further legal questioning from prosecutors in Taipei.

The arrest led to Ko being blacklisted within mainland China's media market. Consequently, his appearances were cut from the movies Monster Hunt and Tiny Times 4, while his commercial endorsement deals and television variety show appearances were canceled. The incident also affected promotional opportunities years later; after attending a product event for the cosmetics brand NARS in Taipei in 2018, online criticism prompted the brand's Chinese division to issue an apology, leading Ko to remove related online posts.

Ko resumed his acting career in Taiwan with his role in the 2016 feature The Road to Mandalay. In 2020, he secured the distribution rights to A Choo, a project he completed prior to his 2014 arrest, enabling the movie to finally be screened in Taiwanese theaters.

He reunited with filmmaker Giddens Ko for the 2021 project Till We Meet Again. His work on the film earned him critical acclaim, culminating in a Best Actor award at the 24th Taipei Film Awards in 2022.

In his personal life, Ko was previously in a relationship with television personality Cherry prior to his breakout role. His romantic life subsequently drew public interest through his relationship with pop singer Elva Hsiao beginning in 2012, as well as an intermittent relationship with singer Tia Lee starting in 2014.