Ruby Lin

Ruby Lin Xin-ru, born on January 27, 1976, is a Taiwanese actress, television and film producer, and singer. Born and raised in Wugu, New Taipei City, Taiwan, she grew up as the eldest of four children with a businessman father and a housewife mother. She attended Ri Xin Primary School and Zhong Dian High School. Lin was discovered by a talent agent at age seventeen and began working as a part-time commercial model, debuting in a 1994 tea commercial. On her twentieth birthday, she officially signed with Jessie and Jones Entertainment Ltd to pursue an entertainment career.

Lin began acting in 1995 with a role in the film School Days alongside Jimmy Lin and Takeshi Kaneshiro. After appearing in several Taiwanese television series and filming in China in 1996, she achieved widespread fame when writer Chiung Yao cast her as Xia Ziwei in the period drama My Fair Princess (1998–1999). The hit series established her as a prominent star across Asia. She built on this success by starring in major television series including The Duke of Mount Deer (2000) and Romance in the Rain (2001), while also appearing in Hong Kong films such as Winner Takes All and China Strike Force.

Beginning in 2002, Lin focused her career primarily in mainland China. In 2003, she starred in the television series Half Life Fate, Boy & Girl, and Flying Daggers, along with films like Life Express and Love Trilogy. She subsequently starred in China-Korea joint productions including Amor de Tarapaca and Magic Touch of Fate. In late 2004, Lin briefly paused her filming schedule to study English and acting in New York City. After returning, she starred in series such as Paris Sonata and Sound of Colors, playing a blind radio DJ in the latter.

In late 2006, Lin signed with Huayi Brothers Film and Television group. She subsequently took on varied roles, playing Daji in The Legend and the Hero 2, Sun Shangxiang in Three Kingdoms, and Empress Dou in the historical drama Beauty's Rival in Palace (2010). Her film projects during this period included Fallen City, You Deserve To Be Single, and Driverless, alongside a tour in the stage play Sweet Sweet Love.

Lin established her own studio in 2009 to produce television dramas and films in mainland China and Taiwan. Her debut production, The Glamorous Imperial Concubine (2011), won her Best Producer at the 2012 TV Drama Awards Made in China. Her Taiwanese production, The Way We Were (2014), won Best Television Series at the 50th Golden Bell Awards. As a singer, Lin released six music albums starting with Heartbeat in 1999. Her career achievements led to multiple appearances on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list between 2013 and 2017.