Ministry of Culture

• Chinese Name: 阮經天
• Date of Birth: Nov. 8, 1982
• Birthplace: Taichung City (Central Taiwan)
• Did You Know That… ? Ethan Ruan now co-runs a talent management agency with Taiwanese directors Doze Niu (鈕承澤) and Lee Lieh (李烈).

With his good figure and striking appearance, Ethan Ruan soon rose to be a successful model shortly after entering the profession. Ruan and two fellow models - Mika He (賀軍翔) and Joseph Cheng (鄭元暢) - were dubbed the "three musketeers” of his model agency.

Both He and Cheng entered the show business by starring in several "idol dramas” and became popular actors. However, Ruan, who began shooting TV series at about the same time, was not so lucky. Prior to the 2008 TV series "Fated to Love You (命中注定我愛你),” his early works failed to help him gain wide popularity.

The romantic comedy series starring Ruan and Taiwanese actress Joe Chen (陳喬恩) was an overnight success, becoming one of the highest-rated idol dramas produced in Taiwan. Ruan rose to fame by following the success with another hit drama titled "My Queen (敗犬女王),” which also topped the national TV ratings in 2009.

His acting career reached new heights when he became part of Taiwanese director Doze Niu's (鈕承澤) 2010 gangster film "Monga (艋舺),” which was selected to premiere at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival's Panorama section. The movie about the comradeship of five young gangsters in Taipei during the 1980s won both critical acclaim and box-office success.

Ruan was nominated for the 47th Golden Horse Award for Best Actor for his leading role in the blockbuster, and achieved a major milestone in his career by winning the award as a first-time nominee and becoming the first Taiwanese winner of that award category in 11 years.