- Chinese Name: 陳竹昇
- Born: August 6, 1975
- Birthplace: Taipei City (Northern Taiwan)
- Did You Know That …?
- During childhood, Chen used to follow his father, who was a postman, as he delivered letters along the streets of New Taipei's Xinzhuang District. The different walks of life he saw in the neighborhood later became his source of inspiration for portraying different characters.
Bamboo Chen Chu-sheng is a versatile actor whose works encompass theater, TV drama, and film. In an acting career that spans over a decade, Chen made his latest breakthrough with his role in the 2017 film "Alifu, The Prince/ss (阿莉芙)." His sophisticated interpretation of a transgender man called Sherry in that film earned him the title of Best Supporting Actor at the 54th Golden Horse Film Festival.
Upon graduating from high school, Chen joined the stage crew of the Greenray Theatre Company to make theater tools and stage equipment. He also played some cameo roles when the company lacked actors. Over the years, he gradually grew interested in acting and decided to become a professional actor when he was 27.
Chen's acting career didn’t go smoothly at the beginning. To make a living, Chen had to take on various jobs including working for a film festival crew, writing scripts for children's plays, and even teaching traditional lion dancing to foreigners. These experiences, however, added to Chen's versatility as an actor later on.
Since 2007, he had participated in eighteen TV dramas and mini-series. He also played various roles in roughly 20 films, including "Orz Boys (冏男孩)" and "Monga (艋舺)." Though most of the roles he played were minor or unnamed, Chen quickly accumulated experience in portraying different characters, which paved the way to his success.
In 2012, Chen played the leading role in the mini series titled "My Little Honey Moon (野蓮香)" produced by the Public Television Service. His vivid portrayal of a traditional man in a Taiwanese village seeking forgiveness from his Vietnamese wife won him a Golden Bell Award for best leading actor.
Chen becomes more recognized as an actor with the 2017 dark comedy "The Great Buddha+ (大佛普拉斯)" by director Huang Hsin-yao (黃信堯). To get into character for Belly Button (度財), a waste picker living in decrepit conditions, Chen starved himself and imagined being covered by the odor of garbage before cameras rolled. His standout role became one of the most-discussed characters in that film.
For his latest breakthrough role of Sherry, Chen shaved his legs, armpits, eyebrows, and sideburns, and even received manicures and applied fake eyelashes to prepare himself as the transgender bar owner – one of the most lovable characters in that film.
When asked about being an actor, Chen stated that: "You don’t have to remember my name. You won’t get the sense that I’m acting when I’m acting; when I’m acting, you will see me as the character."