Ruco Chan


Ruco Chan Chin-pang is a Hong Kong actor and singer. He made his acting debut when he was seventeen years old, appearing in an episode of the TVB television drama Instinct. After years of playing background and minor supporting characters, Chan got his first major role in the ATV television drama Love In a Miracle. Though he continued to star in ATV television dramas for the next three years, his drama series were not commercially successful.
Chan returned to TVB in 2008 and gained public recognition when starring as the young barrister Keith Lau in the TVB legal drama The Other Truth, a role that also established him as a leading television actor. Chan received critical acclaim for his subsequent performances, most notably in Brother's Keeper, Ruse of Engagement, and Captain of Destiny, the latter winning him the TVB Anniversary Award for Most Popular Male Character. He is the first actor to win My Favourite TVB Actor at the StarHub TVB Awards for three consecutive years, and is also the first actor to make two consecutive wins for My Favourite TVB Actor at the TVB Star Awards Malaysia. In 2016, Chan won the TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor for A Fist Within Four Walls.

Early life

Chan was born in Hong Kong with ancestral roots from Xiamen, Fujian. His father was a firefighter and his mother was a tailor. Influenced by his father at a young age, Chan developed a love for table tennis and joined the Hong Kong Table Tennis team after receiving rigorous training at the Jubilee Sports Academy when he was thirteen. He was the youngest player to represent Hong Kong in overseas competitions at the time. After five years of committing to the sport, Chan left the team upon finishing his high school education exams. After graduation, Chan was accepted into a technical institution and, attracted by the 3,000 HKD monthly income, also joined TVB's Artiste Training Class. Being only seventeen at the time, Chan was required to have his parents' signed approval before signing a management contract with TVB. His father initially refused, but later gave in when TVB offered an automatic contract cancellation if Chan didn't do well in his classes. Chan graduated from TVB's Seventh Artiste Training Class of 1994.

Career

Chan's television debut was in the serial drama Instinct in 1994, where he briefly appeared as the young friend of Ekin Cheng's character Pao Man-lung. Weeks later, he made a brief appearance in the sitcom A Kindred Spirit as the friend of Andy, portrayed by Hawick Lau, who was Chan's training class classmate. For the next three years, Chan performed in minor roles in over eighteen TVB television dramas. Chan left TVB in 1998 after signing a record deal with PolyGram. Prior to the release of his debut EP, Universal acquired PolyGram and Chan's contract with PolyGram became defunct. For the next few years, Chan won several small supporting roles in various Hong Kong films. When he had no filming jobs, he would work as a renovation worker, earning only 300 HKD per day.
In 2001, Chan signed with ATV to start working on television acting again. According to Chan, his first two years at ATV were "rough, uncomfortable, and filled with regret." Despite his past acting experiences in both television and film, ATV only gave him minor roles and spots in music videos. Chan's first major role was in the 2004 period drama Love in a Miracle, playing the main antagonist. He was then given a major supporting role in My Date with a Vampire III. Besides performing in television dramas, Chan also made appearances in many variety shows, and hosted many gala ceremonies for ATV.
Unsatisfied with his career at ATV, Chan returned to TVB in 2008 and signed an eight-year management contract with the company. He was cast into supporting roles in several successful television dramas, such as The Threshold of a Persona, Burning Flame III, The Mysteries of Love, Ghost Writer, When Lanes Merge, and Every Move You Make, most of them being villainous roles. In 2011, Chan garnered media attention and critical acclaim for his portrayal of barrister Keith Lau in the television legal drama The Other Truth. Chan was nominated for Best Actor and My Favourite Male Character at the 2011 TVB Awards Presentation.
Chan's subsequent performances won him critical acclaim, most notably in Brother's Keeper, Ruse of Engagement, and Captain of Destiny, the latter winning him the TVB Anniversary Award for Most Popular Male Character. He is the first actor to win My Favourite TVB Actor at the StarHub TVB Awards for three consecutive years, and is also the first actor to make two consecutive wins for My Favourite TVB Actor at the TVB Star Awards Malaysia. In 2016, Chan won the TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor for A Fist Within Four Walls.

Personal life

Chan began a romantic relationship with Miss Asia winner Eunis Yiu in 2008. They broke up in 2010. In the next few years, there were rumours of Chan dating actresses, but none have resulted in quite as much media attention as his Brother's Keeper and All That is Bitter is Sweet partner Linda Chung and later, A Fist Within Four Walls and The Unholy Alliance partner Nancy Wu. In 2016, while a guest judge for Miss Hong Kong, he met contestant Phoebe Sin and subsequently in March 2017, was photographed in a car with her on The Peak. The media highlighted this relationship, with the vast majority of public response taking negative views of Phoebe and also Chan's handling of the matter. On 10 September 2018, Chan announced his engagement to Phoebe. They were married on 13 October the same year. On 10 November 2018, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child via Instagram. Their daughter Quinta Chan was born on 14 April 2019.

Filmography

Television dramas

TitleChinese titleYearRoleNotes
Instinct笑看風雲1994PeterEpisode 19
Happy Harmony餐餐有宋家1994Nick
Man of Wisdom II金牙大狀（貳）1995Cheung Hok-sau
Sharp Shooters廉政英雌1995News reporter
A Kindred Spirit真情1995EricEpisode 6
To Love With Love水餃皇后1995Chu Tak-pak15 episodes
Down Memory Lane萬里長情1995Chi-hungEpisode 15
The Criminal InvestigatorO記實錄1995Wu Sai-kitEpisode 15
The Condor Heroes 95神鵰俠侶1995Sung Tak-fongEpisode 23
Stepping Stone總有出頭天1995On
File of Justice IV壹號皇庭IV1995Frankie FanEpisode 23
When a Man Loves a Woman新同居關係1995Fong Sai-hoi2 episodes
From Act to Act娛樂插班生1995Peter
A Good Match From Heaven天降奇緣1995Fong Sai-wah
Detective Investigation Files II刑事偵緝檔案II1995Hair stylistEpisode 21
Cold Blood Warm Heart天地男兒1996Rookie
Mutual Affection河東獅吼1996Scholar
Outburst900重案追兇1996Au Lik-keung
Wars of Bribery廉政行動組1996Ah Sei
State of Divinity笑傲江湖1996Lau Fei
Nothing to Declare緝私群英1996Yeung Sau-chuen
The Price to Pay五個醒覺的少年1996Hung
Once Upon a Time in Shanghai新上海灘1996Deputy commander
ICAC Investigators 1996廉政行動19961996Chan Chin-man
One Good Turn Deserves Another地獄天使1996Lai Tin-wong
Show Time Blues樂壇插班生1997Program host
Mystery Files迷離檔案1997Lai Ka-leung
Against the Blade of Honour圓月彎刀1997Sing
Justice Sung狀王宋世傑1997Extra
The Disappearance隱形怪傑1997Chai
Before Dawn愛在暴風的日子1998Extra
The Hitman Chronicles大刺客1998Aisin Gioro Yin-to
The New Adventures of Chor Lau-heung新楚留香2001Wen Liangyu8 episodes
As You Wish有求必應2002Kam Dor-bo
Project Ji Xiang吉祥任務2002Albert Yung Siu-lung
Light of Million Hopes萬家燈火2003Chiu Ko-hing
Thunder Cops暴風型警2003Chan Sing-yau
Son from the Past子是故人來2004Lam Ying
Love in a Miracle愛在有情天2004Chong Ning
My Date with a Vampire III我和殭屍有個約會III之永恆國度2004Ho Yau-cau / Destiny
Happy Family喜有此理2005Tsan-po / Ho-nam
The Blind Detective盲俠金魚飛天豬2006Jian TailangEpisodes 21-25
Legend of Fang De and Miao Cuihua方德與苗翠花2006Tiger Lui
Hong Kong Criminal Files香港奇案實錄2006Kam Chin-yu3 episodes
Concubines of the Qing Emperor大清後宮2006Yu Tai
Walled Village大城小故事2007Chan Heung-ching
Stupid Child笨小孩2007Ko See-lamLead role
Hong Kong Ghostbusters靈舍不同2007Lau Chi-pangLead role
The [King of Snooker桌球天王2009Yau Yat-kiu
The Threshold of a PersonaID精英2009Kelvin Mak Chi-hin
Burning Flame III烈火雄心32009Kelvin Pang Chi-ban9 episodes
Cupid Stupid戀愛星求人2010Frankie Chung Kin Pong
The Mysteries of Love談情說案2010Ben Wong Chi-ban2 episodes
Ghost Writer蒲松齡2010Po Pak-ling
When Lanes Merge情越雙白線2010Tony Kwan Syu-yan10 episodes
Every Move You Make讀心神探2010Chiu Man-hoi4 episodes
A Great Way to Care仁心解碼2011Dr. Leo Fong Wing-chun
Only YouOnly You 只有您2011Ng Siu-hoi4 episodes
Grace Under Fire女拳2011Lui Kong Episode 4
Relic of an Emissary洪武三十二2011Zhu Quan, the Prince of Ning
The Other Truth真相2011Keith Lau Sz-kitLead role
Forensic Heroes III法證先鋒III2011Jim Fong Sai-yau10 episodes
No Good Either Way衝呀！瘦薪兵團2012Alex Mo Nga-likLead role
Three Kingdoms RPG回到三國2012Zhou Yu8 episodes
Reality Check心路GPS2013Summer Ha Yat-cheungLead role
Slow Boat Home情越海岸線2013Kevin Ching Lai-wing Lead role
Brother's Keeper巨輪2013Sam Kiu Tin-sengLead role
Outbound Love單戀雙城2014Luk Kung-tszLead role
Ruse of Engagement叛逃2014Carson Chong Yau-chingLead role
ICAC Investigators 2014廉政行動20142014Officer Kelvin Chan Kwok-yanEpisode 4: "Goal Tricks"
All That Is Bitter Is Sweet大藥坊2014Ding Yat-yuenLead role
Eye in the Sky天眼2015Cheng Nik-hangLead role
Captain of Destiny張保仔2015Man-ho, the Eleventh Prince / BowieLead role
ICAC Investigators 2016廉政行動20162016Officer Chan Kwok-yan Lead role
A Fist Within Four Walls城寨英雄2016Chor Au-kuen / Chiu Mang-sanLead role
Brother's Keeper II巨輪II2016Sam Kiu Tin-seng5 episodes
Burning Hands乘勝狙擊2017Jiang Boon-yatLead role
The Unholy Alliance同盟2017Ko Tsz-kitLead role
Succession War天命2018HeshenLead role

Film

Discography

Other appearances

Awards and nominations

[TVB Anniversary Awards]

! Note

[TVB Star Awards Malaysia]

! Note

[StarHub TVB Awards]

Weibo Stars Awards

Jade Solid Gold Music Awards">Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation">Jade Solid Gold Music Awards

Others