Lin Chong (actor)

Lin Chong (aka Jimmy Lin) is Taiwanese actor and singer. He was born Lin, Xi-Xian on January 7, 1934 in Tainan during the period of Japanese colonization in Taiwan. Lin Chong is the first Taiwan artist to venture into the global entertainment industry during the postwar era, and he is also one of the very few stage all-rounders who sings, dances, and acts.
==Early Life==
Lin Chong's father studied at Japan's Waseda University and served as a member of the Taiwan Provincial Council during its second session. His Japanese mother graduated from the prestigious Tokyo Music School, a renowned institution dedicated to cultivating modern music talents in Japan. During his early years, Lin Chong had the privilege of observing the captivating modern dance performances of Tsai Jui-Yueh (蔡瑞月), a pioneer of modern dance in Taiwan. This encounter sparked his deep passion for performing. Subsequently, he took dance lessons from Tsai, which proved instrumental in his journey into the entertainment industry. Additionally, being raised in a Japanese-speaking household, Lin Chong was fluent in Japanese language, which paved a solid foundation for his future ventures in Japan.
During his high school years, Lin Chong picked up the stage name "Lin Chong" for himself because most popular stars had names of two Chinese characters and he also did not want his father, who objected to his involvement in entertaining business, to know about his performing career. However, it wasn't until the production of the film Black Cat and Black Dog (黑貓與黑狗) in 1959 that he officially began using this name.
==Career==
In 1955, while studying at Tamkang Junior College of English Literature (the predecessor of Tamkang University), Lin Chong auditioned for the first Taiwanese film production, Huang Di Zi Sun (黃帝子孫). He was selected as the second male lead, portraying a Taiwanese youth who came back from abroad. However, the film was not commercially released after its completion, leading Lin to return to his studies at school.
Two years later, Lin Chong was invited to star in the film Five Years After Marriage (結婚五年後; 1957), marking his official entry into the film industry. From 1958 to 1960, he participated altogether in 12 films. Other than Taiwanese language films, he also acted in 3 Amoy films and two Mandarin films, Springtime Sorrows (荳蔻春怨; 1960) and Love of May (五月之戀; 1960).
In April 1962, Lin Chong flew to Japan and enrolled in the Film and Drama Department of Nihon University. During this period, he also worked as translator, interpreter, and tour guide to support himself. He got to know the renowned scriptwriter Kikuta Kazuo (菊田一夫) while working as an interpreter for Toho Co., Ltd. (東寶株式會社), who, after seeing Lin’s dancing performance, recommended him to pursue an acting career in musical films. Later on, he signed a contract with Toho Co,. Ltd. and began filming with various famous Japanese artists such as Yūzō Kayama, Mie Hama, and Kumi Mizuno. At the same time, Lin Chong also signed contracts for five TV stations, including NHK and Fuji, as well as Nippon Columbia for a record album. The company composed songs tailored for him, including “Tokyo Night Jasmine (東京夜來香)” and “The Weary Heart of a Traveller in Hong Kong (香港旅情).”
In 1967, Lin Chong participated in the first Asian Song Festival held in Seoul, Korea, representing Taiwan. He won the championship with his performance of the song “Our Homeland (故鄉之歌)” In 1968, Lin Chong ventured to Hong Kong for a singing engagement. His avant-garde image combined with his energetic performance style immediately attracted many young people, making him an instant star in Hong Kong. Subsequently, he signed a contract with the Shaw Brothers Studio and became a contracted actor. He starred in the film The Singing Thief (大盜歌王) and sang the theme song “Diamond (鑽石鑽石亮晶晶),” which became immensely popular across Hong Kong and Taiwan. Altogether he made three films, all musicals, for the Shaw Brothers, the other two being The Singing Escort (青春萬歲; 1969) and Tropicana interlude (椰林春戀; 1969).
Lin Chong acted in two filmf of Hong Kong and Thailand coproducion in early 1970s: Ai Tui (愛娣; 1971) and Rains (雨絲; 1972). In the mid-1970s, Lin Chong returned to Taiwan and occasionally made guest appearances in films, such as the 1974 movie Girlfriend (女朋友).
From 1961 to 2007, Lin Chong has released 11 record albums.
==Personal Life==
In 1987, Lin Chong went to Japan for business and gradually withdrew from the film industry.
In 2011, Lin Chong sought medical attention for frequent urination issues and was diagnosed with stage III prostate cancer. After undergoing radiation therapy, he thoroughly recovered.
Lin Chong began to go to Christian church through the invitation of a friend of his. On Easter Sunday in 2012, he underwent the baptism ceremony and became a Christian. He has been a volunteer in a Christian organization and frequently went to nursing homes for the elderly to perform for them ever since. 
Despite his poor health condition, Lin Chong did a 90-minute singing concert at the Zhongshan Hall (中山堂) in Taipei in 2016. 
In March 2021, Lin Chong experienced severe bleeding due to arterial blockage in his legs, and was once in critical condition. He later fully recovered.
==Works==
===Chinese===
Films
Year	Chinese Title 	English Title
1956	黃帝子孫 	Huang Di Zi Sun
1958	鬼湖 	The Ghost Lake
1959	黑貓與黑狗 	Black Cat and Black Dog
1959	第一特獎 	The First Prize
1959	可憐的媳婦 	Ke Lian De Xi Fu
1959	結婚五年後 	Five Years After Marriage
1959	招財進寶 	Zhao Cai Jin Bao
1959	查某愛吃醋/恩愛小夫妻 	The Jealous Woman
1959	阿母迫我嫁 	A Poor Groom for A Poor Bride
1960	虎姑婆 	Tiger Woman
1960	荳蔻春怨 	Springtime Sorrows
1960	五月之戀 	Love of May
1967	危險人物 	Dangerous Man
1969	大盜歌王 	The Singing Thief
1969	青春萬歲 	The Singing Escort
1969	椰林春戀 	Tropicana Interlude
1971	愛娣 	Ai Tui
1972	雨絲 	Yu Si
1974	太平山下 	Life On Holidays
1975	女朋友 	Girlfriend
1983	玄天上帝 	Xuan Tian Shan Di
1983	花樣百出 	Bachelor's Delight
1983	中國女公安 	Policewoman in China
2013	奇蹟十三 	Miracle 13
Television
Year	Chinese Title	English Title
1976	愛的故事 	Love Story
1977	青春三兄弟 	The Three Young Brothers
1977	青春曲 	The Song of Youth
2012	罪美麗 	An Innocent Mistake
Studio Albums
Year	Chinese Title 	English Title
1964	香港旅情(日語) 	The Weary Heart of a Traveller in Hong Kong
1964	蹦打拉蹦打 	Beng Da La Beng Da
1969	故鄉之歌 	Our Homeland
1969	香港旅情(日語) 	The Weary Heart of a Traveller in Hong Kong
1969	邵氏大盜歌王電影原聲帶 	The Singing Thief OST
1969	邵氏青春萬歲電影原聲帶 	The Singing Escort OST
1970	夢裡情人 	Dream Lover
1973	風狂雨又大 	Feng Kuang Yu You Da
2007	情牽鑽石金曲集 	Qing Qian Zuan Shi Jin Qu Ji
===Japanese===
Theatre
Year	Chinese Title 	Japanese Title
1961	香港 	香港
1962	春之舞 	春の踊り
1962	南十字之女 	南十字の女
1962	與越路吹雪一起 	越路吹雪とともに
Television
Year 	Chinese Title 	Japanese Title
1961 	極東偵探員 	極東特派員
1961 	香港之戀 	香港の恋
1961 - 1963	檢事 	検事
1962 	海上微風 	海はそよ風
1962 	國際搜查指令 	国際搜查指令
1962 - 1963	夫婦百景 	夫婦百景
1962 - 1963	加油！！大作 	がんばれ!!大作
1961 - 1964	青年的季節 	若い季節
1962 - 1964	明星一千零一夜 	スター千一夜
1962 - 1964	比手畫腳 	ジェスチャー
1963 	全員下降 	全員降下せよ
1963 	鐵路公安36號 	鉄道公安36号
1963 - 1964	孤獨的賭注 	孤独の賭け
1963 - 1964	禁止迴轉 	Uターン禁止
1963 	戰友 	戦友
1964 	星期一之男 	月曜日の男
1964 	紅白家庭遊戲 	紅白家庭ゲーム
1964 - 1967	是你的話要怎麼辦：美麗的面貌 	あなたならどうする：美しき変貌
1970s 	愛情時間 	ラブラブショー
1971 - 1975	正午時間 	ハイヌーンショー
Films
Year	Chinese Title 	Japanese Title
1962	積亂雲 	積乱雲
1962	兩代和尚 	大吉ぼんのう鏡
1962	香港之星 	香港の星
1962	山貓作戰 	やま猫作戦
1963	夏威夷、東京、夏威夷 	ホノルル・東京・香港
1963	香港瘋狂作戰 	香港クレージー作戰
1965	戰地之歌 	戦場にながれる歌
Radio Broadcast
Year	Chinese Title 	Japanese Title
1961	晚安，我是林沖 	こんばんは、僕、林沖
Category:1934 births
Category:People from Tainan
Category:Taiwanese people
Category:Nihon University alumni
Category:Actors
Category:Singers