Edison Chen is a Chinese Canadian Hong Kong movie actor, singer, pop icon currently on indefinite leave from his career, founder of CLOT Inc., and the CEO of Clot Media Division Limited. He is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English, which have allowed him to be a part of multiple entertainment industries around the world. On 21 February 2008 he publicly announced that he intended to step away indefinitely from the Hong Kong entertainment industry due to a photo scandal, devoting his time instead to public causes.

Biography

Early life
Chen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was a student at R.C. Palmer Secondary School in Richmond, British Columbia and also attended High School in Hong Kong International School.[3] He was in the same class as fellow pop icon Nicholas Tse in 10th grade.


Career

Film
In 1999, a talent scout approached Chen while he was clubbing with friends in Hong Kong and asked him to film a commercial at the age of 19.[4] From then on, his career began with the Japanese film Dead or Alive 2: Birds. By 2001 Chen was already winning the hearts of many teenage girls. He made his Hong Kong film debut in the film Gen-Y Cops in 2000.[5] He has starred in many popular films including Infernal Affairs, Infernal Affairs II, Initial D and Dog Bite Dog. His latest film is Trivial Matters. Determined on expanding his horizons beyond Hong Kong, he also starred as the male lead in the Japanese drama Under the Same Moon.


Music
In 2000, at the age of 20, Chen landed a record deal with Emperor Entertainment Group. It took him a number of album releases before he got the chance to produce a hip hop album.[6] His first hip-hop release was in February 2004, Please Steal This Album backed by MC Yan and Singaporean musician Hanjin Chen. Several singles from the album topped local pop charts. Chen has mentioned the difficulty of fitting the material in Hong Kong where it has been dominated by cantopop, but said the potential of hip hop is great.[6]

He is featured on m-flo's album, Cosmicolor, on the track "LOVE ME, HATE THE GAME" with Chan, Thaitanium and Ryohei Yamamoto.


Fashion
Edison's foray into the fashion industry accompanied his rising success as a young pop icon. Edison, along with partners Kevin Poon and Billy Ip, became the founders of CLOT Inc., a clothing company described as a "lifestyle company" that is geared toward youth culture, and bringing street fashion to China and Hong Kong.[7] The company has collaborated with many big clothing companies, such as Nike and A Bathing Ape.


Multimedia company
In February, 2007, he invested $10 million HKD to open his own multi-media company, Clot Media Division, which plans to produce movies, commercials and music albums. In June, 2007, he released a Mandarin album, 讓我再次介紹我自己 (Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself) with tracks produced by Kanye West, Just Blaze and Clinton Sparks.


Community work
As early as 2001 Chen had appeared in Vancouver charity shows. He has also been a supporter for the gay and lesbian community in Hong Kong, including being voted as an icon in 2001.[5]

In 2007 he was invited by Be@rbrick toys for a charity event in Hong Kong harbor city. The charity proceeds were donated to "Hong Kong Blood Cancer Foundation".[8]


Incidents
Audio samples of Edison Chen
"Hong Kong land (香港地)"

A track Chen dedicated to the people of Hong Kong in 2004, the same year he was assaulted in the city.

The segment also said "Regardless of the difficulty or chaos, the song is dedicated to HK: past, present, and future."

Problems playing the files? See media help.

2004 Chen assault incident
In March, 2004, two male teenagers assaulted Chen in Central District of Hong Kong.[9] The two teenagers mocked Chen with dance moves outside a record store.[10] Immediately following the dance taunt, both of the teenagers punched Chen.[10] Upon doing so the two teenagers fled the scene, and Chen gave chase. Chen eventually caught up to the two individuals as they were trying to board a bus.[10] They were turned over to Hong Kong Police. As a result of the incident, Chen reported that he sprained his ankle and that his cheekbone and ear were also injured.[10] Chen declined to press charges and the two individuals were released.[10]

Chen, not pressing charges on the teens:

“ "Their lives would be ruined if I pressed charges. Their mother asked me to forgive them. I went to the hospital and got checked out and since it’s just bruises, I decided to let it go."[11] ”


2007 Taxi dent incident
Chen drove to his home after midnight March 9 2007. The gate was blocked by a taxi dropping off passengers. The taxi driver then signaled Chen to move away so he could pull out. Chen duly complied with the request, but the taxi-driver nevertheless insulted him, sparking an argument during which Chen kicked and dented the taxi. The taxi company later received HK$4,700 as compensation for the two dents.[12]


2008 Photo scandal
Main article: Edison Chen photo scandal
Chen was involved in a major sex scandal in January 2008, when hundreds of racy photographs of himself as well as several high-profile female celebrities from the Hong Kong entertainment industry became widely circulated on the Internet. Those celebrities include Gillian Chung, Bobo Chan, Mandy Chen, Candace Chan, Rachel Ngan and Cecilia Cheung. Initially, everyone involved first denied such photos existed and were digitally manipulated. Hong Kong Police and Photoshop experts agree that the photos were in fact real and not digitally altered. As a result, Chen admits his role and expressed remorse. He would then announce on February 21, 2008 his indefinite departure from the entertainment field of Hong Kong. [13][14]. Fallout includes loss of role in the new Batman movie and Advertising endorsement deals


Personal
In Chen's personal blog, he referred to an anonymous girlfriend as 'V'. In 2007, he finally announced that he has been dating the niece of EEG founder Albert Yeung, Vincy Yeung for 3 years. On an entertainment show in Taiwan, Chen disclosed that he planned to marry Vincy and that his previous playboy and womanizing habits [15] have stopped because of his love for his current girlfriend.


Discography
Year Album Label Notes
November 30, 2000 陳冠希 (Edison Chen) EEG Cantonese EP
May 11, 2001 Fast and Furious EEG Cantonese Album
June 5, 2001 Visual Diary (Version 2) EEG Cantonese Album
August 21, 2001 超人佳亞 (Ultraman Gaia) EEG Cantonese EP
November 2, 2001 Ed Is On EEG Mandarin Album
December 20, 2001 Peace and Love EEG Cantonese Album
July 3, 2002 Break Through EEG Cantonese Album
August 29, 2002 Transition EEG Mandarin Album
February 13, 2003 Hits or Misses EEG Cantonese Compilation
February 26, 2004 Please Steal This Album EEG Cantonese Album
January 4, 2005 Hazy: The 144 Hour Project EEG Cantonese Album
April 18, 2005 Hazy: The 144 Hour Project (Version 2) EEG Cantonese Album
December 21, 2005 The Best Collection EEG Cantonese Compilation
May 12, 2006 69FM Mixtape - Cantonese Mixtape
June 15, 2007 讓我再次介紹我自己 (Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself) Clot Media Division Mandarin Album
August 10, 2007 讓我再次介紹我自己 (Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself) (Version 2) Clot Media Division Mandarin Album


Filmography

Films
2000 - Dead or Alive 2: Birds (Dead or Alive 2: 逃亡者) (Japan)
2000 - Gen-Y Cops (特警新人類2)
2001 - Final Romance (願望樹)
2001 - Cats & Dogs (貓狗鬥一番) (Voice only, Cantonese version)
2001 - Dummy Mommy, Without a Baby (玉女添丁)
2001 - Dance of a Dream (愛君如夢)
2002 - Princess D (想飛)
2002 - Nine Girls and a Ghost (九個女仔一隻鬼)
2002 - Infernal Affairs (無間道)
2003 - The Twins Effect (千機變)
2003 - The Medallion (飛龍再生) (Cameo)
2003 - Infernal Affairs II (無間道II)
2003 - The Spy Dad (絕種鐵金剛)
2003 - Infernal Affairs III (無間道III: 終極無間) (Cameo)
2004 - Sex and the Beauties (性感都市)
2004 - Moving Targets (2004 新紮師兄)
2004 - Life, Translated (時差7小時)
2004 - Jiang Hu (江湖)
2004 - The Twins Effect II (千機變II: 花都大戰)
2004 - A-1 Headline (A-1 頭條)
2005 - Initial D (頭文字D)
2005 - Under The Same Moon (同じ月を見ている) (Japan)
2006 - Dog Bite Dog (狗咬狗)
2006 - The Grudge 2 (咒怨2)
2007 - Shrek the Third (史力加之咁就三世) (Voice only, Cantonese version)
2007 - Trivial Matters (破事兒)
2008 - Sniper
2008 - The Dark Knight (蝙蝠俠：黑夜之神) (canceled apparently because of the sex scandal)
2008 - Jump (by Stephen Chow)(canceled apparently because of the sex scandal)

Television drama
2002 - Feel 100% (百分百感覺)
2003 - Hearts Of Fencing (當四葉草碰上劍尖時)
2005 - Eight Heroes (八大豪俠).

Other appearances
2001 - Weakest Link (一筆OUT消)
2005 - MTV Whatever Things
2006 - Gumball 3000: Drivin' Me Crazy