Ekin Cheng
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| Ekin Cheng | |
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| Chinese name | 鄭伊健 (Traditional) |
| Chinese name | 郑伊健 (Simplified) |
| Pinyin | zhèng yījiàn (Mandarin) |
| Jyutping | zeng6 ji1 gin6 (Cantonese) |
| Origin | Hong Kong |
| Born | October 4, 1967 |
| Other name(s) | Cheng Yee-Kin Dior Cheng Kaohun Cheng (鄭伊麵) Magua |
| Occupation | Singer, Actor |
| Genre(s) | Cantopop |
| Instrument(s) | singing |
| Label(s) | BMG (1991-?, 2004-2005) EEG (?-2004) BMA Records (2005-present) |
| Years active | 1989-present (acting) 1992-present (singing) |
| Official site | Official Website |
Ekin Cheng Yee-Kin is a Hong Kong actor and Cantopop singer. Earlier in his career he was known as Kaohun Cheng (鄭伊麵), though he has now reverted to a more conventional-sounding first name. Sometimes he uses Magua (because that was what it sounded like when his younger sister tried to call him) as a first name but usually Ekin is the name used.
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[edit] Biography
Ekin began acting in commercials when he was in high school, the most well-known being for Hi-C Lemon Tea. After high school, he enrolled in TVB's Martial Arts school, but did not like it and switched to their acting school. After that he began to get a number of TV roles. The latest TVB series he participated in was Always Ready, working with Charmaine Sheh, Bowie Lam (林保怡), and Linda Chung.
[edit] Personal life
Ekin was caught up in a grand scandal after leaving Maggie Siu, an actress whom he dated for many years, for a decade younger actress and singer Gigi Leung. Maggie was well-loved by Hong Kong audiences and gave up her career to support Ekin's career and many slighted him after the breakup. In 2006, Ekin and Gigi Leung broke up, ending their seven-year relationship.
In September 2006, Ekin and Yoyo Mung begun dating through their mutual interest in badminton.[citation needed]
[edit] Movies
His first film was Girls Without Tomorrow (1992) and at the time he was still going by the name Dior Cheng. He changed his name to Ekin before his breakout role in the Young and Dangerous series as Chan Ho Nam. The film was first meant to glorify the triad life, but after about the third film, the story focused more on the characters and explored the truth about the Hong Kong triads. It became so popular that it launched Ekin Cheng and co-star Jordan Chan to superstar status. And because of its incredible success, it is said to have made many youngsters at that time fond of the triad life, thus making Teens throughout Asia join the triads. Though with no solid evidence, its impact no doubt made Triads look good in the eye of young people. It also started a trend for triad films around that time and is considered to be a classic. The film led to 6 sequels, all starring Ekin Cheng, and a lucrative working partnership with director Andrew Lau. Together they went on to make The Storm Riders, which was the highest-grossing Hong Kong movie at the time and the first film to utilize a truly large number of special effects. They also worked together on The Legend of Speed a film about a street racer who would follow his father's footsteps of becoming a racing god, A Man Called Hero a movie adaption of the famous Comic, about a Martial Arts master in America The Duel starring Ekin, Andy Lau, and a few other famous stars, and the comedy Women From Mars.
Ekin has branched out in the roles he's taken, including more comedy like earlier in his career with My Wife is 18 with Charlene Choi and Six Strong Guys with singers Hacken Lee, Andy Hui and George Lam. But he still does action-oriented films like The Twins Effect where he acts with rising pop superstars Twins. And Tokyo Raiders where he is casted with International Superstar Tony Leung and Superstar pop diva Kelly Chen. My Wife is 18 tells the story of Ekin Cheng accidentally marrying Charlene Choi, who is only 18 while he is 30. Thus creating a comic effect. Six strong guys tell the story of Ekin and his other five friends who tell funny stories of the modern Hong Kong man. The Twins effect is an action film about the feuds between vampires and Humans who both share the same world. Toyko Raiders is about international thievery in Toyko.
Recently Ekin returned to the movie scene (having taking a break in 2005 to work on the Ultraman TV Series in Thailand), He had a brief appearance in My Name is Fame as himself. Soon after that he starred in Heavenly Mission a triad/cop thriller starring alongside Stephen Fung & Alex Fong (this is not the swimmer Alex Fong.). He has completed a Pang Brothers film called The Forest of Death, which will be released in March 2007. He is currently filming a serial in Mainland China based on the life of martial arts master, Huo Yuanjia with former Young & Dangerous co-star Jordan Chan.
Currently, Ekin is working on a new film with Shawn Yue and news has it that he's planning to start his own entertainment company.
Though some still consider Ekin Cheng a superstar, or an accidental superstar as many like to call him, his popularity has slowly been diminishing. His golden age was the age of Young and Dangerous, when he could be on stage with stars like Jacky Cheung and Aaron Kwok. But his fame began to fall during the turn of the century. Many have criticized him as being a wood-like actor with little expression or feeling in his work.
[edit] Music
Ekin had a successful music career with BMG. But in the 2000s, he signed with EEG, a juggernaut company owned by Albert Yeung. Under this company he was 'frozen' and not allowed to put out any records. But as is a custom with EEG, he made several movies with other EEG stars. As of 2004, his contract with EEG ended and he returned to BMG where he released a new record. As of 2005, Ekin is an artist of BMA Records. Through the course of his career, he has made several hits. Though many criticise Ekin for not having a voice capable of singing harder or higher-noted songs. And though his music career has been going smoothly, his most-acclaimed music came during the Young and Dangerous age. The theme song for Young and Dangerous 1 "Age of Friendship" is considered his best. Though he and Jordan Chan both sing a separate version, it was Ekin who sang it first.
In 2007, Ekin made a guest appearance at a Leo Ku concert and received popular applause from the audience.
[edit] Filmography
- Girls Without Tomorrow 1992 (1992) (as Dior Cheng) - Onn
- Boys Are Easy (1993) (as Dior Cheng) - Lee Chi Ko
- Lord of the Wu Tang (1993) (as Dior Cheng) - Cameo appearance
- Future Cops (1993) - Kent/Ken
- Return to a Better Tomorrow (1994) (as Dior Cheng) - Tong Chun
- All of the Winners (1994)
- Mermaid Got Married (1994) (as Dior Cheng) - Chi
- Why Wild Girls (1994) - Mike
- Let's Go Slam Dunk (1994) - Boh San
- The Mean Street Story (1995) (as Dior Cheng) - Melvin Wong
- I'm Your Birthday Cake (1995) (as Dior Cheng) - Water Lam
- Young & Dangerous III (1996) - Chan Ho-Nam
- Young and Dangerous 2 (1996) - Ho Nam
- Feel 100%... Once More (1996) - Marco
- Feel 100% (1996) - Jerry
- Young and Dangerous, Part I (1996) - Ho Nam
- Young and Dangerous 4 (1997) - Ho Nam
- We're No Bad Guys (1997) - Plane
- Portland Street Blues (1998) - Chan Ho-Nam
- Young and Dangerous 5 (1998) (as Dior Cheng) - Chan Ho-Nam
- The Storm Riders (1998) - Whispering Wind
- Hot War (1998) - Tango One/Paul Wong
- A Man Called Hero (1999) - Hero Hua
- The Legend of Speed (1999) - Sky
- Dragon Heat (2000) - Man in Bath House (Cameo)
- Help!!! (2000) - Joe
- For Bad Boys Only (2000) - King Chan
- Tokyo Raiders (2000) - Yung
- The Duel (2000) - Simon the Snow Blower 'Saint of Sword'
- Those Were the Days (2000) - Chan Ho-Nam
- Born to Be King (2000) - Chan Ho-Nam
- Goodbye, Mr. Cool (2001) - Cool Dragon
- The Legend of Zu (2001) - King Sky
- Fight Zone (2001) - Young Inspector Dark
- Running Out of Time 2 (2001) - The Thief
- Second Time Around (2002) - Ren Lee
- Women from Mars (2002) - Tom Kan
- My Wife Is 18 (2002) - Cheung
- The Twins Effect (2003) - Reeve
- My Dream Girl (2003) - Lam Joe
- Heroic Duo (2003) - Ken
- Floating Landscape (2003) - Sam
- Anna in Kung Fu Land (2003) - Ken
- Black Rose Academy (2004) - Jim Lo
- Six Strong Guys (2004) - Long
- Ab-normal Beauty (2004) - Yiu Chun-Man (cameo)
- Leave Me Alone (2004) - Yiu Chun-Man/Yiu Chun-Kit
- It Had to Be You! (2005) - Jack
- Divergence (2005) - To Hou-sung
- My Name is Fame (2006) - Himself (cameo)
- Heavenly Mission (2006) - Autumn Yip
- Always Ready (2006) - Matt
- Forest of Death (2007) - Steven
- Rule #1 (2008)- Inspector Wong
- The Storm Riders 2 (2009)- Whispering Wind (filming)
