Chu Ke-liang

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This article is about the Taiwanese actor and comedian. For for the Three Kingdoms personage, see Zhuge Liang.
Chu Ke-liang
Chinese name 豬哥亮
Pinyin Zhū Gēliàng (Mandarin)
Pe̍h-ōe-jī Ti Ko-liōng (Hokkien)
Birth name Hsieh Hsin-ta
(謝新達 Siā Sin-ta̍t)
Origin Taiwan
Other name(s) 謝友偵, 豬大哥, 豬哥, 秀場天王, 秀場巨星
Occupation comedian, actor
Years active 1980–1993, 1997–1999, 2009–present
Children Jeannie Hsieh (謝金燕), 謝青燕, 謝順福

Chu Ke-liang or Chu Ko-liang (Chinese: 豬哥亮; pinyin: Zhū Gēliàng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ti Ko-liōng or Ti Ko-liāng; born 5 December 1946) is a Taiwanese actor and comedian most famous as a television show host. He is known for his "over-the-top appearance" with unusual clothing and hair styles and his coarse humor.[2][3][4]

Career

Chu was born Hsieh Hsin-ta (謝新達; Taiwanese Siā Sin-ta̍t) in Zuoying, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.[5] Chu left home in his early teenage years to pursue his dream of being in the theater. He went on to receive tuition from Lin Sung-yen (林松煙 Lín Sōngyān) and became an actor and writer but remained largely unknown to the wider public. At around age 30, he had a role in a play about the semi-legendary Liao Tianding as the clown character Zhū Gēliàng. He was so popular in this role that he chose the name as his own stage name.[n 1]

Early career

In 1980, the Chu Ke-liang Cabaret Show (豬哥亮歌廳秀; Zhū Gēliàng Gētīng Xiù) broke onto the scene in Taiwan and Chu's popularity took off.[6] In the show, Chu had a mild-mannered persona but often used coarse language and double entendre. He would get into quarrels with the guest singers and tell off-color jokes. Along with Chang Fei, Frankie Kao, and Ni Min-jan, Chu was one of Taiwan's biggest TV stars of the 1980s.

In 1994, Chu campaigned on behalf of James Soong Chu-yu in his candidacy for the governorship of Taiwan province. Soong successfully used support from Chu, who was at the time Taiwan's most popular entertainer, to help convince Taiwanese to support a candidate with a mainland Chinese background.[7]

Hiatus

Chu racked up gambling debts over NT$1 billion (US$35 million) from playing Taiwan's illegal lottery (大家樂) and Hong Kong's Mark Six despite an income of NT$60 million per month.[2][3] He is said to have owed his boss, Yang Tang-kuei (楊登魁), NT$120 million.[8] As a result, he fled into hiding to escape this and other debts to underworld figures in 1995.[2] He briefly returned to the public eye in 1997 but again absconded in 1999.[3]

Reports of Chu's whereabouts occasionally surfaced. In 2002, Chu was spotted in a He Xian Gu temple in Wandan, Pingtung County.[9] However, generally, the media took pains not to expose him.[3] Chu's performances were available on videotape and were occasionally shown on Taiwan television, so his audiences did not forget him.[10]

On 19 February 2009, correspondents from the tabloid Apple Daily followed Chu in various areas of Kaohsiung and Pintung Counties before confronting him in a Yongda Road swordfish oden noodle restaurant in Pingtung City.[3] With his trademark hair now slicked back, he told the reporters he was "still on the lam" and still very poor.[3] He was reportedly working at a temple at the time.[8]

Some of Chu’s former fellow performers, including Chang Fei, Frankie Kao and Chu Yen-ping, called for Chu to return to public life and for his creditors to spare his life so he could work to repay his debts.[2]

Comeback

Following Chu's exposure in an Apple Daily cover story, Sanchong legislator and former entertainer Yu Tien (余天), on 23 April 2010, announced an advertising deal between Chu and Tsann Kuen 3C whereby Chu would receive NT$20 million. The following day, Chu announced plans for a comeback in a short speech aired on Taiwan's major TV channels.[11] Chu euphemistically said that he had been "studying abroad" for ten years but that he was grateful to the media for "photographing me eating oden".[11] He said he had always wanted to come back but did not have the courage.[11]

According to the China Times, Yu facilitated a meeting between Chu and Chu's former boss Yang Tang-kuei where Yang agreed to forgive 80 percent off the total debt owed to him.[1][8] Chu was required to give Yang 20 percent of his earnings until he repaid the remaining NT$24 million he owed.[1][8]

On 5 June 2009, Golden Throne Communication TV Co., Ltd. announced a series of new video-on-demand shows starring Chu. Recording of a new variety show hosted by Chu, Zhūgē Huìshè (豬哥會社),[n 2] began in July 2009. Chu received NT$300,000 per show for his new program as of 2009.[8]

On 16 September 2010, Chu released his first music album, Dōngshānzàiqǐ (東山再起). In the following month, he was recognized in the Golden Bell Awards as Best Variety Show Host, together with his co-host, Rene Hou.[12]

Chu also had a major part as a city councilman in the 2011 hit movie Night Market Hero, a role which cemented his comeback.[13]

Image and influence

Chu's screen image includes a distinctive hairstyle and clothing. Chu typically wears a (sometimes colorful) dinner jacket with a bowtie but with bermuda shorts, black shoes, and white socks.[4] Chu's hairstyle has been called a "toilet-lid (馬桶蓋 mǎtǒng gài) haircut"[3][14] and is similar to a bowl cut like that of Moe Howard of the Three Stooges but covering the ears and shoulder-length in back.

Taiwanese entertainer Show Luo is a known admirer of Chu and has imitated his style.[15]

Personal life

Chu Ke-liang's daughter, singer Jeannie Hsieh

Chu has been married four times and has two sons and three daughters. His second daughter, Jeannie Hsieh (謝金燕 Xiè Jīnyàn), is a well-known Taiwanese singer and actress.[2][11]

Filmography

  • Naughty Cadets on Patrol (大頭兵出擊 Dàtóu Bīng Chūjí) (1987)
  • King of the Children (孩子王 Háizi Wáng) (1988)
  • Tiānxià Yī Dà Lè (天下一大樂) (1988)
  • Young Soldier (少爺當大兵 Shàoyé Dāng Dàbīng) (1990)
  • The New Legend Of Shaolin (1994)
  • Night Market Hero (2011)
  • The Killer Who Never Kills (2011)
  • New Perfect Two (2012)

Notes

  1. ↑ Chu's name is usually rendered as Chu Ke-liang or Chu Ko-liang in English sources with "Chu" written separately as if it were a surname and "Ke-liang" written as if it were a given name (see Chinese name for further information). However, in Taiwanese, ti-ko (豬哥) is a single lexeme that literally means rooster (cockerel) but through semantic change means "womanizer" or "lecher" when referring to people. To this is added the character liōng (亮), one typically used in men's names. Together, the characters of this stage name are nearly homophonous (in Mandarin Chinese) with those of Three Kingdoms figure Zhūgě Liàng (諸葛亮).[1] Because Chinese characters are written without intervening spaces or hyphens, the issue of the name spacing does not arise in Taiwanese or Mandarin.
  2. ↑ The name of Chu's show, Zhūgē Huìshè (豬哥會社) also has a double meaning arising from the Taiwanese ti-ko (豬哥; "womanizer" or "lecher" when referring to people) It can mean "Chu Ke(-liang)'s Club" but also "gentlemen's club", i.e. strip club.

References

This article incorporates information from this version of the equivalent article on the Chinese Wikipedia.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 朱梅芳. 一提妻子與楊登魁 豬哥亮哭很大. China Times. 17 June 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2012. (Chinese)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Ho Yi. "Pop Stop". Taipei Times. 27 February 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 娛樂中心 直擊報導，〈《蘋果》直擊 豬哥亮找到了10年人間蒸發「我還在跑路啦」〉 Apple Daily 20 February 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2011. (Chinese)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 豬哥亮：我深造回來　吃黑輪也被記者拍到. NOWnews. 24 April 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2012. (Chinese)
  5. ↑ 黃哲斌, 郭石城 「天王同窗豬哥亮叫他班長」. 天下文化 Commonwealth Publishing Co., Ltd. 30 August 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2012. (Chinese)
  6. ↑ 艾瑪. 超級笑匠――豬哥亮. 富蘭德林. (My China Business). Retrieved 25 August 2012. (Chinese)
  7. ↑ Fell, Dafydd (2005). Party Politics in Taiwan: Party Change and the Democratic Evolution of Taiwan, 1991-2004. Taylor & Francis. p. 112. ISBN 9780415359733. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Noah Buchan. "Pop Stop". Taipei Times. 7 August 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  9. ↑ 凌安屏 屏東報導. 〈豬哥亮躲賭債銷聲匿跡　屏東仙姑廟現蹤〉. NOWnews. 19 June 2002. Retrieved 15 October 2011. (Chinese)
  10. ↑ "Zhu Ke Liang’s road to wealth". Watch Taiwan (09). National Museum of Taiwan History. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2012. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 綜合報導，〈復出 豬哥亮：感謝媒體拍到我　新廣告片飾5角色「感覺回來了」片酬250萬〉 Apple Daily 25 April 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2011. (Chinese)
  12. ↑ "Winners at the 45th Golden Bell Awards". PopAsia. 23 October 2010. 
  13. ↑ "'Night Market Hero' Tops Box Office". Taipei Times. 17 February 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  14. ↑ Ho Yi. "Pop Stop". Taipei Times. 1 May 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  15. ↑ Ian Bartholomew. "Pop Stop". Taipei Times. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2011.

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