Annie Chen

Early life

Annie Chen was born on April 28, 1989 in Taichung, Taiwan. She is an only child. Chen has stated in interviews that she was conceived through in vitro fertilization because her parents had a difficult time conceiving a child naturally. Her father owned a wholesale frozen poultry business in Taichung that went bankrupt in 2010 due to the bird flu virus outbreak that year in Taiwan. She attended Viator Catholic High School (衛道中學) during her junior high school, and graduated her secondary studies in Shin Min High School (新民高中). She took Finance at the Kainan University, in which she began to work during her senior year. She, then, moved to the Hsing Wu University of Science and Technology, Department of Finance, where she applied for leave because of her work.

2007-2008: Modelling and acting debut

Annie Chen is 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) tall. During her post-secondary years, she joined a modelling competition where she won the championship title at the The First Kaiwo "Phantasy Star" CatwalkGirl contest in 2007. The selection process was between June 18 to August 18 of 2007. After winning, she began to work at the Catwalk Production House and get more opportunities, which includes being an MTV Taiwan VJ host, advertising endorser of various products, and a well-known magazine cover model.

In 2008, she gets her first recognition as an actress after starring in Judy Chou's music video, who came a runner-up in the One Million Star singing competition. Subsequently, she starred on her first acting career in CTS' Prince + Princess 2 (王子看見二公主) as the main female lead, Zhao Ke Rou (趙克柔).

2009-2011: Television series

In 2009, she starred in Wilber Pan's song entitled "Silence Room for Rent" (寂屋出租) included in his 007 album. She was also cast in CTV's Momo Love as Zhang Kaili (張凱莉), Chen Qi's (Ken Chu) girlfriend.

Chen got her second and third leading roles in a television series during 2010. One is Happy and Love Forever (幸福一定强), the first series of Happy of the Rings trilogy (幸福三部曲的首部曲) of Anhui TV, with Ming Dao and Li Yi Feng. She played the character of Pan Xiao Nuo, a girl who coincidentally met Yin Ding Qiang after her ex-boyfriend's betrayal towards her. The next series is CTS' Volleyball Lover (我的排隊情人) with Godfrey Gao. She portrayed the role of Xin Hai Jing (辛海靜), Bai Qian Rui's childhood friend and a volleyball player. In addition, Chen also starred in Life Drama Exhibition "Public Television life drama" (人生劇展 "公共電視_人生劇展") Goodbye (再見全壘打) as Zhao Zhong Ci (趙中慈).

Chen, along with Ming Dao, guest starred in the second series of Happy of the Rings trilogy entitled Sunny Happiness in 2011, continuing her relationship with Yin Ding Qiang, now as a wife. She, then, played a supporting role in CTS' Material Queen (拜金女王) as Sa Xia (莎夏).

At the end of the year 2011, Chen was cast as the main female lead of SETTV television series' Inborn Pair (真愛找麻煩) as Song Yi Jie (宋奕婕).

2012-2013: Love Now and Love Around

For the third time, Chen and Dao portrayed their roles in Happy and Love Forever as a loving couple, and acted along with Mike He and Janine Chang, the casts of Sunny Happiness, in the third and last series of Happy of the Rings trilogy entitled Happy Michelin Kitchen.

After Chen's successful drama with Chris Wang on Inborn Pair in 2012, she started filming Love, Now in Boracay, Philippines with her new leading man, George Hu. Chen plays the character of Yang Yi-Ru (楊奕茹), a workaholic person who went on vacation and coincidentally meets Lan Shi-de (藍仕德). The series was successful as both the drama and Chen's pairing with George Hu received positive reviews.

Right after their successful team-up on March 5, 2013, Chen and Hu paired up once again on their new television series, Love Around starting on June 9, 2013. SETTV. All 21 episodes of the drama remained number one in its time slot throughout its airing.

2014-present

Chen started 2014 mainly concentrating on modeling work. In February, during early develops she turned down the lead role for a SETTV drama called "Love Met Cupid" in order to let her contract with Sanlih E-Television expire and not renew it. The drama "Love Met Cupid" would later become SETTV's drama Pleasantly Surprised, which became a hit.

After taking almost a year hiatus from acting she returned to the small screen in late 2014 with the TVBS drama Boysitter. The drama is about a single unwed mother played by Chen who has to decide if she will take back her irresponsible ex-boyfriend and father of her child played by River Huang or be with her more mature and reliable co-worker played by Melvin Sia.

In 2016, she acted in the Taiwanese film White Lies, Black Lies.

Personal life

Annie Chen has been rumored since December 2012 to be in a relationship with her Love, Now and Love Around co-star George Hu whom she met during filming of Love, Now. News of the two dating in real life first started circulating when it was reported that Hu was exclusively carpooling Chen in his own car to and from filming locations everyday, the two holding hands backstage during SETTV 2013 New Years countdown show, and both were caught at a movie theater together. In 2015, both Chen and Hu admitted to be in a relationship since 2012. The two have been caught numerous times by gossip news photographers on private outings together. Sightings of the two by Taiwanese netizens has also been posted on the internet claiming to have witnessed them dining alone together and acting like a loving couple. In February 2014 the two admitted to going on a trip together to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida USA during their vacation time off when reports of fans overseas recognizing them were published. When questioned by reporters about their private relationship both have neither admitted or denied being in a relationship together, both would only say they are "good friends, good good friends, who enjoy each others company", although Chen has stated in interviews that if the other party is willing to go public with the relationship she is willing too also.