April 28 marks the 26th birthday of Annie Chen! The model and actress has been trailblazing her way through the Taiwan entertainment industry, turning the last few dramas that she starred in into bona fide hits. Annie must be a good-luck charm!
We know that Annie is a dog-lover and a charitable person, but how much do you know about her dramas? In celebration of Annie’s birthday, here are some interesting stories behind five of her shows that may come as a surprise to you!
Inborn Pair (2011)
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“Inborn Pair” was the first of Annie Chen’s smash hits on television and co-starred the adorable Chris Wang as one-half of the couple of an arranged marriage. The drama was such a ratings hit that Sanlih Entertainment, the production company behind “Inborn Pair,” continued casting the winning leads in subsequent dramas. Chris Wang was paired with Tiffany Hsu in “Love Me or Leave Me” and Annie was paired with George Hu in “Love, Now.”
Love, Now (2012)
In “Love, Now,” Annie Chen plays Yang Yi Ru, a serious-minded advertising executive who doesn’t know how to take a day off of work. Tricked by her family into believing she’s dying, Yi Ru finally goes on holiday, where she meets Lan Shi De (played by George Hu), the CEO of a family business.
George and Annie’s chemistry was so exceptional in “Love, Now” that it sparked rumors the two had moved their love story into real-life territory. George and Annie never confirmed their relationship, explaining that they were just friends, but they were caught going on dates anyway in the United States and around Taiwan. Whether the dating rumors were true or not, George and Annie definitely played an arresting couple on the small screen. The high ratings spurred Sanlih to continue the successful pairing and immediately cast the couple in the following drama “Love Around.”
Love Around (2013)
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真愛黑白配, the Chinese name for “Love Around,” literally translates to “Real Love, Black and White Match.” The “black” refers to Zhou Zhen, George Hu’s gangster character, and the “white” refers to Liang Xiao Shu, Annie Chen’s sunny and bubbly DJ character.
Pop Quiz: What did Annie use as her “vomit” in her throw-up scenes in “Love Around”?
Answer: Canned sweet congee.
Watch how Annie prepared for her vomit scenes, as well as the hilarious hijinks between George and Annie, in this cute behind-the-scenes clip where the two of them trade “hits” back and forth. These two definitely suffered for their art.
Boysitter (2014)
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After two rounds playing a couple, George Hu and Annie Chen decided to separate as an on-screen couple. Annie was again offered the lead role by Sanlih during the developmental stages of a drama that would later turn out to be “Love Myself or You” (2014). However, Annie turned it down to concentrate on other projects and to let her contract with the production company expire. She went on to star in “Boysitter” while George Hu went on to star in “Love Cheque Charge,” leaving fans very disappointed that the couple did not do another drama together!
Material Queen (2011)
Annie Chen played a supporting character named Sha Xia in “Material Queen” in 2011. This drama was buzzing while it was in production because the male lead, Vanness Wu, had just come off of the record-breaking“Autumn’s Concerto” and Patricia Field, of “Sex and the City” and “The Devil Wears Prada” fame, was hired as the costume designer. Patricia Field designed most of the outfits for the main cast and even made a cameo in one of the earlier episodes. If you missed this drama, it will be coming to Viki soon!
Did any of the behind-the-scenes stories about Annie Chen’s dramas surprise you? Do you know any fun facts that weren’t mentioned? Share with us in the comments!
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