Kelly Lin
Kelly Lin Hsi-lei (Chinese: 林熙蕾; born October 29, 1975) is a Taiwanese actress, model, and director best known for her roles in Hong Kong films during the 2000s.[1] Born in Taipei, Taiwan, she initially pursued modeling after university, appearing in advertisements and fashion magazines across Asia before entering the film industry.[2] Lin made her acting debut in 1999 in The Tricky Master, directed by Wong Jing, followed by For Bad Boys Only in 2000, often playing glamorous romantic leads.[3] Her breakthrough year was 2001, with standout performances as a sharp-witted office worker in Running Out of Time 2, alongside Andy Lau in the action thriller Fulltime Killer, and in Tsui Hark's fantasy epic The Legend of Zu.[2] After her breakthrough in 2001 and further roles in 2002, Lin took a four-year hiatus before returning in 2006 with the historical drama Tokyo Trial, portraying a Japanese journalist, and earned critical acclaim for her role in Patrick Leung's family drama After This Our Exile (2006), which garnered her nominations for Best Supporting Actress at the 2007 Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Bauhinia Awards.[4][5] Expanding internationally, Lin starred in French director Olivier Assayas's Boarding Gate (2007), which premiered out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and collaborated with Johnnie To on films like Mad Detective (2007) and Sparrow (2008).[6] In 2008, she signed with Michelle Yeoh's production company, Stellar Entertainment, to pursue more diverse roles, such as in the 2010 martial arts film Reign of Assassins.[6] Lin also ventured into directing with the thriller The Devil Inside Me (2011) and has continued selective acting work into the 2020s, maintaining a focus on character-driven narratives over high-volume productions, and as of 2025, is returning to acting after focusing on family.[7][8]Biography
Early life and education
Kelly Lin was born on October 29, 1973, in Taipei, Taiwan, to a Taiwanese family.[9] At the age of 12, her family relocated to Santa Barbara, California, where she began adapting to American life and culture.[10][11] Lin later pursued higher education in the United States, attending the University of California, Irvine.[12] She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in the mid-1990s.[9][11] This academic background in the U.S. provided her with a strong foundation for pursuing international opportunities later in life.[12]Personal life
Kelly Lin married Chinese-American businessman Chris Young on March 28, 2011, in a low-key beach ceremony in the Maldives.[13] The couple, who had kept their relationship private, opted for an intimate event away from public attention.[14] Their first daughter, Kaitlin, was born on August 31, 2011, shortly after the wedding.[15] Lin shared family photos soon after the birth, marking the arrival of her newborn while maintaining a focus on privacy.[16] The couple welcomed their second daughter, Mila, on February 26, 2014, via caesarean section, with the baby weighing approximately 3 kilograms and resembling her mother.[14][13] Following her marriage, Lin has resided in Hong Kong with her family, prioritizing a relatively normal life centered on her daughters and husband.[8] She emphasizes privacy in her personal affairs, rarely sharing details beyond occasional family milestones, and has described finding joy in everyday interactions with her children.[8] Lin has highlighted the importance of work-life balance, rotating family responsibilities to support her role as a mother while occasionally pursuing professional opportunities.[17] Her dedication to family played a key role in her career decisions during this period.Career
Beginnings in modeling and music
After graduating from the University of California, Lin returned to Taiwan in the late 1990s to pursue a career in show business. Initially drawn to music, she recorded demo tapes for a record company in hopes of launching a singing career, but she soon pivoted to modeling upon receiving multiple offers for television commercials and print advertisements. This marked her entry into the entertainment industry, where she established herself as a prominent figure in Taiwan's fashion scene through various ad campaigns and magazine features.[9] Lin's modeling work gained significant recognition in 2002 when she was voted "Asia's Sexiest Woman" by Malaysia's FHM magazine, a title that highlighted her appeal and boosted her visibility across Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China. That same year, she continued to build her profile with covers and editorials in major fashion publications.[9] In 1999, Lin published her first book, Offbeat, a photo collection that offered insights into her personal experiences and early modeling life, further solidifying her status as an emerging icon. Around 2000, she signed with talent agencies in Hong Kong, facilitating a shift from her Taiwan-based work to opportunities in the region's burgeoning film industry. This move laid the groundwork for her expansion beyond modeling and music into acting.[18]Film acting
Kelly Lin made her film debut in 1999, starring in Wong Jing's The Tricky Master and For Bad Boys Only. Her breakthrough came in 2001 with standout roles including a sharp-witted office worker in Running Out of Time 2, alongside Andy Lau in the action thriller Fulltime Killer, and the Flower Demon in Tsui Hark's fantasy epic The Legend of Zu. Building on this, her collaboration with acclaimed director Johnnie To began in the mid-2000s, leading to breakthrough roles that highlighted her range across genres. In Triangle (2007), a neo-noir crime drama co-directed by To, Ringo Lam, and Tsui Hark, Lin portrayed Ling, the unfaithful wife of a triad member, contributing to the film's ensemble dynamic amid escalating betrayals and shootouts.[19] Later that year, in To's psychological thriller Mad Detective, she played dual roles as Inspector Cheung and the imaginary wife May, embodying a tough police officer and a spectral figure in a narrative exploring split personalities and corruption, which underscored her ability to handle complex, introspective characters in action-oriented stories.[20] Lin expanded her profile through international projects, including the historical drama The Tokyo Trial (2006), directed by Gao Qunshu, where she depicted Yoshiko Wada, a Japanese woman entangled in romance and wartime intrigue during the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.[21] She followed this with a supporting turn as Sue Wong, a businesswoman in a tense import firm, in Olivier Assayas's French thriller Boarding Gate (2007), which shifted between Paris and Hong Kong and delved into themes of seduction and corporate espionage.[22] Among her notable performances, Lin starred as Fong, a compassionate prostitute in a strained extramarital affair, in Patrick Tam's family drama After This Our Exile (2006), opposite Aaron Kwok, where her role added emotional depth to the story of abandonment and redemption.[23] In Johnnie To's romantic crime caper Sparrow (2008), she played the enigmatic Chun Lei, a femme fatale who disrupts a pickpocket gang led by Simon Yam, blending allure and mystery in a visually stylish homage to film noir.[24] Lin also appeared in the wuxia action film Reign of Assassins (2010), co-directed by John Woo and Su Chao-pin, as the assassin Drizzle in a pre-surgery cameo, supporting the ensemble cast including Michelle Yeoh in a tale of hidden identities and martial arts vengeance.[25] These dramatic roles garnered critical attention for Lin's versatility, particularly in To's films; Mad Detective screened at the 2007 Venice Film Festival, where her portrayal of intertwined personas was noted for enhancing the film's innovative take on mental fragmentation, while Sparrow competed for the Golden Bear at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival, praising her as a captivating presence that elevated the lighthearted yet tense ensemble interplay.[20] In The Devil Inside Me (2011), a horror thriller directed by Zhang Qi, Lin led as Lin Yan, a ceramist haunted by visions post-heart transplant, marking an overlap in her acting career with explorations of psychological suspense.[26]Television and other media
Kelly Lin began her media career with appearances in Taiwanese television during her modeling phase in the late 1990s, where she featured in print and on-air advertisements that highlighted her emerging presence in the entertainment industry. These early spots capitalized on her background as a model, providing initial exposure before her transition to acting.[27] In the 2000s, Lin expanded into Hong Kong television, taking on guest roles in drama serials produced by TVB. Notably, she portrayed Ming Zhu Jun Zhu in the 2001 series The New Adventures of Chor Lau-heung, a martial arts drama that showcased her versatility in episodic formats alongside established stars. This role marked one of her key contributions to Hong Kong broadcast media during a period when she balanced film commitments with shorter television engagements.[28] Lin's involvement in international media often intersected with film promotions, including television interviews and features on outlets like CCTV International, where she discussed her transition from modeling to acting in 2009. These appearances emphasized her cross-regional appeal, blending promotional discussions with insights into her career trajectory.[9] In recent years, Lin has returned to television acting with roles in anthology and drama series. She appeared as Ting Chih-chieh in a 2023 episode of the Taiwanese Netflix series At the Moment, an exploration of love during the pandemic, and as Mrs. Lin in the Chinese drama Blossoms Shanghai (2023), portraying a sophisticated supporting character. These roles demonstrate her continued adaptability in contemporary broadcast narratives.[28] In 2025, Lin engaged in high-profile media interviews reflecting on her family life and acting comeback, featured on the cover of Prestige Hong Kong's November issue, where she shared details about prioritizing family post-2014 hiatus before resuming projects. This outlet highlighted her graceful return, tying personal reflections to her professional resurgence.[29]Hiatus and return
Following her marriage to American-Chinese businessman Chris Yang on March 28, 2011, Kelly Lin experienced a notable slowdown in her acting career as she prioritized family life in Hong Kong.[12] The couple welcomed their first daughter, Kaitlin, on August 31, 2011, followed by their second daughter, Mila, on February 26, 2014, during which time Lin largely stepped away from the spotlight to focus on raising her children.[13] This period marked a deliberate shift, with Lin emphasizing family as her top priority over professional commitments.[8] Prior to her full hiatus, Lin signed with Stellar Entertainment Ltd. in 2008, a management company founded by Michelle Yeoh and Terence Chang, serving as a transitional step in her career amid her rising prominence in film.[30] The agency, based in Hong Kong and Taipei, represented her alongside other talents as she continued select projects before family demands intensified.[31] From 2020 to 2025, Lin maintained a low public profile through her Instagram account (@kellyhlin), where she shared insights into her personal growth, family moments, love for animals, and commitment to environmental causes, gradually building toward her professional revival.[8] This activity reflected her evolving interests and helped reconnect her with audiences during her hiatus. In 2025, she announced her return to acting, marking a resurgence after years of family focus.[8] Lin's comeback included exclusive interviews discussing her parenting values—such as instilling resilience and empathy in her daughters—and her motivations for re-entering the industry, blending personal fulfillment with creative pursuits.[8] Her renewed public engagement was evident at events like the opening of the "Luminance by Simon Yam" exhibition on October 16, 2025, in Hong Kong, where she attended alongside industry figures, signaling her active return to the scene.Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | After This Our Exile | Nominated[5] |
| 2007 | Golden Bauhinia Awards | Best Supporting Actress | After This Our Exile | Nominated[5] |
| 2011 | Macau International Movie Festival | Best Actress | The Devil Inside Me | Nominated[32] |
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Conmen in Vegas | Betty [4] |
| 1999 | The Tricky Master | First Love [4] |
| 1999 | The Legend of Speed | Kelly [4] |
| 2000 | Raped by an Angel 5: The Final Judgement | Nako [4] |
| 2000 | For Bad Boys Only | Angel [4] |
| 2001 | Asian Charlie's Angels | Cindy [4] [33] |
| 2001 | Martial Angels | Octopus [4] |
| 2001 | Fulltime Killer | Ms. Chin [4] |
| 2001 | The Legend of Zu | Amnesia [4] |
| 2001 | Running Out of Time 2 | Teresa [4] |
| 2002 | Devil Face, Angel Heart | Sandy [4] |
| 2002 | The Irresistible Piggies | Tam Siu Hung / Panda [4] |
| 2002 | Sleeping with the Dead | Cindy / Ling [4] |
| 2002 | My Left Eye Sees Ghosts | Sam's dead girlfriend [4] |
| 2006 | After This Our Exile | Fong [4] |
| 2006 | The Tokyo Trial | Yoshiko Wada [4] |
| 2007 | Triangle | Lin [4] |
| 2007 | Mad Detective | Inspector May Cheung [4] |
| 2007 | Boarding Gate | Lea [7] |
| 2008 | Sparrow | Chung Chun Lei [4] |
| 2009 | Tao Jin Hai Ke | [4] |
| 2009 | Gasp | Ming Chen [4] |
| 2009 | Written By | Mandy Ching [4] |
| 2009 | My Fair Gentleman | Wu Jia Qian [4] |
| 2010 | Just Call Me Nobody | Yue-Lou / Lady Moon [4] |
| 2010 | Showtime | [4] |
| 2010 | Reign of Assassins | Drizzle [4] |
| 2011 | The Devil Inside Me | Lin Yan [4] |
| 2012 | Money Island Love | [4] |
| 2023 | The Movie Emperor | Lau Wai-Chi's wife [4] [7] |
Television series
Kelly Lin began her television work in the late 1990s with guest appearances and supporting roles in Taiwanese and Hong Kong productions, transitioning to more prominent parts in the early 2000s before a hiatus.[11] Her notable television series roles are as follows:| Year | Title | Role | Network | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung | Princess Ming Zhu | CTS / TVB | 40 |
| 2002 | Honour and Unforgiven (Yi Ben Wu Hui) | Supporting role | ATV (Hong Kong) | 20 |
| 2003 | Seventh Grade (Qi Nian Ji Sheng) | Supporting role | TVBS | 22 |
| 2023 | At the Moment | Ting Chih-chieh (Episodes 9-10) | Netflix | 2 (of 10) |
| 2023–2024 | Blossoms Shanghai | Mrs. Lin | Tencent Video / HBO GO | 2 |