Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia (; born 3 November 1954) is a Taiwanese actress. Regarded as a screen icon, Lin played a key role in boosting Taiwan's film production with her romantic heroine roles in the 1970s before transitioning to Hong Kong, where she achieved great success with her androgynous roles in wuxia films. Following her marriage in 1994, she retired from acting and transitioned to writing in the 2000s, publishing four essay collections. In 2023, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 60th Golden Horse Awards.
Career Lin was born in Chiayi, Taiwan to waishengren parents from eastern Shandong who had moved to Taiwan in the KMT exodus in 1949. She has a sister and a brother. She was scouted in 1972 on the streets of Taipei by a film producer after she finished women's high school and was preparing for university. Lin debuted in the film adaptation of Chiung Yao's Outside the Window (1973), which propelled her to stardom. Lin, along with Joan Lin, Charlie Chin and Chin Han, thus became known as the "Two Chins, Two Lins" (二秦二林) for their extensive roles in romantic movies of the 1970s based on Chiung Yao's novels that dominated the Taiwanese box office. She subsequently joined Chiung Yao's company in 1976.
She appeared in 55 films in the period between 1972 and 1979, and all her roles were romantic heroines in love stories, many based on Chiung Yao's stories. Lin won the Best Actress award at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival for her role as a girl scout in Eight Hundred Heroes (1976). She left for the U.S. in 1979 for a year and a half to study and relax.
Lin branched out of Taiwan with her collaborations with Hong Kong New Wave directors Ringo Lam, Tsui Hark and Jackie Chan in Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983), The Other Side of Gentleman (1984), Police Story (1985) and Peking Opera Blues (1986), establishing her as a screen icon. In 1990, she won the Best Actress at the 27th Golden Horse Awards for her depiction of a Chinese female writer who fell in love with a Japanese collaborator in Red Dust (1990).
Lin gained particular acclaim for her androgynous roles, which are common in Chinese operas and movies. Her earliest being Jia Baoyu, the male protagonist of the 1977 film adaptation of Dream of the Red Chamber. In Peking Opera Blues (1986), she was a guerrilla revolutionary and in Royal Tramp II (1992), she was the leader of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, while in Handsome Siblings (1992), she was a highly skilled successor of a martial arts leader, then in Fire Dragon (1994), she was a fire-wielding assassin. All four were female characters dressed as men. And in Ashes of Time (1994), she played twin brother/sister duo Yin and Yang. However, she is perhaps most well known for her role as cult leader Dongfang Bubai in Swordsman II (1992). Swordsman II marked the peak of her career in terms of box office earnings for which she was listed among the 10 greatest performances in cinema of all time by Time magazine. The success of the film brought her to other notable martial epics such as New Dragon Gate Inn (1992), where she again played a female character dressed as a man, and The Bride with White Hair (1993), until she retired from acting after Ashes of Time (1994). One of her final androgynous roles was The Three Swordsmen (1994), where she played a sect leading swordsman opposite Andy Lau. She made a small-screen comeback by joining the Hunan TV reality show Up Idol (2015).
She was conferred an honorary doctorate (Doctor of Social Sciences) from the University of Hong Kong on April 3, 2023.
Personal life Lin dated both Chin Han and Charlie Chin of the "Two Chins, Two Lins" fame in the 1970s.
Lin married Hong Kong businessman Michael Ying in 1994. She is the mother of Eileen Ying Oi Lum (born 1996) and Melani Ying Yin-oi (born 2001) and stepmother to Claudine Ying.
In 2002, Lin's 71-year-old mother, who struggled with depression, committed suicide by jumping off the 12th floor of her apartment.
Filmography Film YearEnglish titleChinese titleRole Notes1973 Outside the Window 窗外 Jiang Yanrong 1974 Gone with the Cloud 雲飄飄 Li Zhongjiang Ghost of the Mirror 古鏡幽魂 Susu Love, Love, Love 純純的愛 Lin Chunchun The River of Cloudy 雲河 Liang Xinlan Female Reporter 女記者 Shen Fuhui Girlfriend 女朋友 Xia Xiaochan The House of Love 愛的小屋 Xiao YuGreen Green Meadow 青青草原上 Fang Menglan Long Way from Home 長情萬縷 Lin Shanshan 1975 Misty Drizzle 煙雨 Ji Chunxia The Life God 雲深不知處 White-clothed girl Xiao Yi Huai Chun 小姨怀春 Wan Qing Run Lover Run 愛情長跑 Shui Liping Hot Wave 熱浪 Xia Xiaoyu The Unforgettable Character 在水一方 Tu Hsiao-shuang He Loved Once Too Many 水雲 Shui Jiao Love Story of Pian Pian 翩翩情 Pian Pian The Forest of Forever 長青樹 Luo Yanan 1976 Eight Hundred Heroes 八百壯士 Yang Huimin Autumn Song 秋歌 Dong Zhiyun The Chasing Game 追球追求 Fang Meihan Tomorrow I'm 20 明天二十歲 Love Kungfu 戀愛功夫 Xia Xiaoyun The Beauty with Two Faces 海天一色 Love Forever 海誓山盟 Yi Lian Today and Tomorrow 昨夜，今夜，明夜 Forever My Love 楓葉情 Li Jinwen Different Love 不一樣的愛 Song Xiaoyu My Funny Intern 鬼馬俏醫生 Fang Jie 1977 Come Fly With Me 我是一沙鷗 Liu Yanmei The Cloud of Romance 我是一片雲Tuan Wanlu The Dream of the Red Chamber 金玉良緣紅樓夢Jia BaoyuThere's No Place Like Home 異鄉夢 Ye Hualing The Love Affair of Rainbow 奔向彩虹 Xiao Hong My Sweet Love 溫馨在我心 Li Huifang Orchid in the Rain 幽蘭在雨中 Qiu Meng 1978The Misty Moon 月朦朧鳥朦朧Liu LingshanLove of the White Snake 真白蛇傳Madam White SnakeMorning Fog 晨雾 Du Xiaowu Moon on the Beach 沙灘上的月亮 Luo Xiaolu A Journey of Love 無情荒地有情天 Yin Meizhen Birds Are Singing Everywhere 處處聞啼鳥 Shen Yalun The Story of Green House 綠色山莊 Fang Yizhu 1979 The Wild Goose on the Wing 雁兒在林梢 Tao Lifan Love Under a Rosy Sky 彩霞满天 Yin Tsai-Chin A Love Seed 一顆紅豆 Xia Chulei Cheng Gong Ling Shang 成功嶺上 The Choice of Love 一片深情 Wen Jiayi By Love Obsessed 情奔 Ruo Ping An Unforgettable Day 難忘的一天 Tian Yuqiu 1980 Magnificent 72 碧血黃花 Marigold 金盞花 Han Peiyin Poor Chasers 戀愛反斗星 Shen Rong1981Love Massacre 愛殺IvyThe Women Soldiers 中國女兵Wen Jingyi1982 Golden Queen's Commando 紅粉兵團 Fang Huijun Burn Phoenix Burn 燃燒吧！火鳥Wei YanranPink Force Commando 紅粉遊俠 Hu Fangling Lily Under the Muzzle 槍口下的小百合 Xiao Han The Deadly Angels 脂粉奇兵 Hero vs Hero 慧眼識英雄Shen Liangbai 1983 Four Shy Guy 四傻害羞 Mo Hailun Black and White Pearl 黑白珠 Guan Xuezhu Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain 新蜀山劍俠傳 Ice Queen Fantasy Mission Force 迷你特攻隊 Lei Li All the Wrong Spies 我愛夜來香 Ying Hong 1983 Da Jing Qi 1938大驚奇 Demon Fighter 午夜蘭花 Susu 1984 Victims of the Assassin 情人看刀 Ling'er The Other Side of Gentleman 君子好逑 Jojo 1985 Seven Foxes 七隻狐貍 Miss Lin Police Story 警察故事 Selina Fong 1986 Dream Lovers 夢中人 Cheng Yuet-heung Peking Opera Blues 刀馬旦 Tsao Wan True Colours 英雄正傳 May 1987The Thirty Million Dollar Rush 橫財三千萬 Sister Maria Flag of Honor 旗正飄飄 Qin FengLady in Black 奪命佳人Chan Mei-fung1988Starry is the Night 今夜星光燦爛To Cai-mei1989Web of Deception 驚魂記Jane Lin1990 Red Dust 滾滾紅塵 Shen Shaohua 1992 Swordsman II 笑傲江湖之東方不敗 Dongfang Bubai Royal Tramp 鹿鼎記 So Chuen CameoNew Dragon Gate Inn 新龍門客棧 Yau Mo-yanSecret Love for the Peach Blossom Spring 暗戀桃花源 Yun Zhifan Royal Tramp II 鹿鼎記II神龍教 Long'er Handsome Siblings 絕代雙驕 Hua Wuque 1993 Swordsman III 東方不敗之風雲再起 Dongfang Bubai The Eagle Shooting Heroes 射鵰英雄傳之東成西就 Third Princess Boys Are Easy 追男仔 Ching Siu-tung The Bride with White Hair 白髮魔女傳 Lian Nishang The Black Panther Warriors 黑豹天下 Ching-ching The Bride with White Hair 2 白髮魔女傳2 Lian Nishang 1994 Deadful Melody 六指琴魔 Huang Xuemei Semi-Gods and Semi-Devils 新天龍八部之天山童姥 Lei Chau-shui / Lei Chong-hoi Fire Dragon 火雲傳奇 Fire Dragon / Ying Ha Chungking Express 重慶森林 Woman in blonde wig The Three Swordsmen 刀劍笑 Ming-kim Ashes of Time 東邪西毒 Murong Yang / Murong Yin / Dugu Qiubai 1998 Bishonen 美少年之戀 Narrator 2001 Peony Pavilion 遊園驚夢
Television YearEnglish titleChinese titleRole Notes2015 Up Idol 偶像来了 Herself Reality show
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1975 Asia-Pacific Film Festival Best Actress Eight Hundred Heroes 1980Golden Horse Awards Magnificent 72 1982Hero vs Hero 1984Hong Kong Film Award Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain 1986 Police Story 1990Golden Horse Awards Red Dust 1993Hong Kong Film Award Swordsman II Handsome Siblings Golden Phoenix AwardsOutstanding Achievement Award 2010 Iron Elephant Film Award Best Supporting Actress Ashes of Time 2018Far East Film FestivalGolden Mulberry Lifetime Achievement Award 2023Golden Horse Film Festival and AwardsGolden Horse Lifetime Achievement Award
Related publications The Last Star of the East: Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia and Her Films (2005) 窗裏窗外 Inside and Outside the Window (2011) 雲去雲來 Cloud Goes, Cloud Comes (2014) 镜前镜后 In Front of the Lens, Behind the Lens (2020) 青霞小品 Ching-hsia Sketches (2022)
References
External links