Ma Nien-hsien (; born 1973) is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter and actor. Debuting as a member of funk rock band Sticky Rice in 1997, Ma rose to fame in Asia with the band's second album The Bird King. He later pursued careers in music and acting, achieving recognition for his role as Malasun in the musical drama film Cape No. 7 (2008). He then starred in Rock N' Road (2014), All You Need Is Love (2015), Jojo's World (2017), The Victims' Game (2020) and More Than Blue: The Series (2021). Ma received nominations for Best Original Film Song and Best Male Mandarin Singer for his film score composition in the comedy film Zone Pro Site (2013) and his debut album Mama Jeans and Daddy Shoes in the 50th Golden Horse Awards and 33rd Golden Melody Awards, respectively. He also took on the lead role as Chang Yung-kang in the comedy film Marry My Dead Body (2023) and reprised it in the spinoff series GG Precinct (2024).
Early life and education Ma was born in 1973 in Taipei, Taiwan. His father, , is a children's literature writer and a music lover who often played classic songs at home, influencing Ma's musical taste. Ma was mischievous during his school days and was once expelled from high school. He developed an interest in music after purchasing a guitar and eventually became the chairman of the western music club in high school. He then attended Tamkang University to study mass communications and later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. He actively participated in bands and music performances from his first year.
Career In 1994, Ma and three university friends formed a funk rock band called and began performing in pubs. They wrote an original song and applied for a competition hosted by PolyGram. PolyGram signed them on the spot, and Sticky Rice released their debut song "Star's Dream" and their first album, also titled Sticky Rice, in 1997. The band also sang the theme song for the 1997 romance film , earning a nomination for Best Original Film Song in the 34th Golden Horse Awards. In 2000, they released another album called , featuring "Paris Strawberry" and "Taekwondo", which became popular in Taiwan and Hong Kong. In 2004, due to the outbreak of SARS and a lack of job offers, the other members of the band decided to leave the entertainment industry and pursue stable careers. However, Ma chose to remain in the music industry and started composing music for advertisements.
In 2008, director Wei Te-sheng approached Ma to join his new film project Cape No. 7. Ma initially thought Wei wanted him to compose the film score, but to his surprise, Wei offered him a supporting lead role. Ma accepted the offer and starred as Malasun, a Hakka alcohol salesman, which brought him widespread recognition in Taiwan due to his iconic performance and the film's popularity. Ma subsequently received numerous film role offers and made his television debut in the same year, portraying Feng Pai-hsiung in . In 2011, Ma was approached by his high school classmate and assistant director, Lishu Lin, to star in a leading role in . He also composed music for the 2013 comedy film Zone Pro Site, which earned him a nomination for Best Original Film Song in the 50th Golden Horse Awards. Ma continued to star in various films and television series in recurring roles, including the 2013 comedy film David Loman, the 2014 romantic musical series Rock N' Road, and the 2017 romantic comedy series Jojo's World. He also took on a leading role in the 2015 romantic comedy film All You Need Is Love. In 2020, Ma appeared as police detective Chen Yao-hui in The Victims' Game, and took on a recurring role as Mr. Chi in the 2021 romance series More Than Blue: The Series. That same year, he released his first individual music album, Mama Jeans and Daddy Shoes, and received a nomination for Best Male Mandarin Singer in the 33rd Golden Melody Awards. In 2023, Ma starred in the lead role as police captain Chang Yung-kang, who is mistakenly perceived as a mole, in the supernatural comedy film Marry My Dead Body. His performance was positively received, and he reprised the role in the spin-off series GG Precinct.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2008 Cape No. 7 Malasun (馬拉桑) 2011 Ceng Quede (曾闕德) 2013 David Loman Toad Zone Pro Site Taxi driver Cameo; deleted scene2014 Sweet Alibis Huo-lung (火隆) Café. Waiting. Love Customer Cameo 2015 All You Need Is Love Ma Nien-hsien (馬念先) 2017 52Hz, I Love You Band Member The Village of No Return Trumpeter Cameo 2021 Your Name Engraved Herein Old Chang Yi-chuen (張逸群) 2023 Marry My Dead Body Chang Yung-kang (張永康) 2024 The Lyricist Wannabe Kao (高經理) Cameo
Television Year Title Role Notes 2008 Feng Pai-Hsiung (馮拍雄) Main role 2009 Zhao Ding-yi (趙定一) Main role 2010 Ke Pu-ti (柯菩提) Recurring role 2012 Once Upon a Love Chen Yao-ming (陳耀明) Recurring role2013 Liu Li-tsi (劉立智) Recurring role Guo Min-hsiung (郭閔熊) Main role2014 Rock N' Road Ma Ding Ni (馬丁尼) Recurring role Mr. Right Wanted Paul Cameo 2016 Wen Guang-de (溫廣德) Recurring role 2017 Jojo's World Ma Ke-wang (馬可王) Recurring role 2018 Yu An-miao (游安妙) Recurring role 2020–2024 The Victims' Game Chen Yao-hui (陳耀輝) Recurring role (season 1–2) 2020 Bai Chong-guang (白重光) Recurring role2021 Qiao Weilin (喬衛林) Recurring role More Than Blue: The Series Mr. Chi (吉哥) Recurring role Light the Night Tsai Huo-wang (蔡火旺) Special appearance (season 1–3) 2024 GG Precinct Chang Yung-kang Main role
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref. 2013 50th Golden Horse Awards Best Original Film Song Zone Pro Site 2022 33rd Golden Melody Awards Best Male Mandarin Singer Mama Jeans and Daddy Shoes
References
External links