Taiwanese celebrity Alien Huang dies aged 36

Taipei, Sept. 16 (CNA) Thirty-six-year-old Taiwanese singer and actor Alien Huang (黃鴻升) was found dead at his home in Taipei's Beitou District on Wednesday, when a family member went to check on him after being unable to reach him by phone.

Huang, who was also known by the nickname Xiao Gui ("little ghost"), was discovered by his father, who summoned emergency services to the house at 11 a.m., according to Taipei City Police Department.

His body, which was discovered just outside the bathroom, showed no signs of physical struggle and he appeared to have been dead for some time, police said, adding that no drugs or alcohol were found at the scene.

According to the authorities, Huang returned home at around 7 p.m. on Tuesday and posted an Instagram story showing him playing with his pet dog later that evening. The precise cause and manner of his death are under investigation, police said.

Huang was a graduate of Taipei Hwa Kang Arts School, where his classmates included actress Hsu Wei-ning (許瑋甯) and singer Rainie Yang (楊丞琳).

He received his first big break in 2002, as a member of the shortlived boy band HC3, and founded his own band, Cosmo (丸子), the following year.

From music, Huang transitioned into roles as an actor in television dramas and hosted variety shows, with the latter earning him nominations in 2015 and 2019 at Taiwan's annual Golden Bell Awards for television production.

News of Huang's death was met with an outpouring of tributes from friends and colleagues in the country's entertainment industry.

Yang, who dated Huang for several years, said via her agent that she "cannot describe how much it hurts" to lose Huang, who was "like family" to her.

In an Instagram post, Hsu wrote that she and other Hwa Kang graduates had been planning to hold a reunion on Thursday, though Huang had said he'd be unable to attend because of his work schedule.

Having heard the news of Huang's death, Hsu said, "we will meet as scheduled (and) will save a seat for you."

In a statement to CNA, the variety show host Jacky Wu (吳宗憲) said he was "shattered" by the news of his friend's death, adding that he had promised to present Huang with a Golden Bell Award at next year's ceremony.