Chang Chen claims second Golden Horse best actor award

Taipei, Nov. 22 (CNA) Taiwanese actor Chang Chen (張震) has been crowned best actor at the 2025 Golden Horse Awards, winning the honor for the second time in five years for "Lucky Lu" (幸福之路).

Chang, who has earned three Golden Horse Best Actor nominations in the past five years, won his second trophy on Saturday with his sixth nomination in the category. His six nominations and two wins both rank second in the 62-year history of the Golden Horse Best Actor award.

"I felt relatively relaxed during the shoot. During the two months in New York, I was simply the character, and I believe no matter whether I win this award today, I have tried my best," Chang, who clenched his fists and yelled in celebration en route to the stage, said at the award ceremony in Taipei.

He thanked every member of the crew for making his performance possible and his family -- his father Chang Kuo-chu (張國柱), also an actor, in particular - for introducing him to cinema at the age of 13.

"It was he who took me into the world of film and showed me what film is, which made me passionate about it," he said. "I'm dedicating this award to every single one of you who is passionate about film. Let's keep going!"

The other four nominees were Taiwanese actors Joseph Chang (張孝全) for "Deep Quiet Room" (深度安靜) and Lan Wei-hua (藍葦華) for "Family Matters" (我家的事), as well as Singapore's Richie Koh (許瑞奇) for "A Good Child" (好孩子) and Hong Kong's Will Or (柯煒林) for "A Foggy Tale" (大濛).

In "Lucky Lu," Chang portrays an immigrant delivery worker living in a Chinatown neighborhood in the United States who struggles against multiple hardships -- from having his electric bicycle stolen to falling victim to a rental scam -- while striving to support his family.

In a November interview with Taiwanese media, Chang said he observed delivery workers as part of his preparation for the role. He recalled that when he was shooting a scene in which he searches for his stolen e-bike, a passerby approached him out of concern because his performance looked so real.

Now 49, Chang Chen first rose to fame at the age of 14 for his role in the late director Edward Yang's (楊德昌) "A Brighter Summer Day" (牯嶺街少年殺人事件), which led to his first best actor nomination at the Golden Horse Awards in 1991.

He was also named best actor by the Taiwan Film Critics Society in 2022.

"Lucky Lu" premiered worldwide at the Cannes Film Festival in France in May.