Marcus Chang (; born 28 May 1983) is a Taiwanese actor and singer-songwriter. He made his acting debut in the film Café. Waiting. Love (2014) and rose to prominence with the television series Back to 1989 (2016). He gained international recognition for his dual-role performance in the romantic fantasy series Lost Romance (2020), for which he won the Asian Star Prize at the 16th Seoul International Drama Awards. His other notable roles include the television series Behind Your Smile (2016-2017), (2018), and (2023).
Chang was born on 28 May 1983, in Taipei, Taiwan. He has a younger brother named Jarvis (born 1986). After completing elementary school in Taiwan, Chang was sent to a boarding school. He enrolled at St Peter's College in Auckland, New Zealand. At a young age, he experienced loneliness while living in a foreign country and had to learn independence. He learned to play the piano and guitar at an early age and wrote his first song at the age of 15.
By the age of 17, Chang aspired to become a professional singer-songwriter. Despite his familyâÂÂs expectations for him to take over the family business, Chang chose to study music academically. In 2005, he graduated from the University of Auckland with a bachelorâÂÂs degree in Performing Arts, specializing in popular music, and also studied jazz piano. Additionally, he studied audio engineering at the SAE Institute in Auckland.
After graduation in 2006, Chang returned to Taiwan to help with the family business as his father faced health issues.
In 2007, Chang participated in One Million Star, a Taiwanese televised singing competition.
After completing his one-year mandatory military service in 2009 and following his fatherâÂÂs recovery, Chang decided to leave home due to his familyâÂÂs opposition to his pursuit of a music career. To support himself, he took on various jobs, including working at Taipei ChildrenâÂÂs Amusement Park and Taipei Zoo, where he wore a mascot costume. He also composed songs for childrenâÂÂs theater productions, advertisements, and other projects.
Chang is bilingual, fluent in both Mandarin and English.
In 2012, Chang appeared in commercials for CPC Corporation and Asia-Pacific Interactive Service, which eventually led to his discovery by producer Angie Chai. He was subsequently signed by her management company, Star Ritz International Entertainment.
In 2014, he made his acting debut in Giddens KoâÂÂs film Café. Waiting. Love, portraying the mysterious crush of Vivian SungâÂÂs lead character. In 2015, he was cast in the television series To the Dearest Intruder.
ChangâÂÂs breakthrough came in 2016 with his first lead role in the television series Back to 1989, where he played Chen Che, a man from 2016 who accidentally time travels to 1989. His performance brought him widespread recognition, earning him a Best Actor nomination and the Best Potential Award at the 5th Sanlih Drama Awards.
Chang later starred in the television series Behind Your Smile (2016-2017) as Zhao Yi-ting, a businessman motivated by revenge. In 2018, he took on the role of Luo Cheng-kai, an ambitious executive, in the television series .
In 2019, Chang appeared in the film Nina Wu and made a cameo appearance in the television series Let's Go Crazy on Live!.
In 2020, Chang reunited with Vivian Sung in the romantic-fantasy series Lost Romance, where he played dual roles: He Tian-xing, a calm and reserved CEO in the real world, and Situ Ao-ran, a tsundere and domineering CEO in a fictional romance novel world. He was highly praised for his ability to convincingly portray two contrasting characters. Lost Romance was named the "Most Popular Taiwanese Drama of the Year" by DailyView. Chang and Sung were lauded for their on-screen chemistry, which greatly contributed to the seriesâ popularity. ChangâÂÂs performance in Lost Romance further expanded his fanbase, particularly among international audiences, and earned him the Asian Star Prize at the 16th Seoul International Drama Awards in 2021.
In 2021, Chang made a surprise cameo appearance in Giddens KoâÂÂs film Till We Meet Again, playing the college boyfriend of Vivian SungâÂÂs character.
In 2022, Chang was hospitalized for 11 days due to a collapsed lung, requiring emergency treatment and an extended recovery period. After regaining his health, he made his return to acting in 2023 with the television series . However, he soon took another hiatus, revealing that he had been struggling with a recurring collapsed lung, which led to pneumothorax.
After making a full recovery in 2024, Chang attended a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, for his upcoming black comedy miniseries , set for release in 2026.
Chang's debut extended play (EP) Zero (ñ1) was released by Sony Music Taiwan on 31 August 2018. The EP reflects his dual identity as both an actor and a musician. Following its success, he released his second EP, Oxymoron, on 26 December 2019.
He also held two solo concerts at Legacy Taipei.
Chang also contributed to the soundtrack of television series Lost Romance (2020) with the songs "Lose to You," "Tonight IâÂÂm Here," and "Talk To Me."
Music and lyrics written by Chang.