Xu Xi Yuan (Chinese: 徐熙媛; pinyin: Xú Xīyuàn, born October 6, 1976 in Taipei, Taiwan), also known as Barbie Hsu and Big S (大S Dà S), is a former Taiwanese actress, singer, and television host. She is a former member of the mandopop band ASOS with her sister, Dee. Hsu has been inactive as an actress since 2012, but still retains a presence in show business through modelling and variety shows.
She is best known for her portrayal of Dong Shan Cai in Meteor Garden and Meteor Garden II.
Biography
Early life
Barbie Hsu was born on October 6, 1976 in Taipei, Taiwan to Huang Chun Mei (黃春梅) and Xu Jian (徐堅; 1953 – 2012). Hsu has an older sister Xu Xi Xian (徐熙嫻), and a younger sister Dee Hsu (born June 14, 1978).
Career
Hsu formed the band SOS ("Sisters of Shu") with her sister Dee in 1994. They released their first album Zhanling Nianqing (佔領年輕), while attending Hwa Kang Arts School.[1] After graduating in 1996, they changed the name of the band to ASOS (徐氏姊妹; "A Sisters of Shu") for legal reasons.[2] In the late nineties, the sisters began hosting variety shows, including Guess[3] and 100% Entertainment. ASOS released their final album together, titled Biantai Shaonu (變態少女) in 2001.[1] In 1998, Hsu had her television debut in TVBS-G's Musical Love Story (音樂愛情故事) with Harlem Yu. A small role in Six Lines of Youth (2001) followed.
In 2001, Hsu starred as Dong Shan Cai in the popular idol drama Meteor Garden opposite Jerry Yan and Vic Chou.[4] She was nominated for a Golden Bell Award for her performance.[5] Hsu reprised her role in the 2002 sequel, Meteor Garden II.[6] The following year, she starred in Eternity: A Chinese Ghost Story, a period drama based on Chinese folktales.[7][8] In 2004, Hsu starred alongside Blue Lan in the third segment of the anthology series Say Yes Enterprise[9] and with Meteor Garden costar Vic Chou in Mars.[10] She had her film debut in the horror flick The Ghost Inside in 2005.[11] Her next film Silk, also in the horror genre, was screened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.[12]
In 2007, Hsu starred in the television drama Corner with Love, costarring Show Lo.[13] The following year, she appeared in two films, My So Called Love (愛的發聲練習)[14] and Connected, the latter being her first Hong Kong film.[15] Hsu starred opposite Louis Koo again in the comedy film On His Majesty's Secret Service, which premiered in 2009.[16] In 2010, she was the lead in Summer's Desire, an idol drama costarring Peter Ho and Huang Xiaoming.[17] The same year, Hsu also appeared in Hot Summer Days,[18] Future X-Cops,[19] Reign of Assassins,[20] and Adventure of the King.[21] The next year, she starred in the period film My Kingdom.[22] Hsu's latest film roles include Million Dollar Crocodile[23] and Motorway both released in 2012.[24]
Personal life

Hsu with Blue Lan
After filming Meteor Garden, Hsu began dating Blue Lan. They broke up in 2005.[25][26] She dated Meteor Garden costar Vic Chou from June 2005 to January 2008.[27][28]

Hsu with ex-husband, Wang Xiao Fei
Hsu married entrepreneur Wang Xiao Fei (汪小菲) in a civil ceremony in Beijing on November 16, 2010.[29] They later held a wedding banquet in March 2011 on Hainan Island.[30] After trying to conceive for two years, she gave birth to a daughter, Wang Xi Yue (汪希玥) on April 24, 2014.[31] The couple welcomed their second child, a son named Wang Xi Lin (汪希箖), on May 14, 2016. Hsu fainted while giving birth due to the pain of the contractions, which also caused her epilepsy to flare up.[32]
In late March 2018, she was hospitalized for an epileptic fit caused by a cold. Two weeks later, Hsu announced her third pregnancy.[33] She terminated the pregnancy in May, after doctors confirmed that the embryo was not viable.[34] In June 2021, Hsu revealed her intentions to divorce Wang.[35] The couple officially announced their decision to file for divorce in November of the same year. Hsu cited their different values as one of the reasons for divorce.[36]

Hsu and current husband, Koo Jun-yup
On March 7, 2022, Hsu confirmed that she had married South Korean DJ Koo Jun-yup.[37] The couple had previously dated for a year before breaking up in 1999.[38] Koo contacted Hsu after her divorce and they reconnected. They decided to marry without a wedding ceremony.[39] The pair registered their marriage in Korea first, which allowed Koo to travel to Taiwan on a spousal visa.[40] On March 28, they registered their marriage in Taiwan.[41]
Filmography
Television dramas
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | Musical Love Story | ||
2001 | Six Lines of Youth | Herself | |
Meteor Garden | Dong Shan Cai | ||
2002 | Meteor Garden II | Dong Shan Cai | |
The Monkey King: Quest for the Sutra | Ice Goddess | ||
2003 | Eternity: A Chinese Ghost Story | Nie Xiao Qian | |
2004 | Say Yes Enterprise | Xiao Niao | Episodes 8-12 |
Mars | Han Qi Luo | ||
2005 | Phantom Lover | Tong Ruo Fan | |
2007 | Corner with Love | Yu Xin Lei | |
2010 | Summer's Desire | Yin Xia Mo |
Films
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | The Ghost Inside | Lin Xiao Yue | |
2006 | Silk | Su Yuan | |
2008 | My So Called Love | Xiao Mao | |
Connected | Grace Wong | ||
2009 | On His Majesty's Secret Service | Mei Xi Wang | |
2010 | Hot Summer Days | Ding Dong | |
Future X-Cops | Wang Xue'e | ||
Reign of Assassins | Ye Zhanqing | ||
Adventure of the King | Li Fengjie | ||
2011 | My Kingdom | Xi Mu Lan | |
2012 | Million Dollar Crocodile | Wen Yan | |
Motorway | Yee |
Notes
- Hsu is good friends with Meteor Garden producer Angie Chai.[42] She also worked with Chai on Mars (2004) and Corner with Love (2007).
- Hsu and her sister Dee were good friends with Tony Fish. When he passed away in 2012, the sisters gave a speech at his memorial service.[43]
- In April 2018, Hsu posted on social media that she began to dislike Shan Cai midway through production. She reported that she did not like her character's indesiveness.[44]
- On a talk show in September 2018, she revealed her attempt to "match-make" Ken Chu and her sister together, but nothing came of it. Chu was shocked, having never guessed Hsu's intentions at the time.[45]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.hinews.cn/news/system/2010/11/06/011426346.shtml (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.haibao.com/star/1668/ (Chinese)
- ↑ http://media.people.com.cn/n/2013/0130/c355649-20378790.html (Chinese)
- ↑ Advancing Comparative Media and Communication Research, Joseph M. Chan, Francis L. F. Lee, Taylor & Francis, 2017, 9781351715898, page 224
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0001552/2001
- ↑ http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/2/9/17/n216038.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/3/6/2/n322517.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://ent.sina.com.cn/v/2003-08-09/1419183416.html (Chinese)
- ↑ https://www.ttv.com.tw/drama/2004/propose/default.asp (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/4/4/6/n502899.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/5/1/n906839.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/films/guisi
- ↑ http://ent.sina.com.cn/v/h/2007-07-20/10571645173.shtml (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/8/11/14/n2329700.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/8/10/9/n2290720.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/9/7/30/n2606846.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/showbiz/2009-03/16/content_7583614.htm
- ↑ https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/02/12/hot-summer-days-celebrates-both-valentines-day-chinese-lunar-new-year/
- ↑ http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/10/4/9/n2871294.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/assassins-wraps-weather-hit-china-shoot
- ↑ http://news.163.com/10/0818/04/6EBFI0MV00014AED.html (Chinese)
- ↑ http://ent.people.com.cn/h/2011/0903/c226947-2186714155.html (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.filmbiz.asia/reviews/million-dollar-crocodile
- ↑ http://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/motorway-1117947737/
- ↑ http://asianfanaticfans.blogspot.com/2008/10/blue-lan-spent-3-years-to-move-on.html
- ↑ http://arenewsmedia.blogspot.com/2010/12/da-ss-former-boyfriends-zai-zai-and.html
- ↑ https://www.dramafever.com/news/vic-chou-of-meteor-garden-is-married-in-a-big-surprise-to-f4-fans/
- ↑ http://flomikren.blogspot.com/2008/01/vic-zhou-and-barbie-hsu-break-up-report.html
- ↑ http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/10/11/17/n3087104.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://ent.southcn.com/8/2011-03/16/content_21333163.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://gb.cri.cn/27564/2013/10/17/1042s4288047.htm (Chinese)
- ↑ http://entertainment.toggle.sg/en/asianbuzz/article/barbie-hsu-fainted-during-6346320
- ↑ https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/actress-barbie-hsu-confirms-3rd-pregnancy-2-weeks-after-health-scare
- ↑ https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/actress-barbie-hsu-ends-pregnancy-after-doctors-determine-that-foetus-isnt
- ↑ https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4217062
- ↑ https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4353114
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca0sr7MveZ0/ (Chinese)
- ↑ https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/actress-barbie-hsu-rushed-to-marry-dj-koo-so-he-could-visit-her-in-taiwan
- ↑ https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/03/08/entertainment/kpop/barbie-hsu-taiwan-korea/20220308162528782.html
- ↑ https://theindependent.sg/happily-ever-after-the-world-is-rooting-for-barbie-hsu-new-husband-but-old-flame-dj-koo/
- ↑ https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/a-closely-watched-marriage-actress-barbie-hsu-and-dj-koo-register-nuptials-in-taiwan
- ↑ https://www.dramafever.com/news/meteor-garden-taiwans-boys-over-flowers-gets-a-fresh-remake-after-16-years/
- ↑ https://kknews.cc/entertainment/op6b4xq.html (Chinese)
- ↑ http://www.dramapanda.com/2018/04/barbie-hsu-reveals-that-she-started-to.html
- ↑ https://entertainment.toggle.sg/en/entertainment/asianbuzz/article/barbie-hsu-match-make-ken-chu-dee-hsu-10744722
- ↑ https://entertainment.toggle.sg/en/entertainment/asianbuzz/article/barbie-hsu-gets-inked-again-9004576
- ↑ https://www.recordchina.co.jp/b696370-s0-c70-d0044.html (Japanese)