Jay Chou [周杰伦(Jiélún Zhōu)] born January 18, 1979, is a Taiwanese musician, singer, producer, actor and director. In 1998 he was discovered in a school talent show, where he showcased his singing and piano-skills. Over the next two years, he was hired to compose for popular singers in China. Trained in classical music, he combines musical styles to produce songs that fuse R & B, rock, and pop genres, covering issues such as domestic violence, war, and urbanization.
In 2000, he released his first album “Jay” under the record company Alfa Music. Since then he has released one album per year, selling several million copies each. His music has gained recognition throughout Asia, especially in countries like China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities, winning more than 20 awards each year. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide.
In 2007 Chou was named one of the 50 most influential people in China by the British think tank Chatham House. He starred in Initial D (2005) which won Best Actor in Golden Horse Awards and was nominated for Best Actor Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in Curse of the Golden Flower in which he played the prince Jay (2006 ). His career now extends into directing and running his own record company JVR Music.
In 2011, he starred opposite Seth Rogan in the Michel Gondry directed film, The Green Hornet, as the loyal and skilled companion, Kato, played originally by Bruce Lee in the television series of the 60′s.
