Actors - Jimmy Lin Chih Ying

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	Actors - Jimmy Lin Chih Ying

Jimmy Lin Chih-Ying (Traditional Chinese: 林志穎; Simplified Chinese: 林志颖; pinyin: lin2 zhi4 ying3; Jyutping: lam4 zi3 wing6) is a Taiwanese singer, actor and racer.

Childhood

Lin came into the world in the living room of his home in Taiwan, on the 15th of October, 1974. Eventually, he was the 2nd child in a family of 5 children. As a child, while Jimmy charmed everyone around him with his angelic smile, he was also known for his pranks. He was greatly interested in cars and this was reflected in his schoolwork. There was once he wrote in his essay, that he will chase the stars in a car with wings.

The rise to stardom

At the age of 16, while he was still schooling in Hwa Gang, Lin was discovered during a performance in school. He was then also the star of the campus. At first he declined his first manager’s offer to enter showbiz, but later took up the offer. In 1992, at the tender age of 17, he became a superstar overnight at the release of his debut album, “Not Every Love Song has Fond Memories” (不是每個戀曲都有美好回憶). His sweeping fame across Asia and even U.S.A gained him the nickname “Little Whirlwind.” He was also known as one of the Little Four Heavenly Kings in Taiwan. He later went on to release 13 albums, together with their special editions and compilations, and has since filmed many movies and series, as well as endorsed many products. Throughout his singing career, he also received many awards for his hit songs and albums.

Military hiatus

Jimmy enjoyed great popularity till 1994, when he had to serve compulsory military service. Despite knowing it would affect his showbiz career tremendously, he did not seek special treatment from the government. In October that year, he entered the military like any other ordinary male of his age.

Despite his fame, Jimmy did not have an easy life in the military. In a 2005 talk show, Jimmy revealed that in addition to the arduous training, he was bullied by seniors, and was expected to perform better than other soldiers. Although he did not expect star treatment, Jimmy was shocked to be treated badly for being a celebrity. In spite of all these, Jimmy performed well as a soldier, and received awards for excellent performance. He served primarily in the entertainment section of the military. After 2 years in the military, he returned to showbiz in 1996.

The post-military years

However, as was expected, Jimmy was overshadowed by many newcomers in his absence. Despite the difficulties he faced in re-entering showbiz, he worked hard and even set up his own company, Jimmy Creative, which produced his recent 5 albums under the music label “Forward”. The most noteworthy album was “Scarecrow” (稻草人)(1999), which contained a song of the same title. That song is regarded by many fans as the masterpiece of his singing career.

Racing career

In 1997, Jimmy decided to realize his dream of car racing. In one of the races that year, he encountered a crash which nearly cost him his life. Seconds after limping out of the wreck, the car exploded. The only reminder of the accident now is a few metal plates in the foot that was crushed. Despite the accident, Jimmy did not give up on racing, and constantly strived to better himself. With regard to this, he often says, “When I race, I am not racing against others, but against myself.” Today Jimmy is one of the top 10 racers in Mainland China. In 2005, he signed a contract with Hong He, the top team in China, as a racer. He is currently training under top racing coach Ma Jun Kun. Jimmy hopes to become a F1 racer someday, and go full time as a professional racer.

On October 23rd, 2005, Jimmy also hosted the first "Jimmy Cup", a racing event where mainly male celebrities race. Jimmy's aim is that the publicity generated by his event will help to spread the message of traffic safety to the masses, and promote the love of car racing.

Recent career moves

While being a racer, Lin has not neglected his showbiz career. Jimmy concentrated on filming after his last album “Going for a Walk” in 2000. The grandest production in recent years was “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils”(天龙八部), where he took the role of the Dali crown-prince Duan Yu. Despite drawing flak for his acting, Jimmy continues to work hard and experiment with different roles.

Despite having not released an album since 2000, Jimmy continues to sing for series/film theme songs, and give regular live performances for various events. Jimmy sings at mini concerts, fund-raising events, festivals and even state events. He was one of the celebrity performers at the Third "Beijing 2008" Olympic Cultural Festival (2005), where the theme motto "One World, One Dream" was officially announced.

In addition to his showbiz and racing career, Jimmy set up a business on the Web with his brother, naming his own brand "JR" (Jimmy Racing). The online venture sells goods ranging from sunglasses to bikinis. It has since grown in scale from operating solely on auction sites, to selling his goods on shopping sites.

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