Actor Baron Chen – Son of a Mafia Boss Rejects Billion-Dollar Inheritance to Become an Actor
The gangster’s heir leaves the empire to pursue acting.
Baron Chen, born in 1978, is a well-known idol actor. He gained popularity through famous dramas such as *Fated to Love You*, *The Three Daughters of Xia Family*, *The Flying Daggers*, and *Accidentally in Love*.
Right at the start of his acting career, Baron Chen collaborated with the famous Taiwanese singer and actor Jay Chou in *Kung Fu Dunk*.
Jay Chou even invited Baron Chen to act in the music video for *Blue and White Porcelain* and introduced him to star in the movie *The Treasure Hunter*.
Baron Chen entered the entertainment industry relatively late, at the age of 27. It wasn’t until he was 32 that he went to China to apply for the Beijing Film Academy to receive formal training in acting.
Thanks to his handsome appearance, Baron Chen gained a certain number of fans. Although his career was not particularly outstanding, he was one of the prominent faces in Taiwanese idol dramas during his time.
When he first entered showbiz, no one knew Baron Chen’s background because he was quite secretive about his personal life and lived relatively simply.
It wasn’t until 2007, when Chen Chi-li, the infamous leader of the United Bamboo Gang in Taiwan, passed away, that people were shocked to see Baron Chen at the funeral and realized he was the son of the gangster kingpin.
At this point, the media began to dig into Baron Chen’s background and discovered that in 2005, the young master was given a role in *Kung Fu Dunk* by Wu Dun, one of the top four leaders of the United Bamboo Gang, using his influence.
In 2008, when the drama *Fated to Love You*, in which Baron Chen played the second male lead, aired, it was said that thousands of gang members were ordered to watch the show every night to boost its ratings.
Despite being the son of a gang boss, Baron Chen’s childhood was not luxurious.
“My parents divorced when I was just one year old. It wasn’t until I was in elementary school that I met my father. He would take time to visit me. As a child, I worked hard to learn chess so I could play with him,” Baron Chen shared.
At that time, Baron Chen still didn’t know what his father did for a living. He only remembers one time when his father came to his elementary school, talked to him for a long time about things he didn’t understand, gave him 50 yuan, and then left. After that day, he never saw his father again.
This was in 1984, the time when the “Jiangnan Case” involving the United Bamboo Gang was exposed, and many members, including Chen Chi-li, either ended up in jail or went on the run.
Chen Chi-li only served four years in prison before returning to manage the United Bamboo Gang. During those four years, Chen Chi-li entrusted Baron Chen to the care of the gang’s disciples. Materially, Baron Chen was well provided for, and he received letters from his father in prison, urging him to study hard.
There were rumors that Baron Chen had witnessed his father punishing gang members and enemies, giving him a significant aura in the underworld.
The actor merely shook his head and explained: “In reality, the depiction of the underworld in films is often exaggerated. Although my father had a special status, he never did things like hitting women or children. When I was young, the uncles and brothers in the gang taught me to be respectful and polite. I was raised with strict discipline, so even later when I became an actor, I always reminded myself to stay humble and work hard.”
When Chen Chi-li passed away, Baron Chen refused the inheritance of 2 billion yuan (equivalent to 500 million USD) and the position as the head of the United Bamboo Gang. The actor only wishes to live a normal life and earn a living through acting.
