Nicholas Tse

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Nicholas Tse Ting-fung (born 29 August 1980) is a Hong Kong actor, singer, entrepreneur and TV chef.[5] Tse debuted as a singer in 1996 before shifting his career focus to acting. He is known for starring in the films Metade Fumaca (1999), New Police Story (2004), Bodyguards and Assassins (2009), The Viral Factor (2012), and Raging Fire (2021), as well as the television series The Proud Twins (2005). For his role in The Stool Pigeon (2010), Tse won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor, making him the first actor to have won in the three major acting categories, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best New Performer, at the Hong Kong Film Awards.[6]

Nicholas Tse
謝霆鋒
Tse in 2017
PronunciationTse Ting-fung
Born (1980-08-29) 29 August 1980 (age 45)
CitizenshipCanada (1988–2021)[1][2]
Chinese (Hong Kong)[3][4]
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • entrepreneur
  • chef
  • Martial Artist
Years active1996–present
Spouse
(m. 2006; div. 2011)
Partner
Children2
Parents
RelativesJennifer Tse (sister)
Musical career
Also known asNic Tse, Lemon (檸檬)
OriginHong Kong
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • hang
  • drums
  • piano
Labels
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXiè Tíngfēng
IPA[ɕjê tʰíŋ.fə́ŋ]
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingZe6 Ting4-fung1
Hong Kong RomanisationTse Ting-fung
IPA[tsɛ˨ tʰɪŋ˩.fʊŋ˥]
Websitenicholastse.hk

Tse is the founder of Post Production Office, a Hong Kong–based special effects company. The company was acquired by Digital Domain in 2016, with Tse becoming chairman of Digital Domain in Greater China.[7]

Early life

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Tse was born at St. Teresa's Hospital in Ma Tau Wai, Kowloon on 29 August 1980 to Hong Kong actor Patrick Tse (謝賢) and actress Deborah Lee (狄波拉). His younger sister is Jennifer Tse.[8] Tse moved to Vancouver, Canada at eight.[1][9] He attended St. George's School, Vancouver, where he was friends with Tablo. They were expelled together for fighting with a racist bully.[10][11] Tse moved back with his family to Hong Kong, where he attended Hong Kong International School for one year before dropping out in grade 10 due to excessive media attention. He moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to finish his middle school, but was expelled after one year for his academic underperformance. He then moved to Vancouver before returning to Hong Kong.[9] In 1996, at 16, he studied at Tokyo Music Institute.[12][note 1] In 2021, Tse announced that he had applied to renounce his Canadian citizenship amid reports that ethnic Chinese celebrities holding foreign passports might face blacklisting by the Chinese government; however, it remains unclear whether his application was approved.[13]

Career

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Music

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In 1997, partly to help clear the debts incurred by his father, Tse signed a record deal with the Fitto label, which would become Emperor Entertainment Group, and released his first album, My Attitude, to runaway success.[9] He won the Most Popular New Artist Award at the 1997 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation.[14] In 2000 and 2001, Tse released two popular albums, "VIVA" and "Jade Butterfly" (玉蝴蝶). In 2002, Tse received the World's Best Chinese Artist award at the 2002 World Music Award for "Jade Butterfly". In April 2025, Tse became the first Chinese singer to hold concerts at Kai Tak Stadium.[15]

Acting

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Tse's notable films include Young and Dangerous: The Prequel (1998), Gen-X Cops (1999), New Police Story (2004), and Invisible Target (2007). Tse's performance in Bodyguards and Assassins (2009) earned him the Best Supporting Actor at the 4th Asian Film Awards. In 2011, Tse won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor for The Stool Pigeon (2010).

Tse's notable TV dramas include Aiming High (1998), The Monkey King: Quest for the Sutra (2002), and The Proud Twins (2004). Tse also lent his voice to the Hong Kong versions of animation films A Bug's Life (1998) and Lotus Lantern (1999).

Tse learned martial arts for the screen from Jackie Chan and Chung Chi Li for films such as Gen-X-Cops and Invisible Target. He worked with Donnie Yen in the martial arts film Dragon Tiger Gate. Tse is a Wing Chun practitioner, trained by fellow actor and friend Philip Ng.

Cooking

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Tse became a TV chef in 2014, when he launched his food travelogue show Chef Nic.[16] In 2015, he opened a cookie bakery in Hong Kong. In 2016, he launched his own lifestyle and food brand Chef Nic (鋒味).[17] On 28 October 2016, Tse was honoured as the first "Friend of Michelin" for his positive contribution to the gastronomic scene through his work.[18] On 30 November 2017, Tse prepared the dessert course for A Night Among the Stars, a seven course gala dinner with Michelin-star chefs Alain Ducasse, Kwong Wai-keung, Tam Kwok-fung, Fabrice Vulin, Hidemichi Seki, and Noah Sandoval.[19][20] In 2025, Tse joined the Tencent cooking show The Divine Dish as a judge, which drew controversy over alleged plagiarism of the Netflix show Culinary Class Wars.[21]

Personal life

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Tse’s earliest acknowledged relationship was with an Italian classmate, whom he met at the age of 15. The relationship ended the same year when Tse went to the United States to study. Heartbroken, he purchased his first second-hand guitar and began writing songs.[22] In 1996, at the age of 16, Tse dated Irene, the daughter of a Canadian businessman; the relationship ended the next year.[23] However, as Tse began taking singing lessons from music teacher Tai See-chung since 14, and later dated Tai's daughter, Wancy Tai, she claimed that she was Tse's first girlfriend.[24][25]

In 1997, Tse began a relationship with singer Bondy Chiu, which lasted approximately three and a half years.[26] At the end of 1999, Tse entered a relationship with singer Candy Lo, which lasted a few months.[27] Tse had an on-and-off relationship with singer Faye Wong from 2000 to 2003, which ended when Cecilia Cheung became involved.[28] In September 2006, Tse announced that he had married Cecilia Cheung in Pamalican, Philippines.[9] They have two sons: Lucas (謝振軒), born on 2 August 2007,[29] and Quintus (謝振南), born on 12 May 2010. The couple divorced in 2011 due to irreconciliable differences resulting from the Edison Chen scandal.[30] In 2014, Tse rekindled his relationship with Faye Wong.

Controversies

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Car crash cover-up

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In the early morning of 23 March 2002, Tse crashed his Ferrari 360 Modena in Hong Kong Central.[31] Initially, it was claimed that Tse's driver was responsible for the crash, but further investigation by the ICAC revealed that the story was fabricated, involving three other men and a police officer. Officer Lau Chi-Wai was sentenced to six months in prison. Tse spent two weeks in prison[32] and was sentenced to 240 hours of community service for obstruction of justice.[33]

Assault on paparazzi

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Tse had his share of brush-ups with "paparazzi" in his early years. A photographer of Sudden Weekly magazine accused Tse of hitting him outside a restaurant in Taiwan, bruising his nose and elbow. Although Tse denied the assault charge, there was a settlement in July 2002.[34]

Reckless driving

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In 2002, Tse was fined HK$7,000 and had his driving license suspended for a year after he pleaded guilty to two separate charges of speeding. In 2003, Tse crashed his Toyota Camry into Wan Chai train station. He was banned from driving for six months and fined HK$4,000 for reckless driving.[35]

Discography

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Filmography

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Film

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Year English title Chinese title Role Notes
1998Young and Dangerous: The Prequel新古惑仔之少年激鬥篇Chan Ho-namHong Kong Film Award for Best New Performer
1999Gen-X Cops特警新人類Jack
A Man Called Hero中華英雄Sword Hua
Metade Fumaca半支煙SmokeyNominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best Original Film Song
Street Angels少女党
The Mirror怪談之魔鏡Siu-ming
2000Twelve Nights十二夜Kit
Winner Takes All大贏家Ferrari
Time and Tide順流逆流Tyler Yim
2001Comic King漫畫風雲Knife
Master Q 2001老夫子2001Fred/Howard
Heroes in Love戀愛起義Writer/co-director only
My Schoolmate, the Barbarian我的野蠻同學Stone
2002Inspector Tide Yau
2002 Tiramisu戀愛行星Ko Fung
Demi-Haunted魂魄唔齊Chang Ho-fung
2003The Medallion飛龍再生WaiterCameo
2004Jade Goddess of Mercy玉觀音Maojie
Enter the Phoenix大佬愛美麗Cock HeadCameo
Moving Targets2004新紮師兄Cheung Wai-kit
New Police Story新警察故事Frank ChengHundred Flowers Award for Best Supporting Actor
2005A Chinese Tall Story情癲大聖Tripitaka
The Promise無極Duke Wuhuan
2006McDull, the Alumni春田花花同學會Old man in toilet
Dragon Tiger Gate龍虎門Tiger Wong
Rob-B-Hood寶貝計劃NicholasCameo
The Heavenly Kings四大天王HimselfCameo
2007Invisible Target男兒本色Detective Chan Chun
2008Beast Stalker證人Sergeant Tong Fei
Storm Rider Clash of the Evils風雲決Striding Cloud
2009The Storm Warriors風雲IIHeartless
Bodyguards and Assassins十月圍城Deng SidiAsian Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor
2010Hot Summer Days全城熱戀熱辣辣Wai
The Stool Pigeon綫人Ghost Jr.Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor
2011Shaolin新少林寺Tsao ManNominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
Treasure Inn財神客棧Master Kung
2012The Viral Factor逆戰Man YeungNominated – Golden Horse Award for Best Actor
The Bullet Vanishes消失的子彈Captain Guo Zhui
2013The Midas Touch超級經理人HimselfCameo
2014As the Light Goes Out救火英雄Sam
From Vegas to Macau賭城風雲Cool
But Always一生一世Zhao Yongyuan
201512 Golden Ducks12金鴨Ma Chi-kin
The Spirit of the Swords情劍Edited version of The Spirit of Sword
2016I Love That Crazy Little Thing那件瘋狂的小事叫愛情Ouyang Qi
Heartfall Arises驚天破John Ma[36]
2017Cook Up a Storm決戰食神Sky Ko
2018Air Strike大轟炸Lei TaoSpecial appearance[37]
2019Undercover Punch and Gun潛行者Officer He
2021Raging Fire怒火Yau Kong-ngo[38]
Good Night Beijing曾經相愛的我們Chef
2024Customs Frontline海關戰線Chow Ching-laiAlso action director
2026Blades of the Guardians镖人Diting[39]
TBA Raging Havoc怒火漫延ChowAlso action director
無限任務
New Police Story 2新警察故事2Frank ChengAlso director

Television

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Year English title Chinese title Role Notes
1998Aiming High撻出愛火花Chiu Ka ChunTV debut
2002The Monkey King: Quest for the Sutra齊天大聖孫悟空Chung Kwaicameo
Secretly Loving You偷偷愛上你Himselfcameo
2003Hearts of Fencing當四葉草碰上劍尖時Himselfcameo
2005The Proud twins小魚兒與花無缺Hua Wu Que
2007Wing Chun詠春Leung Bik
Big Shot大人物Yang Fan
The Spirit of Sword浣花洗劍錄Hu Yan Da Zang
2012Jian Xia Qing Yuan劍俠情緣Ye Fan / Gu Lang
America's Next Top Model, Cycle 18a judge and also action director in one of the episodes[40]
2013The Next Magic下一個奇跡Liang Hai En
Super Boy (2013)2013快樂男聲one of the main judges in the Finale
2014Chef Nic12道鋒味the show's on-camera chef[41]a Chinese food travelogue show
2015Chef Nic 212道鋒味 2the show's on-camera chefa Chinese food travelogue show
2016Chef Nic 312道鋒味 3the show's on-camera chefa Chinese food travelogue show
Lady Bees蜜蜂少女队one of the 2 coachesa women's group music cultivation reality show
2017Chef Nic 2017鋒味 2017the show's on-camera chefa Chinese food travelogue show
2018Chef Nic 2018鋒味 2018the show's on-camera chefa Chinese food travelogue show
Celebrity Chef: East vs West名廚爭鋒the show's on-camera chefa Chinese food competition show
Sing! China中国好声音one of the 4 judgesThe Chinese Voice
2020Me To Us我们的乐队one of the 3 judgesband forming reality show
Sing! China中国好声音2020one of the 4 judgesthe Chinese Voice
2021Chef Nic • People’s Palate百姓的味道Food Taste Officer &. Producera Chinese food travelogue show

[42] [43]

References

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  1. 1 2 廖福生 (28 August 2021). "41歲謝霆鋒愛過張柏芝轟轟烈烈 復合大11歲王菲7年不癢". 台灣蘋果新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021. 謝霆鋒在8歲時隨家人移民加拿大
  2. 張國基 (5 September 2021). "謝霆鋒央視訪回應「限籍令」:已經在申請退掉加拿大國籍". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  3. "這些名人也是加拿大人". 加拿大新聞速遞 (in Traditional Chinese). 6 December 2018. Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  4. "大陸「限籍令」!謝霆鋒急退加拿大籍親喊:我是中國人". 噓!星聞 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 5 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  5. EEGmusic. "EEGmusic Archived 4 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine." Nicolas Tse profile. Retrieved on 22 April 2008.
  6. "香港電影金像獎". Hkfaa.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  7. "Actor Nicholas Tse teams up with Digital Domain to create content, special effects studio". South China Morning Post. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  8. 大众电视 (in Chinese). 大众电视杂志社. 2001. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Nicholas TSE « Kung Fu Cinema". archive.ph. 8 December 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. "Epik High成员Tablo自曝谢霆锋是初中好友 | 韩联社". 韩联社(韩国联合通讯社) (in Chinese). 1 October 2009. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  11. "韩国新星Tablo重提好友谢霆锋往日"恶"事(图)_影音娱乐_新浪网". ent.sina.com.cn. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  12. "Teen star Tse joins family constellation". South China Morning Post. 18 April 1999. Retrieved 22 June 2024.<ref>.
  13. "Actor Nicholas Tse to renounce Canadian citizenship". The Straits Times. 6 September 2021. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  14. TVB. "TVB 無綫電視". TVB 無綫電視 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  15. Attributed to multiple sources:
  16. Lo, Andrea (28 February 2018). "How a top actor went from action movies to baking cookies". CNNMoney. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  17. "Nicholas Tse Buys S$5.3Mil Apartment As Birthday Gift For His Sister". 8days. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  18. "Michelin Unveils Its First 'Friend of Michelin'". MICHELIN Guide. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  19. "Six chefs, 14 stars and Nicholas Tse to shine at Macau's 'Michelin Guide' dinner". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  20. "Macau celebrates festive season with five-star experiences". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  21. "疑抄袭《黑白大厨》 《一饭封神》被打脸"没买版权"". www.zaobao.com.sg (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  22. 网易 (2 August 2014). "房祖名曝谢霆锋为初恋女友学意大利语". www.163.com. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  23. "揭开谢霆锋的青涩初恋 曾与亿万富翁之女擦肩而过(图)_娱乐_凤凰网". ent.ifeng.com. Archived from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  24. "戴辛尉谈与谢霆锋的初恋:他少年老成有风度". Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  25. "謝霆鋒稱非浪子 僅認3段情". 中國時報. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  26. "昔日英皇一姐赵学而爆被遗弃和谢霆锋分手真相-搜狐娱乐". yule.sohu.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  27. "卢巧音谈与谢霆锋昔日恋情:性格不合". 新浪娛樂. 1 January 2016. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  28. "Millennial Fair – Faye Wong". Archived from the original on 3 May 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  29. "Cecilia Cheung Entertainment News | Stareastasia". News.stareastasia.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  30. Tay, Vanessa Valerie (14 June 2011). "Nicholas Tse divorces Cecilia Cheung". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  31. Sina.China. "Sina.China Archived 20 May 2005 at the Wayback Machine." Nicholas Tse incident. Retrieved on 23 April 2008.
  32. Kate Drake, 10 questions for Nicholas Tse, Time Asia
  33. "When Canto-pop star Nicholas Tse was arrested over Ferrari crash". South China Morning Post. 12 October 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  34. "HK star settles assault charge" , BBC News, 31 July 2002
  35. "Nicholas Tse banned for 6 months for careless driving". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  36. "《惊天破》开放媒体探班 谢霆锋"禁问"王菲冷场". People's Daily. 9 April 2015. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  37. Julie Makinen (29 June 2015). "Mel Gibson, other Hollywood directors look to China market". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  38. "Nicholas Tse won the best actor award at the 13th Macau International Film Festival". 23 December 2021. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  39. "漫改武侠!袁和平《镖人》官宣 吴京谢霆锋再合作" (in Chinese). Sohu. 18 June 2024. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  40. Goodcare, Kate (10 February 2012). "America's Next Top Model reveals British theme, new cast, guest judges". Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  41. "Actor Nicholas Tse's Cooking Show Airs in China". CRI English. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
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  43. "Nicholas Tse at chinesemov.com". Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2010.

Notes

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  1. According to Tse, he studied at Tokyo Music Institute (東京音楽学院) for a year, but various media reported that he studied in Tokyo for either 3 or 6 months. It's commonly misreported that he studied at Tokyo College of Music (東京音楽大学).
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