Kevin Tsai (Chinese: 蔡康永; pinyin: Cài Kāngyǒng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chhòa Khong-éng; born 1 March 1962) is a Taiwanese television host and writer. He is known for co-hosting the Chung T'ien Television talk show Kangsi Coming (2004–2016) with Dee Hsu and for his self-help book series Ways of Speaking.
Early life
Tsai was born in Taipei to a once-prominent family with Shanghai roots. His father, Tsai Tien-duo, was a Fudan-educated lawyer who co-owned Chonglian Steamship Company, then China's largest shipping company, until the sinking of the Taiping Steamer in 1949 forced the company into bankruptcy.[1]
Tsai attended Taipei Private Tsai Hsing School from preschool through high school, a span of 14 years. In high school, he served as the president of the student union and editor-in-chief of the school magazine, where he published then politically sensitive articles about the February 28 Incident and communism, risking expulsion during his senior year. He entered Tunghai University in 1984 to major in social work before switching to English. Tsai then went to pursue a master's degree at the University of California, Los AngelesSchool of Theater, Film and Television, where he helped Taiwanese writer Pai Hsien-yung to adapt his short story about the Taiping into a film script, which would become The Last Aristocrats directed by Xie Jin. In 1990, upon graduation from UCLA, Tsai moved back to Taiwan.
Career
Tsai started his career as a columnist and film critic for the China Times. He then wrote several film scripts, including Fong Sai-Yuk (1993) and Ming Ghost (1999). He has since become a best-selling author, known for his self-help book series Ways of Speaking.
In 1996, Tsai had his career breakthrough as he became the creative director of Voice of Taipei radio station,[2] the first editor-in-chief of GQ Taiwan and the host of his first TV show, Fanshu Chudian Wang, all in the same year. Tsai continued to host a series of critically acclaimed TV shows such as Zhenqing Zhishu and Two Generation Company. Since 2004, Tsai and Dee Hsu co-hosted the talk show Kangsi Coming, which gained enormous popularity across the Chinese-speaking world. Additionally, Tsai was a frequent host of award shows, including twice at the Golden Bell Awards and seven times at the Golden Horse Awards. In 2009, Tsai co-founded the management company HT Entertainment.[3]
Since the 2010s, Tsai has been active in mainland China, where he found success in co-hosting the popular iQIYI debate show I Can I BB (2014 –2021) and often collaborated with his I Can I BB co-host Ma Dong and Ma's production company Mewe Media. After Kangsi wrapped in 2016, Tsai wrote and directed his first feature film, Didi's Dream (2017), starring Hsu. The film received mixed reviews and performed poorly at the box office. Tsai reunited with Hsu in 2018 for the Youku variety show Zhenxiang ba! Huahua Wanwu for three seasons, but they failed to replicate the popularity of Kangsi Coming.[4]
In July 2023, HT Entertainment, the management company co-founded by Tsai, was disbanded.[3] In 2024, on the 20th anniversary of Kangsi Coming, Tsai and Hsu considered reviving the show for three special episodes. However, the producer, James Chan, negotiated with the TV station to create a full season, which exceeded the hosting duo's original plan and ultimately fell through. Later that year, following his appearance on the Kangsi-inspired web talk show Mao Xue Woof, Tsai announced his retirement,[5] though he still makes appearances on variety shows afterwards.
Personal life
In 2002, during an episode of Sisy's Show guest-hosted by Li Ao for Sisy Chen, Tsai came out after being asked by Li if he was gay, making him one of the first openly gay celebrities in the Chinese world.[6][7][8] Tsai has been in a relationship with George Liu Kunlong, an English professor, since 1994.[9]
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