Angela Chang has come a long way since her acting debut in Taiwanese dramas such as At Dolphin Bay and My MVP Valentine. Singing has always been her first love but the 42-year-old said she was forced to become an actress instead. Now that she’s seen a resurgence in her career as a Mandopop star in Mainland China, the taste of her success is undoubtedly sweet.
Unfortunately, success also came with a price. More than a decade ago, not only did her mum Jiang Ruoyi accuse her of being a bad daughter, she and the rest of the family abandoned her … but not without running away with hundreds of millions of Angela Chang’s hard earned money. And then there’s the poor treatment of her own agency…
In a recent interview, the singer-actress shared how all the struggles and defeats in her 23 year showbiz career shaped her. Angela admitted that she endured a great deal of pressure and exhaustion, even from her agency who should’ve been supporting her especially during the very public feud with her family. Instead, the singer said she felt completely helpless whenever she was treated unfairly. One time, she recalls how she was hospitalised from working nonstop. Yet staff even mocked her for choosing the “perfect time” to be sick. A disappointed Angela pointed out “the colleagues you work alongside, you treat them like a family member. If you want to betray them for profit, it’s worst than receiving kindness from a stranger.”
Forced to Grow Up By Her Family’s Betrayal
Then there’s her family’s betrayal that continues to haunt her and which still makes her cry to this day. As the eldest, the singer previously shared that she has been working to support her family and younger siblings since she was 15. That’s why her family’s betrayal hurt her so much. Regardless, it completely changed her.
Not only was she forced grow up quickly; she says the situation made her a much stronger person. “I had to become stronger, so I didn’t have time to be depressed. The more I was motivated, the stronger I became…” she said. Although she encountered so many setbacks, it was her competitive spirit that ultimately came to her rescue. “There’ve been pauses and hesitations”, she said. “But I still got here because I kept going with my dream… In the centre of the storm I forced myself to grow.” Looking back, she said if she let depression get to her, she wouldn’t be able to sing warm songs today.
Photo and Screencapture: Angela Chang/ Weibo
