Ethan Juan

{{BLP one source|section|date=February 2018}}

Juan was born in a military dependents' village in Taichung, Taiwan, to a military family with their ancestral roots in Zhejiang. His father was a soldier, his mother a military nurse, and his younger brother an air force pilot. Before fourth grade, Juan was raised by his grandparents. His grandfather, a seasoned veteran, transitioned from military service to a civilian role as the secretary of the board of directors at China Medical University. His grandmother was a homemaker. Due to his father's fiery character, Juan's parents split when he was in primary school (and officially divorced in 2021). He followed his mother, who then opened a red tea shop to support their livelihood.

As a competitive swimmer in his early years, Juan's numerous achievements and awards (including first place at the Taichung City Duathlon) gained him admission into the prestigious Taichung First Senior High School. However, due to his rebellious streak, he dropped out and, after being transferred and expelled from five different high schools, eventually graduated from the night school of Taichung's Shin Min High School after five years of high school. Thereafter, Juan attended the China University of Technology in Taipei but dropped out. He then attended the Hsing Wu University from 2004, majoring in tourism for over 6 years. After controversy emerged over his allegedly deliberate evasion of the military service by delaying graduation, he left before graduation to serve one year of alternative service at the Ministry of Education in lieu of military service from 2012 to 2013.{{Cite web |title=阮经天入伍服兵役 片方证实他将缺席新片宣传(图)-中新网 |url=https://www.chinanews.com.cn/yl/2012/02-01/3636183.shtml |access-date=2024-09-22 |website=www.chinanews.com.cn}}

In 2002, when he accompanied a friend to an audition, he was chosen for his first showbiz gig in Penny Tai's music video for "Once Fell In Love" (愛過), after which he signed up with model agency Catwalk Entertainment.{{cite web |date=November 16, 2010 |title=阮经天星路历程盘点：从偶像剧龙套到男一号 |url=http://ent.qq.com/a/20101116/000481.htm |work=Tencent |language=zh}} He then appeared in a series of music videos for popular artists such as Faye Wong, Stefanie Sun, A-Mei and S.H.E.

Ruan made his acting debut in the 2004 TV drama Michael the Archangel, where he plays the role of a talented but moody dancer with an eerie and feminine aura. His performance caught the attention of director Doze Niu, who would become his mentor. Juan had his first breakthrough in Green Forest, My Home (2005) but his subsequent roles in Hanazakarino Kimitachihe (2006) and Summer x Summer (2006) were not outstanding.{{cite web|url=http://ent.sina.com.cn/v/m/2005-10-08/1205859029.html|title=阮经天《绿光森林》演出 跪在车顶拍摄|date=October 8, 2005|website=Sina|language=zh}} It wasn't until 2007, when Juan starred in Doze Niu's idol drama Wayward Kenting (2007) that his acting began to receive positive notices. Since then, Juan started a long-time collaboration with Niu and became known as one of Niu's "Four Disciples", along with Eddie Peng, Li Wei, and Ryan Tang.

Ruan had a breakout success for Fated to Love You (2008), the highest rated Taiwanese idol drama ever.{{cite web|url=http://ent.qq.com/a/20080826/000067.htm|title=《命中注定我爱你》大结局 男女主角抱BB捧新戏|date=February 26, 2008|website=Tencent|language=zh}}

This was followed by another hit drama, My Queen, in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://ent.sina.com.cn/v/h/2009-03-31/10422448236.shtml|title=阮经天《败犬女王》告白戏飙升收视 吃草莓庆功|date=March 31, 2009|work=Sina|language=zh}} In 2010, Juan won the Best Leading Actor award at the 47th Golden Horse Awards for his role in Doze Niu's gangster film Monga, making him the youngest actor ever to receive the honor.{{cite web|url=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/arts-&-leisure/2010/11/21/280789/ethan-juan.htm|title=Ethan Juan gets Golden Horse Best Actor award|date=November 21, 2010|work=The China Post}} He subsequently extended his career to mainland China, starring in romance film Love (2012) directed by Niu and wuxia film The Guillotines (2012) directed by Andrew Lau.{{cite web|url=http://news.mtime.com/2011/12/26/1478678-2.html|title=赵又廷阮经天彭于晏柯震东领衔台湾电影新天王|date=December 26, 2011|website=Mtime|language=zh|access-date=June 20, 2018|archive-date=June 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620181020/http://news.mtime.com/2011/12/26/1478678-2.html|url-status=dead}}

In 2012, Juan served one year of alternative service at the Ministry of Education in lieu of military service due to his flat feet (a recognized medical condition) in Taiwan, and was discharged on January 11, 2013.{{cite news |date=February 1, 2012 |title=Ethan Ruan enlists for military service |url=http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/en/celebrity/buzz/asia/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5830115 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714123908/http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/en/celebrity/buzz/asia/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5830115 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |access-date=May 21, 2012 |work=MSN}} During his post at the Ministry of Education, he received a monthly salary of NT$9,955.{{cite news |date=March 6, 2012 |title=Ethan Ruan to receive monthly pay of S$428 |url=http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/en/celebrity/buzz/asia/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5964868 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715002115/http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/en/celebrity/buzz/asia/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5964868 |archive-date=July 15, 2014 |access-date=May 21, 2012 |work=MSN}} After the service, on 5 March 2013, Juan announced that he will be opening a talent management agency (together with Doze Niu and Lee Lieh).{{cite web |date=March 6, 2013 |title=阮经天宣布自立门户 与钮承泽等人合办公司 |url=http://www.chinanews.com/yl/2013/03-06/4620462.shtml |work=China News |language=zh}} He reunited with Doze Niu in the military film Paradise in Service (2014), which earned him a nomination at the Asian Film Awards for Best Actor.{{cite web|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/ethan-juan-took-on-role-in-paradise-in-service-to-understand-his-grandfather|title=Ethan Juan took on role in Paradise In Service to understand his grandfather better|date=27 October 2014|work=The Straits Times}}{{cite web|url=http://www.filmcommission.taipei/en/MessageNotice/NewsDet/3886|title=9th Asian Film Awards Nominees Announced|date=25 February 2015|work=Taipei Film Commission|access-date=20 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201034917/http://www.filmcommission.taipei/en/MessageNotice/NewsDet/3886|url-status=dead}} In 2017, Juan returned to the small screen with the tomb-raiding drama The Weasel Grave.{{cite web|url=http://sc.people.com.cn/n2/2017/0726/c345489-30529809.html|title=《鬼吹灯之黄皮子坟》开播 阮经天塑造痞气胡八一|date=July 26, 2017|website=People's Daily|language=zh|access-date=June 17, 2018|archive-date=June 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617165129/http://sc.people.com.cn/n2/2017/0726/c345489-30529809.html|url-status=dead}} The same year, he played the role of a psychotic killer in the crime suspense film The Liquidator.{{cite web|url=http://news.mtime.com/2017/12/07/1576247.html|title=阮经天演变态杀手"蛮讨厌的" 电影《心理罪之城市之光》再曝特辑|date=December 7, 2017|website=Mtime|language=zh|access-date=June 17, 2018|archive-date=June 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617142254/http://news.mtime.com/2017/12/07/1576247.html|url-status=dead}} In 2018, Juan starred in the fantasy adventure drama Legend of Fuyao alongside Yang Mi.{{cite web|url=http://ent.163.com/18/0611/11/DK11BHFC00038FO9.html|title=《扶摇》高燃定档0618 杨幂阮经天热血不负赤子初心|website=Netease|date=June 11, 2018|language=zh}} In 2023, the Taiwanese action thriller The Pig, The Snake and The Pigeon starring Juan became a sleeper hit in China.

Upon entering showbiz, Ethan Juan began a relationship with his then-manager, Chang Te Lin, who is 12 years his senior, until he fell for his Green Forest, My Home co-star Esther Liu in 2005. Their relationship was opposed by Liu's agency, leading him back to Chang. From 2006 to 2007, Juan dated Joanna Shao, a wealthy woman four years his senior who he met at a nightclub. In 2008, Shao revealed Juan's sexual preferences to a gossip magazine and claimed that he had been seeing her and Tiffany Hsu at the same time for nearly a month.{{Cite web |title=阮经天被旧爱曝性癖好 女友许玮宁不在意(组图)_影音娱乐_新浪网 |url=https://ent.sina.com.cn/v/h/p/2008-06-12/15182057858.shtml |access-date=2024-09-22 |website=ent.sina.com.cn}}{{Cite web |title=阮经天与交往8年女友情变 前女友曾称其是"劈腿男" |url=https://www.chinanews.com.cn/m/yl/2015/03-25/7155762.shtml |access-date=2024-09-22 |website=www.chinanews.com.cn}}

In 2007, the relationship between Juan and Tiffany Hsu was made public by paparazzi photographs of them on a beach date in Kenting. In 2010, Juan was caught in a hotel with another woman. After the news broke, Hsu changed her relationship status on Facebook from "in a stable relationship" to "complicated". In March 2015, Juan was rumored to be in a relationship with Zhou Dongyu. He denied the rumors but admitted to temporarily separating from Hsu. Zhou responded to the rumor on Weibo, "Fake."{{Cite web |last=sina_mobile |date=2010-05-21 |title=阮经天被曝夺女星初夜 邱瓈宽叹“听说”害死人 |url=https://ent.sina.cn/star/hk_tw/2010-05-21/detail-iavxeafr7646622.d.html |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=ent.sina.cn}} In October, Apple Daily reported that Juan and Hsu had ended their eight-year relationship due to Juan's affair with a married Chinese actress with children. Juan denied the affair.{{Cite web |title=阮经天与许玮宁相恋时劈腿H女星？ 否认：太扯(图)-中国新闻网 |url=https://www.chinanews.com.cn/m/yl/2015/10-20/7578097.shtml |access-date=2024-09-22 |website=www.chinanews.com.cn}}

Juan was rumored to be in a relationship with Song Zu'er in 2019 and broke up at the end of 2020, although both parties denied it.{{Cite web |last=娛樂組 |date=2021-07-17 |title=【全文】叔姪戀一度復活 阮經天情斷小16歲宋祖兒 |url=https://www.mirrormedia.mg/story/20210713ent006 |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=鏡週刊 Mirror Media |language=zh-Hant}} In February 2022, Juan posted a photo with a woman on his Instagram story and admitted to dating an office worker. They broke up five months later.{{Cite web |last=早报数码 |title=认爱5个月阮经天与圈外女友分手 {{!}} 联合早报 |url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20220712-1292175 |access-date=2024-09-22 |website=www.zaobao.com.sg |language=zh-Hans}}

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Category:1982 births

Category:Living people

Category:Taiwanese male models

Category:Taiwanese male film actors

Category:Taiwanese male television actors

Category:Male actors from Taichung

Category:21st-century Taiwanese male actors