Mo Tzu-yi

Mo was born on 23 June 1981,{{Cite web |url=https://www.mirrormedia.mg/story/20201014ent008 |title=【鏡大咖】孤寂的各種演繹 莫子儀 |trans-title=[Mirror Media on Celebrities] The Various Interpretations of Solitude by Mo Tzu-yi. |date=22 October 2020 |website=Mirror Media |author=翁健偉 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh}} in Wanli District, New Taipei City.{{Cite web |url=https://funscreen.tfai.org.tw/article/6449 |title=表演是一種信仰：專訪金馬獎影帝莫子儀 |trans-title=Performance as a Belief: An Interview with Golden Horse Best Actor Mo Tzu-yi. |date=25 November 2020 |website=Funscreen Weekly |author=陳宏瑋 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh}} His father worked as a taxi driver and in private security, while his mother was a hawker.{{Cite web |url=https://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/paper/1677301 |title=（人物專訪）莫子儀以父為偶像 效法當家庭支柱 |trans-title=(Profile Interview) Mo Tzu-yi Takes His Father as an Idol, Emulating Him as the Family Pillar. |date=16 November 2024 |website=Liberty Times |author=廖俐惠 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20180312003683-260404?chdtv |title=莫子儀演口吃車伕被譏拖戲 勤練鋼琴竟淪「拉背」苦主 |trans-title=Mo Tzu-yi Plays a Stuttering Driver But Being Criticized for Dragging the Scene; Practices Piano and Ends Up as a "Victim of Back Pain". |date=12 March 2018 |website=China Times |author=林淑娟 |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh}} He spent his childhood in the mountainous regions of Wanli, and later moved to Yonghe District, New Taipei City, living near the Fuhe Grand Theater.{{Cite news |url=https://www.marieclaire.com.tw/entertainment/story/53504 |title=【金馬57／2020金馬獎】《親愛的房客》準影帝莫子儀專訪，「真的愛過、失去過，才會懂得愛是什麼、付出是什麼。」 |trans-title=[57th Golden Horse／2020 Golden Horse Awards] Interview with Mo Tzu-yi, Potential Best Actor from Dear Tenant: 'Only by truly loving and losing can one understand what love and sacrifice mean.' |date=22 November 2020 |website=Marie Claire |author=林侑青 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh}} His father took him to watch movies there in his youth, sparking his interest in film, and he often skipped classes in the future to watch films at that theater. Mo attended the {{ill|National Overseas Chinese Experimental Senior High School|zh|國立華僑高級中等學校}},{{Cite web |url=https://www.cheers.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5098874&page=1 |title=從叛逆小子到金馬影帝－－莫子儀：那時的我，看似否定他人，卻也是在否定自己 |trans-title=From Rebellious Kid to Golden Horse Best Actor — Mo Tzu-yi: At that time, I seemed to deny others, but I was also denying myself. |date=19 February 2021 |website=CommonWealth Magazine |author=吳佩旻 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh}}{{rp|2}} where he described his school years as "rebellious" and was nearly expelled after failing eight subjects in his first year.{{rp|2}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.mirrormedia.mg/story/20241107ent011 |title=【蘭蘭夫人會客室（下）】任性自私還是嚴肅固執的 莫子儀 |trans-title=[Madame Lan's Interview Room (Part 2)] Mo Tzu-yi: Willful and Selfish or Serious and Stubborn. |date=11 November 2024 |website=Mirror Media |author=王雅蘭 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh}} However, he was invited to join the school's drama club in the second semester, which ignited his passion for acting, and he cited the "sense of freedom" he felt on stage as a key reason for his newfound interest.{{rp|2}} He began participating in stage performances at the age of 15,{{Cite web |url=https://500times.udn.com/wtimes/story/12672/5023999 |title=背向鎂光燈，成就表演的純粹——莫子儀：凡是人都必須臣服於生活 |trans-title=Turning Away from the Spotlight, Achieving Pure Performance — Mo Tzu-yi: Everyone Must Submit to Life. |date=18 November 2020 |website=United Daily News |last=Tsai |first=Stella |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211131050/https://500times.udn.com/wtimes/story/12672/5023999 |url-status=live }} and starred in the short film Wild Sparrow written by Yang Ya-che. After discovering his passion for acting, Mo dedicated himself to studying and was admitted to Taipei National University of the Arts to pursue a degree in performing arts.{{rp|2}} He was mentored by stage director {{ill|Ma Tin-ni|zh|馬汀尼}},{{Cite web |url=https://www.esquire.tw/tab/524/id/35371 |title=莫子儀《親愛的房客》奪影帝 謙虛感謝恩師前輩亦不忘傳承本質 |trans-title=Mo Tzu-yi Wins Best Actor for Dear Tenant; Humbly Thanks His Mentors and Seniors While Not Forgetting to Uphold His Essence. |date=13 July 2020 |website=Esquire |author=蘇琬媮 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh}} and pursued an intensive course load, graduating after five years.{{rp|3}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20171111003089-260404?chdtv |title=莫子儀見光就失眠 自曝15年「重度失眠者」 |trans-title=Mo Tzu-yi Suffers Insomnia in the Spotlight, Reveals He Has Been a 'Severe Insomniac' for 15 Years. |date=11 November 2017 |website=China Times |author=洪秀瑛 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh}} During his university years, he developed an appreciation for literature,{{Cite web |url=https://www.nownews.com/news/2051471 |title=強調真實人性 莫子儀挖出甯采臣醜陋面！ |trans-title=Emphasizing True Humanity; Mo Tzu-yi Exposes Ning Caichen's Ugly Side! |date=3 April 2016 |website=Nownews |author=張毓琪 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh}} and worked part-time at Eslite Bookstore on Dunhua South Road in Taipei, often reading books there even when he was off duty.{{Cite web |url=https://www.elle.com/tw/entertainment/voice/a32360547/interview-on-eslite-and-reading-mo-tzu-yi/ |title=金馬影帝莫子儀談敦南誠品：「這裡就是我的青春歲月，我的少年中年，都在這裡度過。」 |trans-title=Golden Horse Best Actor Mo Tzu-yi Talks About Dunhua South Eslite Bookstore: 'This is my youthful years; my adolescence and early adulthood were spent here'. |date=23 November 2020 |website=Elle Taiwan |last=Chiang |first=Dominique |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh |archive-date=7 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007191854/https://www.elle.com/tw/entertainment/voice/a32360547/interview-on-eslite-and-reading-mo-tzu-yi/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/tw/celebrity/celebritynews/g34708798/2020-golden-horse-film-festival-mo-tzu-yi/ |title=《親愛的房客》莫子儀鎖定金馬影帝！12點認識「最受天王天后喜愛」的最佳男主角！ |trans-title=Dear Tenant{{`s}} Mo Tzu-yi Targets Golden Horse Best Actor! Meet the 'Most Loved by Kings and Queens' Best Male Lead at 12 o'clock! |date=19 November 2020 |magazine=Harper's Bazaar |last1=Lee |first1=Eachen |last2=Lee |first2=Doris |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh |archive-date=29 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329035157/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/tw/celebrity/celebritynews/g34708798/2020-golden-horse-film-festival-mo-tzu-yi/ |url-status=live }}

File:Tse-Yi Mo and Chia-Shin Lu (cropped).JPG

Mo began his stage acting career in 1996,{{Cite web |url=https://www.mirrormedia.mg/story/20201122ent006 |title=【金馬57】生冷影帝莫子儀 你所不知道的6件事 |trans-title=[57th Golden Horse Awards] Six Things You Do Not Know About Cold and Distant Best Actor Mo Tzu-yi. |date=22 November 2020 |website=Mirror Media |author=唐千雅 |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh}} starring in One Hundred Years of Solitude, Water Margin, Dream of the Red Chamber, Tangut Inn, and Crystal Boys.{{Cite web |url=https://okapi.books.com.tw/article/10262 |title=【10月讀書日 X 閱讀會客室】本月客座──聚光燈下的莫子儀 |trans-title=[October Reading Day X Reading Interview Room] This Month's Guest — Mo Tzu-yi Under the Spotlight. |date=27 October 2017 |website=Okapi |last=Mo |first=Tzu-yi |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh}} He also appeared in Public Television Service television films, receiving nominations for Best Male Lead in a Television Series in the 35th Golden Bell Awards and Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film in the 37th Golden Bell Awards for his roles in {{ill|The Pact of Choshui River|zh|濁水溪的契約}} and {{ill|Watan's Wine Bottle|zh|瓦旦的酒瓶}} respectively.{{Cite web |url=https://news.tvbs.com.tw/entertainment/1420645 |title=金馬57／苦熬24年 莫子儀憑《親愛的房客》封帝 |trans-title=57th Golden Horse Awards／After 24 Years of Hardship, Mo Tzu-yi Crowned as Best Actor for Dear Tenant. |date=21 November 2020 |website=TVBS News |author=莊雅婷 |access-date=18 November 2024 |language=zh |archive-date=23 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223202350/https://news.tvbs.com.tw/entertainment/1420645 |url-status=live }} Mo was cast in a supporting role as a journalist in the 2002 drama film {{ill|Somewhere Over The Dreamland|zh|夢幻部落}}, but returned to stage acting after that performance.{{Cite web |url=https://www.upmedia.mg/news_info.php?Type=196&SerialNo=100695 |title=餐廳打工洗碗當放空 莫子儀只想對自己的名字負責 |trans-title=Working Part-Time Washing Dishes in a Restaurant for Relaxation, Mo Tzu-yi Just Wants to Be Responsible for His Own Name. |date=23 November 2020 |website=Up Media |author=陳寶旭 |access-date=16 November 2024 |language=zh}} In 2005, after completing his mandatory military service, he began his on-screen acting career.{{Cite web |url=https://style.udn.com/style/story/8065/970875 |title=莫子儀穿Dior 「節省王」不做貴公子 |trans-title=Mo Tzu-yi in Dior: 'Frugal King' Not Acting Like a Rich Kid. |date=3 January 2013 |website=United Daily News |author1=杜沛學 |author2=顏甫珉 |access-date=16 April 2025 |language=zh}} He described his on-screen career as "unproductive", as he typically took on only one role at a time and often requested extensions of several months for pre-production to prepare for his characters, which led him to reject many offers.{{Cite web |url=https://tw.news.yahoo.com/2024%E9%87%91%E9%A6%AC%E7%8D%8E%E5%B0%88%E8%A8%AA%EF%BC%8F%E8%8E%AB%E5%AD%90%E5%84%80%E8%87%AA%E8%AA%8D%E3%80%8C%E4%BB%BB%E6%80%A7%E5%8F%88%E8%87%AA%E7%A7%81%E3%80%8D-%E5%A0%85%E6%8C%81%E4%B8%8D%E8%BB%8B%E6%88%B2%EF%BC%9A%E4%B8%80%E6%AC%A1%E5%8F%AA%E5%81%9A%E4%B8%80%E4%BB%B6%E4%BA%8B-011514667.html |title=2024金馬獎專訪／莫子儀自認「任性又自私」 堅持不軋戲：一次只做一件事 |trans-title=2024 Golden Horse Awards Interview／Mo Tzu-yi Considers Himself 'Willful and Selfish', Insists on Not Overlapping Roles: Only Doing One Thing at a Time. |date=17 November 2024 |website=Yahoo! News |author=潘鈺楨 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh |archive-date=17 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241117012154/https://tw.news.yahoo.com/2024%E9%87%91%E9%A6%AC%E7%8D%8E%E5%B0%88%E8%A8%AA%EF%BC%8F%E8%8E%AB%E5%AD%90%E5%84%80%E8%87%AA%E8%AA%8D%E3%80%8C%E4%BB%BB%E6%80%A7%E5%8F%88%E8%87%AA%E7%A7%81%E3%80%8D-%E5%A0%85%E6%8C%81%E4%B8%8D%E8%BB%8B%E6%88%B2%EF%BC%9A%E4%B8%80%E6%AC%A1%E5%8F%AA%E5%81%9A%E4%B8%80%E4%BB%B6%E4%BA%8B-011514667.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://star.ettoday.net/news/1900057 |title=演戲收入不穩定 莫子儀居酒屋打工洗碗兼差20年 |trans-title=With Unstable Acting Income, Mo Tzu-yi Has Worked Part-Time Washing Dishes in an Izakaya for 20 Years. |date=16 January 2021 |website=ETtoday |author=蕭雅玲 |access-date=18 November 2024 |language=zh |archive-date=29 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729205305/https://star.ettoday.net/news/1900057 |url-status=live }} Before turning 30, he worked part-time at various restaurants to make a living, including nearly a year as a dishwasher. He, having been acquainted with Cheng Yu-chieh since 18 years old, debuted in his 2006 drama film {{ill|Do Over (2006 film)|lt=Do Over|zh|一年之初}}, portraying Lixiang, an "indecisive" young director.

In 2007, Mo starred as Xiao Tang, a touring sound recordist, in the romance film The Most Distant Course alongside Gwei Lun-mei. His character was inspired by director {{ill|Lin Jing-jie|zh|林靖傑}}'s friend and sound designer {{ill|Tang Shiang-chu|zh|湯湘竹}}.{{Cite web |url=https://funscreen.tfai.org.tw/article/9285 |title=最漫長的旅程 《最遙遠的距離》林靖傑導演專訪 |trans-title=The Longest Journey: Interview with Director Lin Jing-jie on The Most Distant Course. |date=1 November 2007 |website=Funscreen Weekly |author1=林譽如 |author2=曾芷筠 |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=12 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241012222628/https://funscreen.tfai.org.tw/article/9285 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.mirrormedia.mg/story/20191031insight022 |title=桂綸鎂主演電影以他為原型 《牯嶺街》《賽德克》也有他 |trans-title=Gwei Lun-mei Stars in a Film Based on Him; A Brighter Summer Day and Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale Also Feature Him. |date=10 November 2019 |website=Mirror Media |author=項貽斐 |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh}} Although Mo had a different appearance and physique than Tang, Lin decided to cast him because he felt that Mo's "focus and delicate" gaze during his audition resembled the qualities of a sound designer. In 2008, Mo appeared in the television film {{ill|Artemisia (2008 film)|lt=Artemisia|zh|艾草 (公視人生劇展)}}, earning a nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film in the 43rd Golden Bell Awards, and had a minor role in the drama film Candy Rain. The following year, he played a washed-up punk rocker Mozi, who is overshadowed by the success of his folk musician girlfriend (played by {{ill|Lu Chia-hsin|zh|路嘉欣}}) in Lou Yi-an's feature debut {{ill|A Place of One's Own (2009 film)|lt=A Place of One's Own|zh|一席之地}}.{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2009/film/reviews/a-place-of-one-s-own-1200473969/ |title=A Place of One’s Own |date=30 March 2009 |website=Variety |last=Edwards |first=Russell |access-date=6 May 2025 |archive-date=25 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141125164518/http://variety.com/2009/film/reviews/a-place-of-one-s-own-1200473969/ |url-status=live }} Mo was initially cast as the son of a zhizha artisan played by Jack Kao, but switched roles at the request of the film's music director Hsu Chien-hsiu after hearing his singing.{{Cite web |url=https://www.merit-times.com.tw/NewsPage.aspx?unid=101303 |title=演歌手 「一席之地」莫子儀唱出態度 |trans-title=Playing a Singer; Mo Tzu-yi Expresses His Attitude in A Place of One's Own. |date=25 October 2008 |website={{ill|Merit Times|zh|人間福報}} |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh}}{{efn|The role of the zhizha artisan's son was filled by {{ill|Tang Zhen-gang|zh|唐振剛}}.}} Unfamiliar with the guitar, Mo spent three months learning the instrument before filming for the role.

In 2010, Mo appeared in the Singaporean romance film {{ill|Forever (2010 film)|lt=Forever|zh|我愛你愛你愛你}} as Gin, a Taiwanese expat who enters into a relationship with a filmmaker played by Joanna Dong, and made a brief appearance in Cheng Wen-tang's film {{ill|Tears (2010 film)|lt=Tears|zh|眼淚 (電影)}}. He also took on a leading role as Jack, a journalist searching for a missing singer played by Tong Yao, in the Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwanese-Japanese co-production Snowfall in Taipei.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ettoday.net/news/20120430/40432.htm |title=台北飄雪 雨是世界的詩意 |trans-title=Snowfall in Taipei; Rain is the Poetry of the World. |date=30 April 2012 |website=ETtoday |author=賴賴 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh |archive-date=7 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707082144/http://www.ettoday.net/news/20120430/40432.htm |url-status=live }} The following year, Mo starred as the romantic interest of {{ill|Herb Hsu|zh|徐麗雯}}'s character in the Hakka TV historical series {{ill|Jiong Ien Sen|zh|醬園生}}, and as Hsiao Tzu-chien, a university student who becomes a vegetative state survivor after a car accident, in the Da Ai Television series {{ill|Son, My Love Forever|zh|我的寶貝}}. In 2012, he participated in another international project, the Hong Kong film Cross. He also secured a main role in the Taiwan Television family drama {{ill|An Innocent Mistake|zh|罪美麗}},{{Cite web |url=https://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/paper/620702 |title=王識賢沒種上床 潘儀君一頭熱 |trans-title=Wang Shih-hsien Lacks Courage to Get into Bed; Joy Pan is Infatuated. |date=7 October 2012 |website=Liberty Times |author=黃湞尹 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh}} playing Cheng Yu-en, the estranged son of Wang Shih-hsien's character, which earned him his second nomination for Best Male Lead in the 48th Golden Bell Awards. In 2013, Mo starred as Seng, a Singaporean-Chinese resistance fighter, in the Australian-Singaporean war film Canopy, with Todd Brown of Screen Anarchy commending his performance as "stellar" and "engaging", noting that it kept the audience captivated.{{Cite web |url=https://screenanarchy.com/2014/08/review-canopy-an-interesting-experiment-less-than-it-could-have-been.html |title=Review: CANOPY, An Interesting Experiment, But Less Than It Could Have Been |date=28 August 2014 |website=Screen Anarchy |last=Brown |first=Todd |access-date=16 November 2024 |archive-date=14 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240714010219/https://screenanarchy.com/2014/08/review-canopy-an-interesting-experiment-less-than-it-could-have-been.html |url-status=live }} He was approached by Australian director Aaron Wilson, who had watched a previous work of Mo, at the Hong Kong Film Market and invited him to join the project.{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2014/08/cantinflas-life-of-crime-jennifer-aniston-last-weekend-box-office-826442/ |title=Specialty Box Office Preview: 'Cantinflas', 'Life Of Crime', 4 More |date=28 August 2014 |website=Deadline Hollywood |last=Brooks |first=Brian |access-date=18 November 2024}}

Mo made a cameo appearance alongside Blue Lan in the 2014 TTV series Apple in Your Eye, another project of An Innocent Mistake{{`s}} writer {{ill|Mag Hsu|zh|徐譽庭}}, as lead actress Amber An's colleagues. He also landed a leading role as Bazi, the head of a design company in a romantic relationship with Tiffany Ann Hsu's character, in the romance film {{ill|Design 7 Love|zh|相愛的七種設計}}.{{Cite web |url=https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20141203003086-260404?chdtv |title=《相愛的七種設計》電影贈票得獎名單 |trans-title=Winners of Tickets for the Film Design 7 Love Announced. |date=3 December 2014 |website=China Times |author=陳建嘉 |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh}}{{Cite web |url=https://funscreen.com.tw/headline.asp?H_No=544 |title=城市與愛情的設計遊戲 專訪《相愛的七種設計》導演陳宏一 |trans-title=The Design Game of Cities and Love; Interview with Director Chen Hung-i of Design 7 Love. |date=10 December 2014 |website=Funscreen Weekly |author=謝璇 |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh}} Director {{ill|Chen Hung-i|zh|陳宏一 (1967年)}}, who had previously collaborated with Mo on Candy Rain, cast him for his ability to "easily embody characters" and arranged for him to complete internships at a design firm to fully immerse himself in his character. After starring in Designer 7 Love, Mo returned to stage acting and participated in {{ill|Edward Lam|zh|林奕華 (香港)}}'s Dream of the Red Chamber, which was performed in Taiwan that same year and continued its run in Hong Kong the following year.{{Cite web |url=https://www.chinatimes.com/amp/realtimenews/20141228000569-261101 |title=莫子儀全年無休磨戲胞過癮演牛郎 |trans-title=Mo Tzu-yi Works Nonstop All Year to Perfect His Role as a Male Prostitute. |date=28 December 2014 |website=China Times |author=李姿瑩 |access-date=18 November 2024 |language=zh}} In 2015, he starred in another romance film {{ill|Elena (2015 film)|lt=Elena|zh|愛琳娜}}, which features a love triangle involving {{ill|Tammy Chen|zh|陳怡蓉}} and Kaiser Chuang. He also made a cameo appearance alongside Shih Ming-shuai as special agents from the 1980s in the period drama {{ill|The Best of Youth (2015 TV series)|lt=The Best of Youth|zh|燦爛時光 (電視劇)}}. In 2016, Mo received another main role in the CTV series {{ill|Nie Xiaoqian (2016 TV series)|lt=Nie Xiaoqian|zh|聶小倩 (台灣電視劇)}}, a modernized version of the folktale of the same name, where he played an emergency physician who falls in love with the reincarnation of Nie Xiaoqian (played by Annie Chen). After the airing of Nie Xiaoqian, Mo took a six-month hiatus from acting to travel, including attending the Edinburgh International Festival.

File:Motzuyi2020.png in September 2020]]

In 2018, Mo starred as playwright Lu Ho-jo in the autobiographical drama {{ill|Roseki 1914|zh|台北歌手}}, which he co-wrote with Lou Yi-an. However, in an interview with The News Lens, Mo noted that most of the screenplay was completed by Lou and that he "only played a small part". Mo described the preparation for playing Lu Huo-jo as "complex", immersing himself in the character by reading his novels and diaries while learning Japanese and Hokkien, languages in which Lu was proficient.{{Cite web |url=https://okapi.books.com.tw/article/10806 |title=《台北歌手》呂赫若與莫子儀，一個尋找作者的劇中人 |trans-title=Roseki 1914: Lu Ho-jo and Mo Tzu-yi, Characters in Search of Their Author. |date=23 April 2018 |website=Okapi |author=李屏瑤 |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=25 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125094425/https://okapi.books.com.tw/article/10806 |url-status=live }} He also took singing lessons and learned to play the piano, starting from scratch and dedicating six months to it.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nownews.com/news/2980109 |title=莫子儀苦練半年鋼琴 導演樓一安：沒得獎我會生氣 |trans-title=Mo Tzu-yi Practices Piano for Six Months; Director Lou Yi-an: 'I Will Be Angry If He Doesn't Win.' |date=23 September 2018 |website=Nownews |author=徐郁雯 |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh}} He won Best Writing and received a nomination for Best Male Lead in the 53rd Golden Bell Awards with the series. In the same year, he was approached by Cheng Yu-chieh at fellow actor Matt Wu's wedding and offered the chance to collaborate on a project that he and Yang Ya-che were developing, which Mo accepted before the screenplay was finished.{{Cite web |url=https://www.esquire.tw/tab/524/id/35325 |title=北影準影帝們的後電影人生 《親愛的房客》莫子儀 |trans-title=The Post-Film Lives of the Future Taipei Film Awards Best Actors; Dear Tenant{{`s}} Mo Tzu-yi. |date=7 July 2020 |website=Esquire |author=蘇琬媮 |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh}} This project evolved into the drama film Dear Tenant, which premiered in 2020.{{Cite web |url=https://www.mirrormedia.mg/story/20201016insight012 |title=《親愛的房客》田調紮底 懸疑包裝無血緣親情 |trans-title=Dear Tenant Has Rich Field Research; Suspenseful Packaging of Non-Biological Kinship. |date=24 October 2020 |website=Mirror Media |author=項貽斐 |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh}} In it, Mo played Lin, a tenant suspected of murdering the landlord (played by Chen Shu-fang) to take over the property. He took a six-month hiatus from all work before filming, immersing himself in Lin's lifestyle and learning Lin's hobby mountaineering. Tay Yek Keak of Today found Mo "practically carries" the film with his "greatly restrained, sensitive, and highly nuanced" performance;{{Cite web |url=https://www.todayonline.com/8days/seeanddo/dear-tenant-review-moving-taiwanese-tearjerker-about-gay-man-looking-after-his-dead |title=Dear Tenant Review: Moving Taiwanese Tearjerker About A Gay Man Looking After His Dead Partner's Family |date=7 December 2020 |website=Today |last=Tay |first=Yek Keak |access-date=16 November 2024 |archive-date=28 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028173140/https://www.todayonline.com/8days/seeanddo/dear-tenant-review-moving-taiwanese-tearjerker-about-gay-man-looking-after-his-dead |url-status=live }} while Han Cheung at Taipei Times described his performance as "delicate, nuanced", and "hitting just the right notes for his role".{{Cite web |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2020/10/29/2003745963 |title=Movie review: Dear Tenant |date=29 October 2020 |website=Taipei Times |last=Cheung |first=Han |access-date=16 November 2024 |archive-date=17 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617173746/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2020/10/29/2003745963 |url-status=live }} His performance also won him both Best Actor in the 22nd Taipei Film Awards and Best Leading Actor in the 57th Golden Horse Awards. Also in 2020, he took on the lead role of Kuo Wei-chiang, a police detective, in the mystery thriller web series {{ill|Kill for Love (2020 TV series)|lt=Kill for Love|zh|追兇500天}}, which earned him another nomination for Best Leading Actor in the 55th Golden Bell Awards. He learned acupuncture from a friend who is a Chinese medicine practitioner for the role and performed all the acupuncture scenes on set himself.{{Cite web |url=https://www.marieclaire.com.tw/entertainment/news/52090 |title=莫子儀從《追兇500天》豐富角色多層意義，找到演員的加值與價值 |trans-title=Mo Tzu-yi Finds Added Value and Worth in Rich Through Multi-Layered Roles from Kill for Love. |date=22 November 2020 |website=Marie Claire |author=潘怡豪 |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.vogue.com.tw/entertainment/article/%E8%8E%AB%E5%AD%90%E5%84%80-%E8%BF%BD%E5%85%87500%E5%A4%A9 |title=《追兇500天》莫子儀：哪怕你已經做到一百分 也不要忘記九十八的精彩 |trans-title=Kill for Love{{`s}} Mo Tzu-yi: 'Even if You've Scored a Hundred, Do Not Forget the Greatness of Ninety-Eight.' |date=14 August 2020 |website=Vogue Taiwan |last=Leu |first=September |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh}}

In 2021, Mo appeared as Mold, an investigative journalist and one of the six ensemble cast members, in the Lou Yi-an's crime film Goddamned Asura. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the 24th Taipei Film Awards with the role, where Lu Hao-ping of Global Views Monthly particularly praised his portrayal among the ensemble, highlighting his "exquisite performance" and acknowledging that he adequately captured the character's complexity.{{Cite web |url=https://www.gvm.com.tw/article/83561 |title=《該死的阿修羅》：善與惡，是否有一定的對或錯？ |trans-title=Goddamned Asura: Is There a Clear Right or Wrong Between Good and Evil? |date=26 October 2021 |website=Global Views Monthly |last=Lu |first=Hao-ping |access-date=16 November 2024 |language=zh |archive-date=3 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103035547/https://www.gvm.com.tw/article/83561 |url-status=live }} He was then cast as Cheng-hsiu, an astronomer experiencing a midlife crisis, in the drama film Murmur of Memories, which premiered in 2023. In 2024, Mo co-starred in Chung Mong-hong's historical film The Embers alongside Chang Chen, playing a dual role as Mo Hsin-yuan, a victim of the White Terror, and Mo Tzu-fan, Hsin-yuan's son and a factory owner determined to uncover the truth behind his father's murder. To prepare for his role, Mo researched the period of White Terror by reading memoirs and watching documentaries, aiming to interpret and portray the event similarly to South Korea's Gwangju Uprising.{{Cite web |url=https://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/breakingnews/4864653 |title=（專訪）莫子儀《餘燼》角色原型是他？受難者家屬喊：到死都無法原諒 |trans-title=(Interview) Is Mo Tzu-yi's Character in The Embers Based on Him? Victims' Families Say: 'We Can Never Forgive.' |date=16 November 2024 |website=Liberty Times |author=廖俐惠 |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh}} He received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in the 61st Golden Horse Awards, with Okapi{{`s}} Ma Hsin calling it a "standout performance in his career".{{Cite web |url=https://okapi.books.com.tw/article/18318 |title=【馬欣專欄】空有餘燼，卻失去了微塵的心聲——《餘燼》 |trans-title=[Ma Hsin's Column] Full of Embers, Yet Losing the Voice of Dust — The Embers. |date=20 November 2024 |website=Okapi |last=Ma |first=Hsin |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh}} He also announced that he would join the production of the eight-hour stage play {{ill|A Dream Like A Dream|zh|如夢之夢}}, directed by Stan Lai, in the same year.{{Cite web |url=https://star.ettoday.net/news/2849828 |title=19歲演到現在！莫子儀再戰8小時舞台劇《如夢之夢》 |trans-title=Acting Since Age 19! Mo Tzu-yi Takes on the 8-Hour Play A Dream Like A Dream. |date=6 November 2024 |website=ETtoday |author=許逸群 |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=zh}}

Mo has been dubbed by the media as leading a "low-profile life".Multiple sources:

• {{Cite web |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/tw/entertainment/celebrity-gossip/g34766348/mo-zi-yi-private-life/ |title=金馬影帝莫子儀人氣爆漲！磁性嗓音、溫柔氣質狂圈粉...私下「幫媽媽顧攤賣玉」反差萌曝光！ |trans-title=Golden Horse Best Actor Mo Tzu-yi's Popularity Soars! His Magnetic Voice and Gentle Charisma Attract Fans... Reveals the Cute Contrast of 'Helping Mom Sell Jade' in Private! |date=24 November 2020 |website=Cosmopolitan |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=23 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123024622/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/tw/entertainment/celebrity-gossip/g34766348/mo-zi-yi-private-life/ |url-status=live |quote=一直以來相當低調的莫子儀，其實鮮少對媒體談到自己私下的生活，但慶功宴的晚上，他難得曝光家裡的情形 |trans-quote=The usually low-profile Mo Tzu-yi rarely discusses his private life with the media. However, during the celebration dinner, he unexpectedly revealed details about his home life. }}
• {{Cite web |url=https://500times.udn.com/wtimes/story/12672/5023999 |title=背向鎂光燈，成就表演的純粹——莫子儀：凡是人都必須臣服於生活 |trans-title=Turning Away from the Spotlight, Achieving Pure Performance — Mo Tzu-yi: Everyone Must Submit to Life. |date=18 November 2020 |website=United Daily News |last=Tsai |first=Stella |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211131050/https://500times.udn.com/wtimes/story/12672/5023999 |url-status=live |quote=他不追求明星光環，下戲就神隱，但總是會在他的作品發表時，看到許多默默支持的熟面孔 |trans-quote=He does not seek the spotlight of fame, and tends to go into hiding after filming, but there are always familiar faces quietly supporting him when his works are released. }}
• {{Cite web |url=https://www.cna.com.tw/news/amov/202108300279.aspx |title=莫子儀疫情心態轉彎 玩笑提演藝圈復甦就消失 |trans-title=Mo Tzu-yi's Mindset Shifts During the Pandemic; Jokingly Suggests the Entertainment Industry's Revival Disappeared. |date=30 August 2021 |website=Central News Agency |author=葉冠吟 |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=31 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831030335/https://www.cna.com.tw/news/amov/202108300279.aspx |url-status=live |quote=平時生活簡單、低調的他笑言，疫情期間反而較活躍參與線上活動，開玩笑表示演藝圈恢復繁榮就會消失。 |trans-quote=Living a simple and low-profile life, he jokingly mentioned that he was more active in online events during the pandemic, humorously stating that he would disappear once the entertainment industry returned to prosperity. }}
• {{Cite web |url=https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20220709002335-260404?chdtv |title=金馬影帝莫子儀昨低調完婚！臉書甜蜜告白老婆：謝謝妳的體諒 |trans-title=Golden Horse Best Actor Mo Tzu-yi Quietly Got Married Yesterday! Sweetly Declares on Facebook: 'Thank You for Your Understanding, My Wife.' |date=9 July 2022 |website=China Times |author=孫伊萱 |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh |quote=41歲金馬影帝莫子儀向來低調 |trans-quote=The 41-year-old Golden Horse Best Actor Mo Tzu-yi has always maintained a low profile. |archive-date=9 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709195521/https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20220709002335-260404?chdtv |url-status=live }}
• {{Cite web |url=https://star.ettoday.net/news/2880632 |title=莫子儀難得提老婆「陪我過苦日子」　留白半年不工作：選擇的權利 |trans-title=Rarely Mentions His Wife: 'Accompanying Me Through Hard Times'; Leaves Six Months Blank Without Work: 'The Right to Choose.' |date=25 December 2024 |website=ETtoday |author=蕭采薇 |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh |quote=低調的莫子儀此時難得提起老婆：「我的生活比較簡單，就是辛苦我太太，要跟我一起過苦日子。 |trans-quote=The low-profile Mo Tzu-yi rarely mentions his wife: "My life is quite simple. It is tough on my wife, having to endure hard times with me." |archive-date=27 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241227020201/https://star.ettoday.net/news/2880632 |url-status=live }}
• {{Cite web |url=https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E5%BD%B1%E5%B8%9D%E8%8E%AB%E5%AD%90%E5%84%80%E7%96%AB%E6%83%85%E9%96%930%E7%89%A9%E6%85%BE%E5%AE%85%E5%AE%B6%E9%96%89%E9%97%9C-%E5%8D%BB%E7%82%BA%E5%B9%AB%E5%8A%A9%E6%9C%8B%E5%8F%8B-%E6%94%B9%E4%BD%8E%E8%AA%BF%E6%80%A7%E6%A0%BC%E4%B8%BB%E5%8B%95%E5%87%BA%E6%93%8A-032954518.html |title=影帝莫子儀疫情間0物慾宅家閉關 卻為幫助朋友一改低調性格主動出擊 |trans-title=Best Actor Mo Tzu-yi Experiences Zero Material Desire at Home During the Pandemic; Yet Actively Steps Out to Help Friends And Changing His Low-Profile Personality. |date=30 August 2021 |website=Yahoo! News |author=陳昱均 |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh |quote=私下生活十分低調簡樸的莫子儀，透露疫情期間都宅在家，沒有什麼額外花費。 |trans-quote=Mo Tzu-yi, who leads a very low-profile and simple private life, revealed that he stayed at home during the pandemic and had no extra expenses. }} He has expressed disdain for capitalism in the film industry, rejecting all commercial films, advertisements, and promotional activities, and he has never attended premieres.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thenewslens.com/feature/golden-horse-awards-2020/142170 |title=專訪《親愛的房客》莫子儀：娛樂產業需要的是明星，表演藝術需要的是莫子儀 |trans-title=Interview with Dear Tenant{{`s}} Mo Tzu-yi: The Entertainment Industry Needs Stars, but Performing Arts Need Mo Tzu-yi. |date=23 October 2020 |website=The News Lens |author=溫溫凱 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh |archive-date=26 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626043558/https://www.thenewslens.com/feature/golden-horse-awards-2020/142170 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.upmedia.mg/news_info.php?Type=196&SerialNo=94781 |title=【專訪有片】難搞的影帝 莫子儀最挑剔的是自己（上） |trans-title=[Exclusive Interview With Video] The Difficult Best Actor Mo Tzu-yi: The Most Critical of Himself (Part 1). |date=27 August 2020 |website=Up Media |author=李雨勳 |access-date=17 November 2024 |language=zh}} He also does not use social media.{{Cite web |url=https://www.elle.com/tw/entertainment/drama/g34444434/dear-tenant-movie-highlights/ |title=【電影抓重點】《親愛的房客》5大爆哭看點！一場家庭懸案看盡「愛」各種樣貌：我不會在你身邊，但我會永遠永遠愛你 |trans-title=[Film Highlights] Dear Tenant{{`s}} 5 Major Tear-Jerking Points! A Family Mystery Revealing All Facets of 'Love': 'I Will Not Be by Your Side, But I Will Love You Forever and Ever. |date=22 October 2020 |website=Elle Taiwan |last=Lin |first=Sandy |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh}} Mo has voiced his aversion to the press, refusing interviews during the early years of his career,{{Cite web |url=https://star.ettoday.net/news/1050438 |title=失眠15年困「自我否定」 莫子儀人生重來：不會當演員 |trans-title=15 Years of Insomnia Trapped in 'Self-Denial'; Mo Tzu-yi's Life Restart: 'I Will Not Be an Actor. |date=11 November 2017 |website=ETtoday |author=林俐瑄 |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh}} but he began to be more open to interviews starting in the 2020s, considering it a way to "attract greater exposure" for his work.

Mo began suffering from insomnia due to academic pressure during his university years, and he has struggled with it for over 15 years.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nownews.com/news/2642487 |title=莫子儀失眠長達15年 人生若重來「不會選擇當演員」 |trans-title=Mo Tzu-yi Suffers from 15 Years of Insomnia; If Life Could Restart, 'I Would Not Choose to Be an Actor.' |date=11 November 2017 |website=Nownews |author=徐郁雯 |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh}} On 8 November 2017, he published a prose anthology The Person with Insomnia, featuring 41 essays he wrote during sleepless nights.{{Cite web |url=https://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/breakingnews/2250896 |title=男星曝患重度失眠 奮戰15年「最終還是得和平相處」 |trans-title=Male Star Reveals Severe Insomnia, Battling for 15 Years: 'In the End, I Still Have to Coexist Peacefully.' |date=11 November 2017 |website=Liberty Times |author=粘湘婉 |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=13 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013145045/http://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/breakingnews/2250896 |url-status=live }} He cited the works of playwright {{ill|Chen Ming-chai|zh|陳明才}} as his inspiration for the book.{{Cite web |url=https://www.gq.com.tw/entertainment/article/%E8%8E%AB%E5%AD%90%E5%84%80-01 |title=莫子儀 入木三分演技不用多說，關於詮釋得如此絲絲入扣的方法，他是這麼說的........ |trans-title=Mo Tzu-yi's Acting Needs No Elaborate Words; About His Intricate Interpretation, He Says... |date=29 August 2020 |website=GQ Taiwan |last=Hsiao |first=Cathy |access-date=16 November 2024 |language=zh}} In July 2018, he adapted it into a stage play, in which he starred alongside {{ill|Huang Yu-siang|zh|黃裕翔}},{{Cite web |url=https://www.marieclaire.com.tw/lifestyle/art/37263 |title=莫子儀與自己的失眠對話，打造新型態浪漫演出！《失眠的人 莫子儀X黃裕翔的音樂劇場》 |trans-title=Mo Tzu-yi Dialogues with His Insomnia, Creating a New Type of Romantic Performance! The Insomniac: Mo Tzu-yi X Huang Yu-siang's Musical Theatre. |date=5 July 2018 |website=Marie Claire |author=班維簫 |access-date=16 November 2024 |language=zh |archive-date=3 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241003183350/https://www.marieclaire.com.tw/lifestyle/art/37263 |url-status=live }} and the play continued its run until May 2022.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cna.com.tw/news/amov/202205010117.aspx |title=莫子儀挑戰「夢遊的人」 攜手黃裕翔夢遊多重宇宙 |trans-title=Mo Tzu-yi Challenges 'The Sleepwalker', Joining Huang Yu-siang to Traverse a Multiverse. |date=1 May 2022 |website=Central News Agency |author=葉冠吟 |access-date=16 November 2024 |language=zh |archive-date=1 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220501074734/https://www.cna.com.tw/news/amov/202205010117.aspx |url-status=live }} Mo married a woman outside the entertainment industry on 8 July 2022.{{Cite web |url=https://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/breakingnews/3986842 |title=（獨家）金馬影帝完婚圈外女友！41歲莫子儀昨正式成為人夫 |trans-title=(Exclusive) Golden Horse Best Actor Marrying Girlfriend Outside the Entertainment Industry! 41-Year-Old Mo Tzu-yi Officially Became A Husband Yesterday. |date=9 July 2022 |website=Liberty Times |author=許世穎 |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=9 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709081247/https://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/breakingnews/3986842 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20220709002999-260404?chdtv |title=影帝莫子儀新婚求低調 獲人妻許瑋甯認證「溫柔男」 |trans-title=Best Actor Mo Tzu-yi Seeks Low-Key New Marriage, Certified as a 'Gentleman' by Tiffany Ann Hsu. |date=9 July 2022 |website=China Times |author1=李承陽 |author2=粘耿豪 |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh}} They did not hold a wedding ceremony.{{Cite web |url=https://star.ettoday.net/news/2290719 |title=快訊／莫子儀宣布「我結婚了」！ 甜喊太太：謝謝她和家人們體諒 |trans-title=Breaking／Mo Tzu-yi Announces 'I Got Married!' Sweetly Thanks His Wife: 'Thank You to Her and the Family for Their Understanding.' |date=9 July 2022 |website=ETtoday |author=李湘文 |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=zh |archive-date=19 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819234024/https://star.ettoday.net/news/2290719 |url-status=live }}

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{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|0594910}}

{{Golden Horse Award for Best Actor}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mo, Tzu-yi}}

Category:1981 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Taiwanese actors

Category:Taipei National University of the Arts alumni

Category:Taiwanese film actors

Category:Taiwanese television actors

Category:Taiwanese stage actors