Chu Ke-liang

Hsieh Hsin-ta (6 December 194615 May 2017), professionally known as Chu Ke-liang , was a Taiwanese comedian, actor, television show host and singer. He was known for his "over-the-top appearance" with unusual clothing and hair styles and his coarse humor. Chu left home in his early teenage years to pursue his dream of being in the theater. He went on to receive tuition from Lin Sung-yen (林松煙 Lín Sōngyān) and became an actor and writer but remained largely unknown to the wider public. At around age 30, he had a role in a play about the semi-legendary Liao Tianding as the clown character Zhū Gēliàng. He was so popular in this role that he chose the name as his own stage name.#tag:ref|Chu's name is usually rendered as Chu Ke-liang or Chu Ko-liang in English sources with "Chu" written separately as if it were a surname and "Ke-liang" written as if it were a given name (see Chinese name for further information). However, in Taiwanese, ti-ko (豬哥) is a single lexeme that literally means rooster (cockerel) but through semantic change means "womanizer" or "lecher" when referring to people. To this is added the character liōng (亮), one typically used in men's names. Together, the characters of this stage name are nearly homophonous (in Mandarin Chinese) with those of Three Kingdoms figure Zhūgě Liàng (諸葛亮).

Hiatus Chu racked up gambling debts over NT$100 million (US$3.5 million) from playing Taiwan's illegal lottery and Hong Kong's Mark Six despite an income of NT$60 million per month.

On 19 February 2009, correspondents from the tabloid Apple Daily followed Chu in various areas of Kaohsiung and Pingtung Counties before confronting him in a Yongda Road swordfish oden noodle restaurant in Pingtung City.

Chu also had a major part as a city councilman in the 2011 hit movie Night Market Hero, a role which cemented his comeback. When interviewed subsequent to the surgery, he said "I should have believed in evidence-based medicine two years ago."

Having terminal colorectal cancer for three years, Chu died in the National Taiwan University Hospital on 15 May 2017 due to liver failure. He was 70. A private memorial was held on 16 May. A public funeral attended by 2,000 people took place in Banqiao on 20 June.

Image and influence Chu's screen image includes a distinctive hairstyle and clothing. Chu typically wears a (sometimes colorful) dinner jacket with a bowtie but with bermuda shorts, black shoes, and white socks.