Moving between cities and slipping into different roles, Hsu Kuang Han remains anchored to something simple: to act with sincerity, and to live with authenticity.

Photography SUTTHIWAT SANGKONG Styled by EDIE LAI &amp; MATTHEW LEE

In recent years, Hsu has steadily expanded his presence beyond Taiwan, stepping onto a broader stage across Asia. With his striking looks and a gentle, introspective presense, paired with an ability to navigate the subtlest shades of emotion on screen, he has gradually built a gallery of memorable characters, while his recognition continues to grow among audiences in Japan and South Korea.
Over the past year, his journey has taken him between cities, languages, and creative cultures. Working in unfamiliar environments has become part of the process, one that continually refines his craft and expands his artistic range. From screen projects to international collaborations, his career has unfolded with a steady confidence, never rushed by the need to define a singular direction. As he shares in conversation, acting is a vocation that unfolds over time. Instead of chasing a fixed notion of success, he is more interested in allowing each role to reveal new facets of himself - so that, gradually, audiences come to see a fuller, more authentic portrait of the actor behind the performances.
L&rsquo;OFFICIEL HONG KONG: From model to singer, and now actor, you&rsquo;ve moved through several chapters in your life. How do you look at the idea of &ldquo;performance&rdquo; today? HSU: For me now, performance is simply part of life. At times, it even feels like a kind of release. In the beginning, I was driven largely by curiosity. But as the years passed, acting started to take on a different meaning -it became a way to channel the pressures of everyday life, and a space where emotions can find their way out. Little by little, my perspective on performing has evolved.

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LHK: Your work increasingly takes you across different countries and cultural contexts. Does that kind of cross-regional career come with pressure? H: For me, yes, there&rsquo;s definitely some pressure. Sometimes I even worry about going abroad to work and making a fool of myself (laughs). When I&rsquo;m filming in Japan or South Korea, I always hope to do my part well. I don&rsquo;t want to hold up the set, and I certainly don&rsquo;t want to affect the actors I&rsquo;m working with. Especially when the language isn&rsquo;t completely the same, it makes me even more mindful of preparing thoroughly and making sure I can give my best on set.
LHK: In recent years, you&rsquo;ve built a strong presence in both Japan and South Korea. When working within different cultural contexts, how do you adjust your approach to acting? H: I don&rsquo;t really make a conscious effort to adjust my acting style. Every culture has its own rhythm when it comes to expressing emotions. What I try to do first is understand the language and culture of the place I&rsquo;m working in, and then gradually find my way into the character. I also imagine how that character might breathe within that particular environment. It&rsquo;s a way of making myself more sensitive to the world the character belongs to.
LHK: In inhabiting such a variety of roles, do you find that understanding and interpreting their personalities brings you closer to your own self? H: At times, it does. Acting is almost like experiencing multiple lives. While delving into a character, I notice that certain emotions are shared across people&mdash;loneliness, or the desire to be truly understood. In those moments, I feel I gain a deeper understanding of myself as well.

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LHK: Whenever a new project is released, do you revisit your own performance? Are there any roles or moments you look back on wishing you could refine them further? H: Not often. Sometimes at premieres, I watch my own performance very critically, yet I&rsquo;m also a bit apprehensive about seeing my flaws. There are moments when I see a scene and think, &ldquo;If I were doing this now, maybe I&rsquo;d approach it differently and perhaps it would come out better.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s usually how I process it.
LHK: As you navigate work across different cultural contexts, how do you sharpen your professional skills? Is there anything you&rsquo;ve trained in privately, just to make quiet progress? H: I&rsquo;d say I practice quietly. Whether it&rsquo;s language, body control, or observing how different actors perform over time, I try to keep learning. Sometimes, during breaks on set or when I&rsquo;m home alone, I watch a lot of films, series, or even animation to expand my imagination. It&rsquo;s a slow accumulation. Acting is a craft that truly requires time and dedication.
LHK: What, in your view, defines a successful actor? H: That&rsquo;s a tough one. I don&rsquo;t really believe in a fixed standard for a &ldquo;truly great actor.&rdquo; For me, if you approach a role with genuine sincerity and immerse yourself fully, that alone is already a good thing. It makes the entire creative journey rewarding and beautiful. I don&rsquo;t feel the need to strictly define success or greatness in acting. Everyone has their own interpretation. But for me personally, as long as you bring honesty and dedication to a role, that&rsquo;s what makes an actor successful.

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LHK: Many see you as a representative of a new generation of Asian masculinity&mdash;gentle yet strong. How do you perceive the evolving idea of masculinity today? H: I feel masculinity today is much more liberated. Where there used to be strict boundaries, people are now more open to acknowledging their emotions and accepting vulnerability. To me, traits like gentleness, strength, warmth, passion, or even aloofness can all be forms of strength. If you can understand yourself while showing respect to others, that might be what defines this new kind of masculinity.
LHK: In an age of constant exposure, the line between authenticity and persona has become blurred. How do you define your own sense of &ldquo;authenticity&rdquo;? H: To me, authenticity isn&rsquo;t about exposing everything. It&rsquo;s about having an understanding of who you are. There are things I share openly, and others I choose to keep private, leaving space for myself. As long as you remain grounded, those boundaries can exist comfortably.
LHK: People often call you a &ldquo;heartthrob&rdquo; or &ldquo;male icon&rdquo;. Who would you consider a &ldquo;male icon&rdquo; yourself, and why? H: There are many actors I admire, honestly too many to name. I don&rsquo;t have a specific &ldquo;male icon,&rdquo; but I deeply respect those who can stay focused on their craft over the long term. They don&rsquo;t need to be flashy or glamorous, but they give off a sense of truly living with sincerity.

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"For me now, performance is simply part of life. At times, it even feels like a kind of release". HSU&nbsp;

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LHK: Recently, has there been a simple moment in your life that made you feel you&rsquo;re gradually becoming better? H: Lately, I&rsquo;ve been allowing myself to slow down. I used to feel like I was always being chased by time, constantly thinking about the next task or schedule. But now I realize that taking a walk, reading a book, or even just staring off into space can be just as important. I guess that, in a way, is a kind of progress.
LHK: Do you tend to plan your life in advance, or are you more spontaneous? Has that changed in recent years? H: I wasn&rsquo;t much of a planner before, but lately I&rsquo;ve been learning to strike a balance between spontaneity and planning. Some things really do require preparation, but I also want to keep some freedom and flexibility in my life.
LHK: Beyond acting and music, do you have any private hobbies or rituals that help you find balance amid a busy life? H: I quite enjoy taking walks by myself. Sometimes I&rsquo;ll just wander, doing nothing, simply taking in the sights and people around me. Those moments become my own &ldquo;me time.&rdquo;

"I hope to explore a wider range of roles. They don't necessarily have to be big productions, But I want them to be challenging".

Jacket, and t-shirt, CANADA GOOSE

LHK: If you had to choose between being remembered and living freely, which would you choose? H: I&rsquo;d choose to live freely. I think that when someone truly lives freely, they naturally leave a mark. That&rsquo;s probably how it works.
LHK: Would you say you&rsquo;re living freely at this stage of your life? H: I&rsquo;d say I&rsquo;m slowly making my way in that direction. Gradually moving toward a life that feels freer. And if one day I take that freedom a bit too far, I hope people will forgive me. I&rsquo;m only human, after all (laughs).
LHK: Do you have any upcoming projects or plans you can share for the year ahead? H: I hope to explore a wider range of roles. They don&rsquo;t necessarily have to be big productions, but I want them to be challenging. If the opportunity arises, I&rsquo;d also like to get more involved in the creative process. My goal is to keep moving forward steadily, nurturing my body, mind, and creativity along the way.

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Creative Direction Angel Fong and Matthew Lee Hair Edmund Lin Makeup Jasmine Kuo Producer Aung Apichai Co-Producer Alfie Leong Photography Assistants Chatchawan Sukittanan, Pratya Ngentawornwattana and A.Sittipon Production Assistant Supatcha Jakkawanpitak&nbsp;

Hsu Kuang Han is True to the Core

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