Kai Ko “ecstatic” to film his first drama 8 years after making his showbiz debut

Taiwanese actor Kai Ko has started work on his first drama, eight years after making his showbiz debut with hit movie You Are the Apple of My Eye.

The 28-year-old is the lead actor of supernatural crime thriller Agent From Above, which is billed as the most expensive Taiwanese drama that has ever been produced. Hailed as the Asian version of Constantine, the six episodes for season one are expected to cost over NT$180 million (S$8.05 million) to produce.

Kai Ko plays crime fighter Han Jie, who gets sent to earth to atone for his crimes in the underworld. He is given supernatural powers and magical weapons by the gods to defeat demons and solve crimes. The first episode alone took about two weeks to shoot, and post production, including special effects, are estimated to take up to a year to complete.

During the drama’s press conference held on December 10, Kai expressed his excitement to work on the drama, sharing that the strong cast, including Sonia Sui, Kuo Chi-chien and Pipi Yao, have been a joy to work with so far.

Adding that this is his first drama, he gushed that he is ready for the new challenge. “I haven’t filmed (an acting project) for five or six years (…) I’m ecstatic (to start work again),” he smiled. “Everyone is very professional and it’s very easy for me to be absorbed into my role.”

Kai shot to fame with his first movie and was regarded as one of the industry’s brightest young talents after making his showbiz debut in 2011. However, he was convicted of marijuana abuse in 2014. Although he was spared from jail, he saw his scenes in movie Tiny Times 4 edited out, and acting opportunities no longer came pouring in like before.

Industry watchers believed that this was also the reason he and his father set up their own production company in May. However, with the recent casting news, analysts say that Kai’s popularity might very well surge to his pre-2014 days again.

Photos: PBE Media

Related:
Kai Ko opens his own production company
Kai Ko wants to become a YouTuber
Has Kai Ko broken up with his rumoured girlfriend?