10 things to know about Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu

News of popular actress Barbie Hsu's sudden death due to influenza-related pneumonia has left the Taiwanese entertainment industry and her fans reeling.

- Jan Lee

Here are 10 things to know about her life, which was often more dramatic than fiction.

1. Rise to fame as Big S in the 1990s
Hsu first became known to the public in 1994 as part of the pop duo SOS with her younger sister, TV host Dee Hsu. The group name stood for Sisters Of Shu (an alternative way to write their surname Hsu), which gave them their respective stage names of Big S and Little S. They later changed their SOS to ASOS due to contractual disputes.

The sisters, who were both high-schoolers at the time of their debut, were known for cheery love songs like Ten Minutes Of Love (1995).

But their quirky personalities and quick wit helped them to pivot to TV hosting.

2. Early hosts of Guess Guess Guess
While the variety series Guess Guess Guess (1996 to 2012) may be most associated with its veteran Taiwanese host Jacky Wu, Hsu is actually one of three original hosts who predate him.

The Hsu sisters were the programme's first hosts when it premiered in 1996, alongside Taiwanese actor Lung Shao-hua. Lung left the show in 1998, which was when Wu came in as co-presenter. The sisters hosted alongside Wu until 2000, when they left the show.

Barbie and Dee Hsu are also credited for making the entertainment programme 100% Entertainment (1997 to 2024) popular. They began hosting it in 1998, though Barbie left the show in 2005, with Dee following suit in 2006.