Nikki Hsieh Reflects on Acting, Preparation and Making Time for Everyday Life

In a public interview in October 2026, Nikki Hsieh looked back on more than 20 years of acting work. From her early years when she was recognized by the Golden Horse with "Reflections" to her roles in "Make Up", television series and recent years, she talked about the process of her gradually understanding the work of an actor. She also turned the topic to life, believing that it was necessary to save time outside of work and re-experience the current daily life.

Cover image: 攝影：Zeke Lin

Winning an award is a node, understanding the work is another process

Nikki Hsieh first entered the industry as a model, and then turned to drama. "Reflections" won her the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actress, and "Make Up" won her the Taipei Film Festival's Best Actress recognition. When she looked back on her early experiences, she mentioned that she did not fully understand the weight of awards and status as an actor from the beginning.

This review allows people to see that the award-winning years on the resume and the inner changes of the creator do not necessarily occur simultaneously. The outside world can quickly recognize actors from an award, but actors may need more filming and cooperation to gradually find their reasons for continuing to act.

The depth of the character is hidden in the preparation before shooting

Talking about "The World Between Us II", Nikki Hsieh pointed out that the social issues involved in the character and the large amount of Taiwanese language required preparation before filming. This also makes the performance not only focus on the emotions in front of the camera, but also include language, character background and interaction with other actors.

When watching a scene, you can focus on how the characters speak, pause and respond, rather than just looking at whether the lines are intense. The same sentence spoken in different rhythms will change the relationship and status of the characters; preparations often end up appearing in the picture as these details that are not necessarily eye-catching.

From movies to television series, the way you watch can also change accordingly

Her works span different forms such as "Mon Mon Mon Monsters", "Light the Night" and "The World Between Us II". For viewers who want to get to know actors again, they might as well choose a movie and watch an television series together to observe how the same face is established in different lengths and different character relationships.

Movies often need to establish characters within a limited time, while TV series may accumulate relationships through more episodes. The two are not a comparison of advantages and disadvantages, but a different viewing rhythm. Looking at the actors' expressions and movements together with the narrative arrangement of the work can reveal the differences better than just summarizing the image as "cold" or "mysterious".

Leave your life outside of being an actor

Nikki Hsieh also talked about slowing down the pace of life and work, and re-understanding the attitude towards life that Hou Hsiao-hsien once reminded her. This is not to declare a cessation of work, but to allow everyday experience to maintain its place while the performance continues.

For the audience, public interviews provide an entrance to understanding creation, and there is no need to turn every life sharing into a single explanation of the character. Actors and characters can be connected to each other, but also maintain a distance; seeing this distance, it is better to understand that performance is not just putting personal life into the camera as it is, but a work formed after selection, preparation and cooperation.