‘I thought she was bad tempered’: Ming Dao admits to long-time rumour he disliked Joe Chen during The Prince Who Turns Into A Frog

Joe Chen and Ming Dao’s friendship may have withstood the passing of time, but you may be surprised to find out that they didn’t start off liking each other.

Those who used to binge-watch Taiwanese idol dramas in the early 2000s will remember the hugely popular The Prince Who Turns Into A Frog, which starred the two actors.

Eighteen years on, Ming Dao was asked in the latest episode of Chinese variety show The Detectives’ Adventures Season 3, which aired last Friday (May 19), to clarify the rumour that he disliked Joe while filming the drama.

The 43-year-old admitted to the rumour immediately, much to the surprise of the staff and other cast members.

He said in Mandarin: “When we first started filming the drama, both of us did not like to talk to each other. I felt that she was bad-tempered and she thought that I was arrogant.”

Ming Dao added that, even when they filmed an emotional scene, they would perform for the camera and immediately go their separate ways once the director shouted “cut”.

They only managed to break the ice one day during filming when Joe, now 44, requested to watch the playback to monitor her performance. Ming Dao thought that she had acted well and told Joe she didn’t need to watch it and that she had captured the essence of the scene well.

It was from then on that they started interacting more and eventually became good friends.

The drama went on to attain huge success when it broadcast in 2005 and reportedly broke the viewership record held by Meteor Garden, which was the pioneer of Taiwan idol dramas.

Joe and Ming Dao, who were then idols of the groups 7 Flowers and 183 Club respectively, shot into stardom and gained a huge fan base both individually and for their groups.

Their friendship has endured the test of time, as Ming Dao said that they try to meet up at least once a year, as much as possible.

Ming Dao explained that they don’t have to contact each other very often to remain friends, but emphasised that whenever Joe has any major events or issues in life, she would confide in him, even contacting him in the middle of the night.

Likewise, if he has any issues, he confides in her.

He added: “We don’t have to look at the time whenever we want to contact each other.”

Over the years, fans also speculated that they had feelings for each other in real life because of their natural chemistry shown in publicity events.

Today, both Ming Dao and Joe are happily married to their respective spouses. In June 2020, Ming Dao announced the arrival of his first child, a son, with his partner Wang Tingxuan, who was once a member of the idol group Kiss. Last month, he announced that they are expecting their second child, a daughter, together.

Joe married Malaysian artist Alan Chen, who is nine years younger, in March 2022 after dating for over two years. The pair met on the Chinese dating reality programme Meeting Mr Right II in 2019.

Despite that, netizens continued to rave about the duo when footage surfaced on Weibo on April 14 of them meeting up for a meal. Ming Dao was seen putting an arm over Joe’s shoulder while Joe had her arms wrapped around his waist as they exited the restaurant.

Fans gushed about how the meetup was a throwback to their characters’ romance in the drama.

Ming Dao posted on Weibo later the same day thanking netizens for remembering their drama roles. He added that he had not seen Joe for a long time and hoped to meet her for a meal again soon.

Joe replied in the comment section: “Ah Ming, long time no see, I am so happy to meet up with my good friend for a meal.”

The Detectives’ Adventures features celebrities caught in a predicament, participating in a series of games to gain clues and escape. New episodes for the third season are released every Friday on iQiyi.