The shy musician didn't want to be a singer at first, but wanted to focus on writing songs for other people.
In 2000, Chou released his debut album, titled Jay, in which he recorded a collection of songs that he had written for other singers.
"They didn't want them because they were not considered mainstream pop material. So I made the album myself," Chou said in an earlier interview.
The album, which contained R&B tunes like Adorable Lady and Starry Mood, soon earned him idol status across Asia.
Even his unclear singing and rapping style, which is considered "mumbling", is now imitated by his fans.
His subsequent albums, Fantasy and November's Chopin, further built up his fan base in Asia.
Chou has also ventured into acting and directing.
His directorial debut was Secret in 2007, which was followed by a musical drama, The Rooftop, in 2013.
Playing the role of Kato alongside Seth Rogen in Green Hornet gave Chou his first big Hollywood break in 2011. This year, he starred with Daniel Radcliffe in Now You See Me 2.
"My confidence still comes from my music, which is quite different from Western hip-hop or R& B," says Chou, who wrote and sang the song, Now You See Me, for the sequel.
The song is also part of Jay Chou's Bedtime Stories.
"When I sat in the cinema at the movie's premiere in the United States, I felt so proud that my song, a Chinese one, featured at the end of the movie. That's my goal, to take Mandarin songs abroad. It is so cool," he says.
