[1] He grew up in a single-parent family, primarily raised by his grandparents,[2] while his mother worked as a nurse at Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

[6] He explained that he transferred because of a knee injury sustained from frequent dance practices, and he chose to pursue acting instead to ensure a longer performing career.

[6][9] During his university years, Shih began filming advertisements, including one alongside Gwei Lun-mei,[6] and also performed as a stage actor for Shakespeare's Wild Sisters Group [zh] and Move Theater.

[5] Following these nominations, Shih began receiving offers for television roles,[11] including a recurring part as Axe in the 2012 Hakka TV series Jump！ Cheerleader [zh].

[21] Shih continued to appear in supporting roles, portraying a gangster in the 2016 drama Fighting Meiling [zh] and an assassin named Duan Yi in the 2017 crime film The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful.

[29] He appeared as the right-hand man of a police chief played by Joan Chen the crime film Sheep Without a Shepherd,[30] and as a psychiatrist in the drama series The World Between Us.

[47] He then appeared as a captive during the Pacific War in the period drama Three Tears in Borneo,[48] followed by a lead role as Mang, a high-ranking gangster, in the film GATAO: Like Father Like Son [zh],[49] for which he won Best Supporting Actor in the 61st Golden Horse Awards.

[50] Shih married fellow actress Zhu Zhi-ying [zh] on 20 May 2023 after a seven-year relationship,[51] and they publicly announced their marriage in August 2024.