As a child, Ko traveled Taiwan with his wet nurse, who was then the leader of Tainan's largest Taiwanese Opera company. The experience exposed him to the rich and varied life of performers and sparked his interest in the performing arts.
幼年時，柯錫杰因為跟著當時是台南最大歌仔戲團團長的奶媽四處走唱，因而見識了豐富多彩的戲台生活，也啟蒙了他對表演藝術的興趣。