Joan Chen (born April 26, 1961) is a Chinese-American actress and film director. In China, she performed in the 1979 film and came to the attention of American audiences for her performance in the 1987 film '' The Last Emperor''. She is also known for her roles in '' Twin Peaks'', ''

Red Rose White Rose ''Red Rose White Rose'' () is a 1994 Hong Kong drama film directed by Stanley Kwan, based on the '' Red Rose, White Rose'' novella by Eileen Chang. It was entered into the 45th Berlin International Film Festival. Cast *Joan Chen as Wang Jiao-R ...

'', '' Saving Face'', and '' The Home Song Stories'', and for directing the feature film '' Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl''.

Early life

Chen was born in Shanghai, to a family of pharmacologists. She and her older brother, Chase, were raised during the Cultural Revolution. At the age of 14, Chen was discovered on the school rifle range by Jiang Qing, the wife of leader Mao Zedong and major Chinese Communist Party figure, for excelling at marksmanship. This led to her being selected for the Actors' Training Program by the Shanghai Film Studio in 1975, where she was discovered by veteran director Xie Jin who chose her to star in his 1977 film as a deaf mute whose senses are restored by an army medical team. Chen graduated from high school a year in advance, and at the age of 17 entered Shanghai International Studies University, where she majored in English.

Career

Early career in China

Chen performed alongside Tang Guoqiang in Zhang Zheng's () in 1979, for which she won the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress. Chen portrayed a pre- Maoist revolutionary's daughter, who, reunited with her brother, a wounded Communist soldier, later learned that his doctor was her biological mother. ''Little Flower'' was her second film and she soon achieved the status of China's most-loved actress; she was dubbed "the

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

of China" by ''Time'' magazine for having achieved stardom while still a teenager. In addition, Chen was in the 1979 film . The film directed by Ou Fan () and Xing Jitian () depicts an

overseas Chinese Overseas Chinese () refers to people of Chinese birth or ethnicity who reside outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese. Terminology () or ''Hoan-kheh'' () in Hokkien, refe ...

family that returns to China from Southeast Asia out of their patriotic feelings but encounter political troubles during the Cultural Revolution. The songs, " I Love You, China" and "High Flies the Petrel" (), sung by Chen's character, are perennial favorites in China. In 1981, Chen starred in ''Awakening'' (), directed by .

Hollywood breakout

At age 20, Chen moved to the United States, where she studied filmmaking at

California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it has the second largest un ...

. Her first Hollywood movie was '' Tai-Pan'', filmed on location in China. In 1985 she appeared in the U.S. television show '' Miami Vice'' as May Ying, former wife of Martin Castillo and husband to Ma Sek in the episode " Golden Triangle (Part II)". She went on to star in Bernardo Bertolucci's '' The Last Emperor'' in 1987 and the

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

/ Mark Frost television series '' Twin Peaks'' as

Josie Packard The following is a list of characters from the television series ''Twin Peaks'', the film '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'', and the 2017 revival. Overview Concepts Bob Frank Silva was a set decorator who worked on the pilot episode. ...

. She starred alongside Rutger Hauer in 1989's '' The Blood of Heroes'', written and directed by David Webb Peoples. In 1993 she co-starred in

Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Stone won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer of '' Midnight Express'' (1978), and wrote the gangster film remake '' Sc ...

's '' Heaven & Earth''. She portrayed two different characters in Clara Law's '' Temptation of a Monk'': a seductive princess of Tang dynasty, and a dangerous temptress. She shaved her head on-screen for the role. The award-winning film was adapted from a novel by Lilian Lee. In 1994 she co-starred with Steven Seagal in the action-adventure ''

On Deadly Ground ''On Deadly Ground'' is a 1994 American environmental action adventure film directed, co-produced by, and starring Steven Seagal, and co-starring Michael Caine, Joan Chen, John C. McGinley and R. Lee Ermey. It is Seagal's only directorial effor ...

''; she returned to Shanghai to star in Stanley Kwan's ''

'' opposite Winston Chao, and subsequently won a Golden Horse Award and a Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award for her performance. In 1996, she was a member of the jury at the

46th Berlin International Film Festival The 46th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 15 to 26 February 1996. The Golden Bear was awarded to British-American film ''Sense and Sensibility'' directed by Ang Lee. The retrospective dedicated to American film director, p ...

. Tired of being cast as an exotic beauty in Hollywood films, Chen moved into directing in 1998 with the critically acclaimed '' Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl'', adapted from the novella ''Celestial Bath'' () by her friend Yan Geling. She later directed '' Autumn in New York'', starring Richard Gere and Winona Ryder, in 2000.

Later career

In the middle of the 2000s, Chen made a comeback in acting and began to work intensely, alternating between English and Chinese-language roles. In 2004, she starred in Hou Yong's family saga '' Jasmine Women'', alongside Zhang Ziyi, in which they played multiple roles as daughters and mothers across three generations in Shanghai. She also starred in the

Asian-American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...

comedy '' Saving Face'' as a widowed mother, who is shunned by the Chinese-American community for being pregnant and unwed and has come to live with her lesbian daughter. In 2005, she appeared in Zhang Yang's family saga ''

Sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), as ...

'', as a mother whose husband and son have a troubled father-son relationship over 30 years. She starred in the

Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...

independent film ''

Americanese ''Americanese'' is a 2006 American romantic drama film directed by Eric Byler and starring Chris Tashima, Allison Sie, Kelly Hu, Ben Shenkman, Autumn Reeser, and Joan Chen. It is based on the novel ''American Knees'' by Shawn Wong, concerning the ...

'' and in Michael Almereyda's '' Tonight at Noon'', the first part of a two part project, scheduled to be released in 2009. In 2007, Chen was acclaimed for her performance in Tony Ayres' drama '' The Home Song Stories''. She portrayed a glamorous and unstable Chinese nightclub singer who struggles to survive in 1970s Australia with her two children. The role earned her four awards including the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress and the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress. The same year saw her co-starring in two other acclaimed films: Ang Lee's '' Lust, Caution'', opposite Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, and Jiang Wen's '' The Sun Also Rises'', opposite Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, for which she received an

Asian Film Award Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

for Best Supporting Actress. In 2008, she starred alongside Sam Chow () in ''Shi Qi'' (), directed by Joe Chow (), as a rural mother of a 17-year-old in eastern Zhejiang province. The same year Joan Chen portrayed a factory worker in Jia Zhangke's ''

24 City ''24 City'' ( zh, s=二十四城记) is a 2008 film directed and co-written by Chinese film-maker Jia Zhangke. The film follows three generations of characters in Chengdu (in the 1950s, the 1970s and the present) as a state-owned factory gives w ...

'' once fancied because she resembled Chen herself in the 1979 film ''Little Flower'', but who missed her chance at love. She co-starred in Bruce Beresford's 2009 adaptation of the autobiography of dancer Li Cunxin, '' Mao's Last Dancer'', along with Wang Shuangbao () and Kyle MacLachlan. In 2009, Chen starred alongside Feng Yuanzheng and in the Chinese TV series ''Newcomers to the Middle-Aged'' (), directed by Dou Qi (), in which she played a female doctor facing middle-age problems. She also played the part of goddess

Guan Yin Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She w ...

in the 2010 Chinese TV adaptation of '' Journey to the West'', directed by Cheng Lidong (). In October 2009 Joan Chen was the curator of the first Singapore Sun Film Festival, whose theme was "The Art of Living Well". She selected and curated five films for screening during the festival: '' The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'', '' Dead Man Walking'', ''

Hannah and Her Sisters ''Hannah and Her Sisters'' is a 1986 American comedy-drama film which tells the intertwined stories of an extended family over two years that begins and ends with a family Thanksgiving dinner. The film was written and directed by Woody Allen, who ...

'', ''

Still Life A still life (plural: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly wikt:inanimate, inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or artificiality, m ...

'' and '' Edward Scissorhands''. In 2010, Chen joined the cast of Leehom Wang's directorial debut '' Love in Disguise'', Alexi Tan's () ''Color Me Love'' (; alongside Liu Ye), Ilkka Järvi-Laturi's ''Kiss, His First'' (alongside Tony Leung Ka-fai and Gwei Lun-mei) and veteran acting coach Larry Moss' ''

Relative Insanity This is a list of programs that have been broadcast by the American television network Lifetime. Current programming Original programming Talk shows *''The Balancing Act TV Show'' (2008) *''Access Health'' (2014) Reality *''Designing Spaces'' ( ...

'' (along with Juliette Binoche). In May 2010, she was set to star and direct one of the three parts of the anthology film ''Seeing Red''. In 2011, she played Secretary Bishop's girlfriend on the television series '' Fringe'' episode " Immortality". Chen was cast as the Mongol Yuan Dynasty empress Chabi in the 2014 American television series ''

Marco Polo Marco Polo (, , ; 8 January 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known as ''Book of the Marv ...

''. Being somewhat unfamiliar with the Mongols, Chen read '' The Secret History of the Mongol Queens'' in order to prepare for the role. She also appeared in several episodes of the 2018 Chinese television drama '' Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace'' as Ula Nara Yixiu (the Empress Xiaojingxian).

Personal life

Chen was formerly married to actor Jim "Jimmy" Lau from 1985 to 1990. Chen married her second husband, cardiologist Peter Hui, on January 18, 1992. They have two daughters. They live in San Francisco, California. During her early years in California, Chen attended

. In 1989, she became a naturalized citizen of the United States. On April 9, 2008, Chen wrote an article entitled "Let the Games Go On" for the '' Washington Post'' objecting to the politicization of the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

in Beijing.

Charitable work

In May 2008, Chen appeared alongside

James Kyson Lee James Kyson (born December 13, 1975) is a South Korean-born American actor best known for his television work. Best known for his role as Ando Masahashi on the NBC television series '' Heroes'', his guest appearances on television series includ ...

, Silas Flensted, and Amy Hanaialiʻi Gilliom in a public service announcement for the Banyan Tree Project campaign to stop HIV/AIDS-related stigma in Asian & Pacific Islander communities. In October 2008, Chen made the cover of Trends Health magazine alongside actresses Ke Lan () and Ma Yili () to promote the Chinese Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Prevention campaign. On January 8, 2010, Chen attended, alongside

Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...

, Nicole Kidman, and Joe Torre, the ceremony to help

Family Violence Prevention Fund Futures Without Violence (formerly Family Violence Prevention Fund) is a non-profit organization with offices in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Boston, United States, with the goal of ending domestic and sexual violence. Futures Without Vi ...

break ground on a new center located in the

Presidio of San Francisco The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part o ...

intended to combat violence against women and children. During the ceremony, Chen performed an excerpt from the documentary play ''The Thumbprint of Mukhtar Mai'' (presented as part of "Seven"). On January 15, 2010, Chen was set to appear, along with other Asian American personalities, in a series of videos supporting the Center for the Pacific Asian Family.

Filmography

Actress

Director

Writer

Producer

Other media

*2008: "Shanghai," narrator—an audio walking tour by Louis Vuitton and Soundwalk

Awards and nominations

Other recognition

* In 1992 '' People'' magazine chose her as one of the 50 most beautiful women in the world. * Chen inspired indie rock band Xiu Xiu, named after her film ''Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl''. * Chen was chosen by Goldsea as Number 45 on its compilation of "The 120 Most Inspiring Asian Americans of All Time".

References

Articles and interviews

* "''The Last Empress''", by C. Mark Jacobson. '' Interview''. December 1987. p. 146-147. * "''In Praise of Actors: Joan Chen''", by Peter Rainer. '' American Film''. Volume 15: Issue 8. May 1990. p. 32.
"''Heavenly And Hearthy''"
by Tom Kagy. '' Goldsea Asian American Daily''. August 1992. * "''Chen Reaction''", by Alison Dakota Gee. '' Movieline'' (USA). December 1993. p. 54-59, 88.
"''West To East''"
by Richard Corliss. ''TIME'' (USA). Volume 153: Issue 13. April 5, 1999.

by Richard Corliss. ''TIME'' (USA). April 5, 1999.

by Steven Schwankert. '' Beijing Scene''. Volume 5: Issue 8. May 7, 1999.
"''Joan Chen: Guerilla Director''"
by Michael Sragow. '' Salon.com''. May 27, 1999. * "''Reel Poetry''", by Kevin Berger. '' San Francisco'' (USA). July 2000. p. 51.
"''Joan Chen: Whether it's China or Hollywood, this actress/director tells it like it is''"
by Franz Lidz. '' Interview''. August 2000. p. 80-81.
"''An Interview with Joan Chen''"
by Michelle Caswell. ''

Asia Source Asia Source was an event series that promoted and coordinated the use of free and open-source software (FOSS) in Asia. It took place three times: the first event was hosted in Bangalore, India in 2005, the second in Sukabumi in West Java, Indone ...

''. November 2000.
"''Is Joan Chen Done with Hollywood?''"
'' Goldsea Asian American Daily''. January 28, 2003.
"''Empress and Enigma''"
'' China Daily''. October 25, 2003.
"''Joan Chen's Wild Side''"
by Malinda Lo. ''

Curve In mathematics, a curve (also called a curved line in older texts) is an object similar to a line (geometry), line, but that does not have to be Linearity, straight. Intuitively, a curve may be thought of as the trace left by a moving point (ge ...

''. Volume 15: Issue 4. June 2005.
"''The Face Behind'' Saving Face"
by Kenny Tanemura. ''

Asian Week ''AsianWeek'' was America's first and largest English language print and on-line publication serving Asian Americans. The news organization played an important role nationally and in the San Francisco Bay Area as the “Voice of Asian America”. ...

''. June 3, 2005. * "''Sensuously Elegant: An Interview with Joan Chen''", by Lisa Odham Stokes. '' Asian Cult Cinema'' (USA). Issue 48. October–December 2005. p. 51-61.
"''Joan Chen on Filming'' Lust, Caution ''in Shanghai: Follow One's Heart''."
by Liu Qing. '' The Chinese Mirror''. February 28, 2007.
"''The Many Faces of Joan Chen''."
by Glen Schaefer. '' The Province''. October 3, 2007.
"''Joan Chen returns to Chinese film''."
by Min Lee. '' The China Post''. October 17, 2007.