Julia Chan, also known as Julia Taylor Ross, is an English actress and television host. She is best known for her portrayal of Sophia in the horror film '' Silent House'' (2011), Dr. Maggie Lin in the television series ''

Saving Hope ''Saving Hope'' is a Canadian supernatural medical drama television series set in Toronto in the fictional hospital Hope Zion. The series stars Erica Durance and Michael Shanks. The show's premise originated with Malcolm MacRury and Morwyn Brebn ...

'' (2012-2017), as co-host of ''

The Great Canadian Baking Show ''The Great Canadian Baking Show'' is a Canadian cooking competition television series which premiered on CBC Television on November 1, 2017. It is an adaptation of the U.K. series ''The Great British Bake Off'', which is aired in Canada under t ...

'' during its first two seasons (2017–2019), and as Pepper Smith in

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

television series ''

Katy Keene Katy Keene is a character created by Bill Woggon that has appeared in several comic book series published by Archie Comics since 1945. She is a model/actress/singer marketed by the publisher as "America's Queen of Pin-Ups and Fashions". In the bo ...

'' (2020).

Early life and education

Chan's father, Roy Chan, is a

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

–based solicitor of Chinese heritage; her mother, Lorna, is a Canadian ballerina. She was raised in

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

and attended

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

, in London, England, and then attended

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

. While at Harvard, she frequently acted at the nearby

American Repertory Theater The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a professional not-for-profit theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to ne ...

. Chan graduated with a BA in History of Art and Architecture. She received her master's degree from New York's New School of Drama in 2010. Chan was married to Erik Ratensperger, but they divorced in 2019.

Career

While still at graduate school, she garnered a role in the

Global Television Network The Global Television Network (more commonly called Global, or occasionally Global TV) is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. It is currently Canada's second most-watched private terrestrial television network after ...

's ''

Rookie Blue ''Rookie Blue'' is a Canadian police drama television series starring Missy Peregrym and Gregory Smith. It was created by Morwyn Brebner, Tassie Cameron, and Ellen Vanstone. The series premiered on June 24, 2010, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/8:00 ...

'' (2010) (airing in the United States on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

). From 2011 to 2017 Chan played regular series character Dr. Maggie Lin for five seasons on CTV's ''Saving Hope'', which was carried in the U.S. by

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

. She appeared in the role of Sophia in ''Silent House'', a 2011 American horror film directed by Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, and the following year the romantic comedy film ''Missed Connections''. Chan has appeared in two Canadian television programs, miniseries ''

Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures ''Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures'' is a short story collection by Vincent Lam, published in 2006. The book, inspired by Lam's own experiences in medical school and as a professional physician, is a volume of interconnected short stories about th ...

'' and series ''

Republic of Doyle ''Republic of Doyle'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series set in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, which aired on CBC Television from January 6, 2010, to December 10, 2014. The show stars Allan Hawco as private investigator and fo ...

''. In 2015, Chan appeared in the movie, ''

Ava's Possessions ''Ava's Possessions'' is a 2015 American supernatural comedy horror film written and directed by Jordan Galland. Louisa Krause stars as the titular Ava, a young woman that must learn how to put her life together after a demon is exorcised from her ...

''. Chan has also made guest appearances in episodes of '' Gotham'' (2016) and ''

Schitt's Creek ''Schitt's Creek'' (stylized as ''Schitt$ Creek'') is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, that aired on CBC Television from 2015 to 2020. It consists of 80 episodes spread over six seasons. Produced by ...

'' (2017). She hosted ''

'' with Dan Levy, which premiered November 1, 2017, on CBC. Chan returned as host for the second season in 2018, but neither she nor Levy returned for the show's third season. On February 21, 2019, it was announced that she had landed the role of Pepper Smith in

's ''

'', a spin-off series of '' Riverdale'' which started airing in 2020. She appears alongside

Lucy Hale Karen Lucille Hale (born June 14, 1989) is an American actress, singer, and television personality. She has received various accolades, including seven Teen Choice Awards (the most for any actress in a single series), a Gracie Award, a People's ...

Ashleigh Murray Ashleigh Monique Murray (born January 18, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She portrayed Josie McCoy, the lead singer of the band Josie and the Pussycats, on the CW television series '' Riverdale''. Murray reprised this role in the '' Ri ...

, and Jonny Beauchamp. In 2021, Chan appeared in the stage play '' 2:22 A Ghost Story''. She appeared in ''Archive 81'' which premiered on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

January 14, 2022.

Filmography

Film

Television / Web

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, Julia 1983 births Canadian film actresses Harvard University alumni Living people Canadian television hosts Canadian television actresses British people of Canadian descent British actresses of Chinese descent Alumni of University College London The New School alumni Canadian women television hosts Actors from Cheshire English people of Hong Kong descent English people of Canadian descent