Joan Chen

Birthday: 26 April 1961, Shanghai, China

Birth Name: Chong Chen

Height: 163 cm

Born into a family of doctors and educated in China at the Shanghai Film Academy and the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Languages, Joan Chen was discovered by veteran Chinese director Jin Xie while observing a filming with a school group. Her performance in Xiao hua (1979) (A.K.A. "The Little Flower") won China's Best Actress award, and resulted in the Chinese press dubbing her "The Elizabeth Taylor of China" for having achieved top stardom while still in her teen years. She came to the U.S. to attend college in 1981, first at the State University of New York at New Paltz, later at California State University at Northridge. She a succession of small parts in movies and T.V., with her first break coming in 1986 when, in true Hollywood legend, producer Dino De Laurentiis noticed her in the parking lot of Lorimar Studios and cast her in Tai-Pan (1986). The film bombed, but it led to her being cast as the ill-fated Empress in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor (1987), which won critical acclaim. This, and her role as enigmatic mill owner Josie Packard in the cult TV series Twin Peaks (1990), are her best-known roles in Europe and North America. However, Hollywood's practice of type-casting East Asians has led to a dearth of major roles for Chen since then, and in recent roles, she has often been cast as a villainess.After taking a few years off to start a family, Joan returned to the screen in important supporting roles playing women in early middle age, such as the mother of a principle adult character. As a result, her career is flourishing again on both sides of the Pacific. Her two directing efforts were well-received critically, and in a 2008 interview she revealed she planned to direct again but was putting that off until her daughters were grown, since directing took her away from them too much, whereas acting could be done on a part-time basis. Hide

For the past few years, I was the more visible Asian performer, and I think it gave young girls a ki Show more For the past few years, I was the more visible Asian performer, and I think it gave young girls a kind of role model showing it's possible to actually reach success doing movies. Hide

I would never offer advice without the person asking for it. I, in general, don't believe in giving Show more I would never offer advice without the person asking for it. I, in general, don't believe in giving advice, actually, as a human being I don't. Hide

The lowest budget U.S. films are ten times times better than shooting in Tibet. The lowest budget U.S. films are ten times times better than shooting in Tibet.

On Sino-US relations - We need to be open-minded and farsighted. We need to make more friends than e Show more On Sino-US relations - We need to be open-minded and farsighted. We need to make more friends than enemies. Hide

My life is good. Often I look for someone to thank. My life is good. Often I look for someone to thank.

[When asked if she did Judge Dredd (1995) for the paycheck] I may have. But you can always try to fi Show more [When asked if she did Judge Dredd (1995) for the paycheck] I may have. But you can always try to find something to do, even in a bad film, that you haven't done before. I did my own physical fighting in that film, which was fun. Millions of people work for a paycheck. Do actors do jobs for paychecks? Yes, they do. [The Arizona Republic, August 26, 2010] Hide

I don't want to tell people what I make. It's a lot more than I ever dreamed of as a kid. I never th Show more I don't want to tell people what I make. It's a lot more than I ever dreamed of as a kid. I never think about it. Hide

As an actress I find the most enjoyable part of acting is really just to please the director. I just Show more As an actress I find the most enjoyable part of acting is really just to please the director. I just want to please my director. Hide

When you feel so strongly about something and other people feel equally strongly, you have to feel s Show more When you feel so strongly about something and other people feel equally strongly, you have to feel stronger about it in order to succeed. Hide

How do you explain certain physical qualities that somehow sell on screen? You're born with it... Ce Show more How do you explain certain physical qualities that somehow sell on screen? You're born with it... Certain people are just more watchable, and I was more watchable, but I don't think I understood acting or drama very well when I was a kid. Hide

I remember thinking how I had never seen a film like Edward Scissorhands (1990) when I first watched Show more I remember thinking how I had never seen a film like Edward Scissorhands (1990) when I first watched it in 1990. It was unique cinema that felt like pure magic. The bizarre beauty of the film and the gentle hero with his lethally sharp scissorhands stayed with me through out the years. Looking back, after almost 20 years, I now understand better the fierce longing and intense loneliness that the film had stirred in me. Like the protagonist, Edward, I was the shy, misunderstood outsider for a large part of my life in America, and again later in China. Having experienced the adulation of the millions in my late teens, I became a much reviled traitor, who brought shame to China after leaving for the US and later for playing the part of the mistress to the white man in Tai-Pan (1986). The capricious and precarious nature of the mob sentiments was a nightmare, which I knew well. I empathize with the conflicting desire of the artist to retreat to his lonely tower and to be loved by people who appreciate his talent. - (Singapore Sun Film Festival, October 2009) Hide

The difference between me and American-born actors is that I came here with the expectation of not b Show more The difference between me and American-born actors is that I came here with the expectation of not being treated fairly. Hide

All Asian parents are into your children having a respectable, decent stable job. Acting was unimagi Show more All Asian parents are into your children having a respectable, decent stable job. Acting was unimaginable to my parents. Hide

I will always have a career. I believe in working. I don't believe that taking care of your house an Show more I will always have a career. I believe in working. I don't believe that taking care of your house and children is enough for a woman. You don't feel complete. Hide

I know what actors fear, what they like; I know how to get things out of them and I listen to them b Show more I know what actors fear, what they like; I know how to get things out of them and I listen to them better, since I've been there. Hide

How I was raised is what I am today. How I was raised is what I am today.

My fairy-tale life ended the moment I wanted to apply for a passport. My fairy-tale life ended the moment I wanted to apply for a passport.

There is no theoretical study of motherhood. You know, before I became a mother, I did play a mother Show more There is no theoretical study of motherhood. You know, before I became a mother, I did play a mother, but I was like - I was more thinking of my own mother. I was doing my mother. Hide

There are a lot of stereotypes to be broken which I think a lot of us are doing. What I do is, as so Show more There are a lot of stereotypes to be broken which I think a lot of us are doing. What I do is, as soon as people try to pin me down to one kind of part, I'll play a very different kind of role, so it explodes that stereotype. Hide

The romantic love we feel toward the opposite sex is probably one extra help from God to bring you t Show more The romantic love we feel toward the opposite sex is probably one extra help from God to bring you together, but that's it. All the rest of it, the true love, is the test. Hide

If you know how to do a job very well, you keep doing it. If you know how to do a job very well, you keep doing it.

There are only so many roles as empresses . . . but I've had a lot of offers to play vampires. There are only so many roles as empresses . . . but I've had a lot of offers to play vampires.

Acting is actually private. Acting is actually private.

Acting for me is not a bad habit like smoking that I must make an effort to quit. I love acting; I l Show more Acting for me is not a bad habit like smoking that I must make an effort to quit. I love acting; I love directing. Hide

When you see me walking out here, wearing gorgeous clothes, remember these evening gowns are really Show more When you see me walking out here, wearing gorgeous clothes, remember these evening gowns are really just my work clothes, they go with hyping the movies. Hide

Beauty is the result of having been through an experience all the way through to the end - therefore Show more Beauty is the result of having been through an experience all the way through to the end - therefore it has a poignancy. Beauty that is singular always comes from following an experience to the point where you can go no further. Hide

There are many ways you can make money. Certain ways will make you happy, certain other ways will ma Show more There are many ways you can make money. Certain ways will make you happy, certain other ways will make other people happy. But if you go in because there's money in there, you're bound to fail, bound to fail! Hide

I never went on an audition - when they were really looking at everybody. I never went on an audition - when they were really looking at everybody.

I don't find intimate scenes more difficult than other scenes. I don't find intimate scenes more difficult than other scenes.

Physical hunger and physical poverty is something I could only imagine. I've been poor when I was in Show more Physical hunger and physical poverty is something I could only imagine. I've been poor when I was in China... As kids we never had to starve, but just didn't have enough meat, enough rice. Hide

All teenagers have this desire to somehow run away. All teenagers have this desire to somehow run away.

Joan Chen's FILMOGRAPHY

All as Actor (91) as Director (2) as Creator (1)

Knight Rider - Season 1

Homicide: Life on the Street - Season 1

Miami Vice - Season 1

Lust, Caution (Se, jie)

Miami Vice - Season 5

Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces

MacGyver - Season 1 (2016)

The Last Emperor

MacGyver - Season 4

American Masters - Season 37

Zhong quan ba gong [Audio: Chinese]

The Hunted (1995)

Tales From The Crypt - Season 4

1911 Revolution

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child - Season 1

A Murder at the End of the World - Season 1

All God`s Children Can Dance

The Outer Limits - Season 2

MacGyver - Season 5

Knight Rider - Season 4

Wiseguy - Season 1

Wiseguy - Season 3

MacGyver - Season 1

Mike Hammer - Season 2

Hemingway & Gellhorn

Ava (2020)

Joan Chen'S roles

Empress Dowager Longyu

Wan Rong

Dr. Ilsa Hayden

Masu

Empress Chabi

Mama