Chen was born in Shanghai, to a family of pharmacologists.[1] 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 Youth [fr][2] 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.[3]
Chen performed alongside Liu Xiaoqing, Tang Guoqiang and Ge Cunzhuang in Zhang Zheng's (simplified Chinese: 张铮; traditional Chinese: 張錚; pinyin: Zhāng Zhēng) Little Flower [zh] in 1979, for which she won the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress.[4] 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 of China" by Time magazine for having achieved stardom while still a teenager.[2]
In addition, Chen was in the 1979 film Hearts for the Motherland [zh]. The film directed by Ou Fan (欧凡; 歐凡; Ōu Fán) and Xing Jitian (邢吉田; Xíng Jítián) depicts an overseas Chinese 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" (高飞的海燕; 高飛的海燕; Gāofēi de Hǎiyàn), sung by Chen's character, are perennial favorites in China. In 1981, Chen starred in Awakening (苏醒; 甦醒; Sūxǐng), directed by Teng Wenji [zh].
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 sagaJasmine 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 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, as a mother whose husband and son have a troubled father-son relationship over 30 years. She starred in the Asian American independent film Americanese and in Michael Almereyda's Tonight at Noon, the first part of a two part project, scheduled to be released in 2009.
In 2008, she starred alongside Sam Chow (simplified Chinese: 邹爽; traditional Chinese: 鄒爽; pinyin: Zōu Shuǎng) in Shi Qi (十七; Shíqī), directed by Joe Chow (姬诚; 姬誠; Jī Chéng), 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 once fancied because she resembled Chen herself in the 1979 film Little Flower, but who missed her chance at love.
In 2009, Chen starred alongside Feng Yuanzheng and Liu Jinshan [zh] in the Chinese TV series Newcomers to the Middle-Aged (人到中年; Rén Dào Zhōngnián), directed by Dou Qi (斗琪; Dòu Qí), in which she played a female doctor facing middle-age problems. She also played the part of goddess Guan Yin in the 2010 Chinese TV adaptation of Journey to the West, directed by Cheng Lidong (程力栋; 程力棟; Chéng Lìdòng).
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.[18] They live in San Francisco, California.
In May 2008, Chen appeared alongside James Kyson Lee, 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.[20][21]
In October 2008, Chen made the cover of Trends Health magazine alongside actresses Ke Lan (Chinese: 柯蓝) and Ma Yili (Chinese: 马伊琍) to promote the Chinese Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Prevention campaign.
On January 8, 2010, Chen attended, alongside Nancy Pelosi, Nicole Kidman, and Joe Torre, the ceremony to help Family Violence Prevention Fund break ground on a new center located in the Presidio of San Francisco 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").[22][23][24]
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.[25]
Filmography
Actress
Director
Writer
Producer
Awards and nominations
Other media
2008: "Shanghai," narrator—an audio walking tour by Louis Vuitton and Soundwalk[66]
Other recognition
Chen was named one of the 'Fifty Most Beautiful People' by People magazine in 1992.[67][68]
Chen inspired the American experimental rock band Xiu Xiu, named after her film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl, according to singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart.[69][70]
Chen was chosen by Goldsea as Number 45 on its compilation of "The 120 Most Inspiring Asian Americans of All Time".[71]
References
^Corliss, Richard (April 5, 1999). "West To East". TIME. Vol. 153, no. 13. USA. Archived from the original on February 20, 2001.
^ a bStokes, Lisa Odham (October–December 2005). "Sensuously Elegant: An Interview with Joan Chen". Asian Cult Cinema. No. 48. USA. pp. 51–61.
^Tom Kagy."Heavenly And Hearthy." Goldsea Asian American Daily. August 1992.
^Harmetz, Aljean (1988-04-12). "'The Last Emperor' Wins 9 Oscars And Is Named Best Film of 1987". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"Joan Chen: 'Little Flower' in full bloom". South China Morning Post. 2013-03-03. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"Kyle MacLachlan, Bruce Greenwood, Joan Chen & Jack Thompson to star in Mao's Last Dancer". Inside Film magazine. February 27, 2008. Archived from the original on July 22, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
^Lim, Cheryl (3 October 2009). "Joan Chen in Singapore for Sun Film Festival". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
^"The Sun Film Festival". Singapore Sun Festival. Archived from the original on 2009-09-08.
^"Lion Rock on board for 'Color Me Love'". Hollywood Reporter Asia. March 23, 2010. Archived from the original on March 26, 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
^"Production Support - The Finnish Film Foundation - March 2010". The Finnish Film Foundation. 2010-03-24. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
^Tsiokos, Basil (May 17, 2010). "Joan Chen Among Three Female Helmers "Seeing Red"". IndieWire. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
^Frater, Patrick (May 18, 2010). "Chen sees Red". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 2010-05-20. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
^"Fringe".
^Ayers, Mike (12 December 2014). "Inside 'Marco Polo,' Netflix's $90 Million Epic". The Wall Street Journal.
^Rapold, Nicolas (2014-08-26). "In Venice, Kicking Off the Fall Movie Festival Season". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
^Shea, Christopher D. (2014-11-23). "'Blind Massage' Wins Golden Horse Award for Best Feature". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
^Johnson, G. Allen (6 June 2005). "A few years away from acting, and suddenly Joan Chen's playing Mom". SFGate.
^Chen, Joan (April 9, 2008). "Let the Games Go On". The Washington Post. USA.
^"Banyan Tree Project Feature Asian & Pacific Islander Stars in Latest HIV/AIDS Anti-Stigma Public Service Announcements". Reuters. May 20, 2008. Archived from the original on 2009-05-04. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
^"The Banyan Tree Project Official Site". Archived from the original on 2009-04-28. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
^"Family Violence Prevention Fund Will Break Ground on a New International Conference Center and Exhibit Hall in San Francisco's Presidio on Friday, January 8". Earthtimes. January 8, 2010. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved 2010-01-12.
^"Pelosi, Kidman, Torre Help FVPF Break Ground on New International Center". Family Violence Prevention Fund. Archived from the original on 2010-10-22. Retrieved 2010-01-15.
^Bigelow, Catherine (January 13, 2010). "S.F. Symphony Black and White Ball details". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
^"A Community Unites to 'Silence the Violence'". US Asian Wire. January 15, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
^"Joan CHEN – Asian Film Awards Academy". Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"Presented at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Blossom Ballroom, March 29, 1987". Razzies. Archived from the original on 2002-02-22. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"第一屆香港電影評論學會大獎". 香港電影評論學會 (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"第14屆香港電影金像獎提名及得獎名單 List of Nominees and Awardees of The 14th Hong Kong Film Awards". 香港電影金像獎. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"O.J. is up for a Razzie". Tampa Bay Times. 1995-03-14. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^Klady, Leonard (1998-10-08). "'Voices' sings Chicago Fest lead". Variety. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
^Caro, Mark; Eng, Monica; McGavin, Patrick Z. (1998-10-16). "STILL PLENTY OF GEMS IN WEEK 2 OF CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
^"35th Nominees & Winners". 台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"Xiu Xiu The Sent-Down Girl". Berlinale. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"Ft. Lauderdale, Hawaii, and Shorts International Winners". IndieWire. 1998-11-17. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"CNN - Joan Chen: From China to Hollywood - June 2, 1999". CNN. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"'Lust' and war at Asian Film Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"Secret Sunshine scoops Asian film awards". ABC News. 2008-03-17. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"Nominees for the IF awards are..." IF Magazine. 2010-10-12. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^Bulbeck, Pip (2010-11-15). "'Tomorrow When the War Began' Tops IF Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^Johnson, G. Allen (2012-03-04). "Joan Chen honored at SF Asian American film fest". SFGate. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"Sammi Cheng, Joan Chen, Daniel Dae Kim among stars to attend Singapore International Film Festival". The Straits Times. 2018-10-24. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"Getting Her Mantou: Joan Chen Looks Back on Her Career – Film Academy". SGIFF Film Academy. 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"The Complete List of 2024 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners". Sundance Film Festival. 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^Johnson, G. Allen (2024-04-24). "Actress, filmmaker Joan Chen uses movies in her SFFilm tribute to process family history". SF Chronicle Datebook. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"SFFILM Announces Full Lineup for the 67th San Francisco International Film Festival". SFFILM. 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"Nominations for the 29th STVF Magnolia Awards". STVF. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
^"Louis Vuitton Brings Some Style To Audio Tours of China". TechCrunch. June 28, 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
^"People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People [1992]". AmIAnnoying. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^Krich, John (1998-04-21). "Joan Chen's real face". SFGate. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^Liss, Sarah (2004-07-29). "Straight talk - NOW Magazine". NOW Toronto. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
^"Xiu Xiu on the power of empathy and religion | Bandwagon | Music media championing and spotlighting music in Asia". Bandwagon Asia. 2017-07-06. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
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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.
"Joan of Art", by Richard Corliss. TIME (USA). April 5, 1999.
"West To East", by Richard Corliss. TIME (USA). Volume 153: Issue 13. April 5, 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. November 2000.
"Is Joan Chen Done with Hollywood?" Goldsea Asian American Daily. January 28, 2003.
"Joan Chen's Wild Side", by Malinda Lo. Curve. Volume 15: Issue 4. June 2005.
"The Face Behind Saving Face", by Kenny Tanemura. Asian Week. 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.
"The Many Faces of Joan Chen.", by Glen Schaefer. The Province. October 3, 2007.