Joan Chen American actress of Chinese descent. Date of Birth: 26.04.1961 Country: USA

Biography of Joan Chen

Joan Chen is an American actress of Chinese descent. She was born in China into a family of doctors, with her grandparents receiving education at Oxford and her parents studying at Harvard. Chen attended the Shanghai Film Studio and had her first role in a film at the age of 14. In 1980, she won the Hundred Flowers Award for her performance in the film "Xiaohua" directed by Zhang Zheng.

In 1981, Chen moved to the United States to pursue further education. She began her career in American cinema, appearing in action films like "Night Stalker" (1986) as well as serious epic dramas such as her role as Empress Wan Jung in Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor" (1987). Chen gained nationwide fame for her role in the television series "Twin Peaks" (1990).

During the 1990s, Chen primarily took on supporting roles in films like Oliver Stone's "Heaven & Earth" (1993) and "Wild Side" by Donald Cammell (1995). She received the Golden Horse Award, the top film award in Taiwan, for her role in Stanley Kwan's film "Red Rose, White Rose" in 1994. In 1999, Chen made her directorial debut with the film "Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl," which achieved success at international film festivals.

In 2000, she directed the romantic drama "Autumn in New York" starring Richard Gere and Winona Ryder. Chen is married to cardiologist Peter Hui, with the wedding taking place on January 18, 1992. This is her second marriage, with her first being to actor Jimmy Lau from 1985 to 1990. Chen and her husband have two daughters and reside in San Francisco, occasionally visiting Shanghai to expose their children to Chinese culture.

Aside from her acting and directing career, Joan Chen is also actively involved in philanthropy. In 1992, she was included in People magazine's list of the "50 Most Beautiful Women in the World." Chen has even inspired an indie rock band named "Xiu Xiu," who named themselves after her film "Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl."