Joan Chen Biography

Joan Chen is a Chinese American actress, screenwriter, producer, and director. She came to mainstream attention after appearing in the 1987 movie ‘The Last Emperor,’ and is also known for her roles in ‘Red Rose, White Rose’, ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘The Home Song Stories’. As a director, she is known for directing the feature flick ‘Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl’. Born in Shanghai into a family of doctors, Chen was raised during the Cultural Revolution. She was discovered by Jiang Qing, the wife of the revolutionary Mao Zedong in the school rifle range. This eventually led her to enter Shanghai Film Studio’s Actors' Training Program where Chen caught the attention of veteran director Jin Xie who eventually cast her in his 1977 movie ‘Youth’. Her performance in the film ‘Xiao Hua’ earned her the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress. The actress then went to USA to attend State University of New York and later California State University. She then took a break to start a family with her second husband, Peter Hui, whom she married in 1992. Chen, who is a mother of two beautiful daughters, is deeply associated with charitable organizations, especially those dealing with HIV and breast cancer awareness.