Joan Chen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Joan Chen | ||||||||||||||
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| Chinese name | 陳冲 (Traditional) | |||||||||||||
| Chinese name | 陈冲 (Simplified) | |||||||||||||
| Pinyin | Chén Chōng (Mandarin) | |||||||||||||
| Jyutping | Can4 Cung1 (Cantonese) | |||||||||||||
| Born | April 26, 1961 Shanghai, China |
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| Occupation | actress, film director, screenwriter, producer | |||||||||||||
| Years active | 1975–present | |||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Jim Lau (1985-1990) Peter Hui (1992-) |
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- This is a Chinese name; the family name is Chen.
Joan Chong Chen (Chinese name: traditional Chinese: 陳冲; simplified Chinese: 陈冲; Pinyin: Chén Chōng; born April 26, 1961) is a four-time Golden Horse, Asian Film Awards, AFI Award, Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award, Hundred Flowers Award and National Board of Review winning Chinese American actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. She became famous in China for her performance in the 1979 film Little Flower and came to international attention for her performance in the 1987 Academy Award-winning film The Last Emperor. She is also known for her roles in Twin Peaks, Red Rose White Rose, Saving Face and The Home Song Stories, and for directing the feature film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life and career
She was born Chen Chong in Shanghai, China, into a family of doctors (her grandparents were educated at Oxford and her parents were trained at Harvard).[1] She grew up during the Cultural Revolution. At age 14, Chen was discovered on the school rifle range by Mao Zedong's wife Jiang Qing, as she was excelling at marksmanship. This led her to be 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 (青春, Qīngchūn)[2] as a deaf mute whose senses are restored by an Army medical team. She soon enrolled in the prestigious Shanghai International Studies University, at age 17 (one year before one could go), where she majored in English.[3]
[edit] Acting career
Chen Chong first became famous in China for her performance alongside Tang Guoqiang (唐国强) in Zhang Zheng's Little Flower (Chinese: 小花; pinyin: Xiǎo Huā) in 1979, for which she won the Hundred Flowers Award (Chinese: 百花; pinyin: Bǎi Huā Jiǎng), in which she played a revolutionary's daughter in pre-Maoist China, who falls in love with the wounded soldier whom she and her mother care for. Little Flower was her second film and Chen soon hit the status of China's most loved actress, which earned her to be dubbed "the Elizabeth Taylor of China" by Time magazine, for having achieved stardom while still a teenager.[2] In addition, Chen is famous in China for her role in the 1979 film Hearts for the Motherland (Chinese: 海外赤子; pinyin: Hǎiwài Chìzǐ) (aka Overseas Compatriots or A Loyal Overseas Chinese Family), which 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" (我爱你中国) and "High Flies the Petrel" （高飞的海燕）, sung by Chen's character, are perennial favorites in China.
At age twenty, Chen moved to the United States where she studied filmmaking at California State University, Northridge.
Her first Hollywood movie was Tai-Pan, filmed on location in China. She went on to star in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor in 1987 and the David Lynch/Mark Frost television series Twin Peaks. In 1993 she co-starred in Oliver Stone's Heaven & Earth. She portrayed two different characters in Clara Law's Temptation of a Monk (Chinese: 誘僧; pinyin: Yòu Sēng): a seductive princess of Tang dynasty, and a dangerous temptress. The award-winning film was adapted from a novel by Lilian Lee. In 1994 she came back in Shanghai to star in critically acclaimed Stanley Kwan's Red Rose, White Rose (Chinese: 紅玫瑰白玫瑰) opposite Winston Chao, and subsequently won a Golden Horse Award and a Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award for her performance.
Tired of being cast as an exotic beauty in Hollywood films, Chen moved into directing in 1998 with the critically acclaimed Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (Chinese: 天浴; pinyin: Tiān Yù), adapted from the novella Heavenly Bath (Chinese: 天浴; pinyin: Tiān Yù) by her friend Yan Geling. She later directed Autumn in New York, starring Richard Gere and Winona Ryder, in 2000.
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 saga Jasmine Women (simplified Chinese: 茉莉花开; pinyin: Mòlìhuā Kāi), 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 therefore has come to live with her lesbian daughter.
In 2005, she appeared in Zhang Yang's family saga Sunflower (Chinese: 向日葵; pinyin: Xiàngrìkuí), as a mother whose husband and son have a troubled father-son relationship over 30 years. She then 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[4]
In 2007, Chen was acclaimed for her performance in Tony Ayres' drama The Home Song Stories. She portrayed a glamorous and unstable Chinese nightclub singer who struggles to survive in seventies Australia with her two children. Chen. The role earned her four awards including the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress and the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress. The same year saw her co-starring in two other acclaimed films: Ang Lee's Lust, Caution, opposite Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, and Jiang Wen's The Sun Also Rises, opposite Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, for which she received an Asian Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2008, she starred in Shi Qi (Chinese: 十七; pinyin: Shíqī), directed by Ji Cheng (姬诚), co-starring Sam Chow (邹爽), as a rural mother of a 17-year-old in eastern Zhejiang province[5][6]. The same year Joan Chen portrayed in Jia Zhangke's 24 City a factory worker once fancied because she resembled Chen herself in the 1979 film Little Flower, but who missed her chance at love.
Chen narrated the MP3 audio guide Louis Vuitton Soundwalk Shanghai City Guide, one of the three audio guides for Chinese cities (Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong) produced by Louis Vuitton and Soundwalk, and released in June 2008.[7]
She then co-starred in Bruce Beresford's 2009 adaptation of the autobiography of dancer Li Cunxin Mao's Last Dancer, along with Wang Shungbao and Kyle MacLachlan.[8]
In 2009, Chen appeared on two Chinese television productions. She starred in Xin Ren Dao Zhong Nian (Chinese: 新人到中年) alongside Feng Yuanzheng (冯远征) and Liu Jinshan (刘金山), as a female doctor facing middle-age problems.[9] She also played the part of goddess Guan Yin in the 2009 Chinese TV adaptation of Journey to the West.[10]
[edit] Personal life
Chen married her second husband, cardiologist Peter Hui, on January 18, 1992. She was formerly married to actor Jimmy Lau from 1985 to 1990. Joan and her current husband have 2 daughters and live in San Francisco, but spend part of every year in Shanghai, China with Joan's family, so their daughters can be familiar with Chinese culture.
During her early years in California Chen attended California State University, Northridge.
In 1989, she became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
On April 9, 2008, Chen wrote an article entitled "Let the Games Go On" on the Washington Post, about the politicization of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.[11]
In May 2008, Chen appeared alongside James Kyson Lee 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.[12][13]
In October 2008, Chen made the cover of Trends Health magazine alongside actresses Ke Lan (柯蓝) and Ma Yili (马伊琍) to promote the Chinese Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Prevention campaign.
[edit] Awards and nominations
- Hundred Flowers Awards
- 1980: won for Best Actress – Little Flower (小花)
- Asian American International Film Festival
- 1994: won the Asian Media Award for significant contribution to Asian American media[14]
- Golden Horse Awards
- 1994: won for Best Actress – Red Rose, White Rose (紅玫瑰白玫瑰)
- 1998: won for Best Director – Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (天浴)
- 1998: won for Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Medium (shared with co-writer Yan Geling) – Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (天浴)
- 2007: won for Best Actress – The Home Song Stories
- Hong Kong Film Awards
- 1995: nominated for Best Actress – Red Rose, White Rose (紅玫瑰白玫瑰)
- Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
- 1995: won for Best Actress – Red Rose, White Rose (紅玫瑰白玫瑰)[15][16]
- Berlin International Film Festival
- 1998: nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear – Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (天浴)
- Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
- 1998: won the Jury Award – Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (天浴)
- Paris Film Festival
- 1999: won the Special Jury Prize – Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (天浴)
- 1999: nominated for the Grand Prize – Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (天浴)
- Mons International Festival of Love Films
- 1999: won the Grand Prize – Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (天浴)
- National Board of Review
- 1999: won the International Freedom Award – Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (天浴)[17]
- Independent Spirit Awards
- 2000: nominated for Best First Feature Over $500,000 (shared with co-producer Alice Chan Wai-Chung) – Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (天浴)
- Chlotrudis Awards
- 2000: nominated for Best Director – Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (天浴)
- Hawaii International Film Festival
- 2007: Achievement in Acting Award
- Asia Pacific Screen Awards
- 2007: nominated for Best Performance by an Actress – The Home Song Stories
- Inside Film Awards
- 2007: won for Best Actress – The Home Song Stories
- Torino International Film Festival
- 2007: won for Best Actress – The Home Song Stories
- Australian Film Institute Awards
- 2007: won for Best Actress – The Home Song Stories
- Asian Film Awards
- 2008: nominated for Best Actress – The Home Song Stories
- 2008: won for Best Supporting Actress – The Sun Also Rises (太阳照常升起)
[edit] Other recognition
- In 1992 People magazine chose her as one of the 50 most beautiful women in the world.
- Chen inspired indie rock band Xiu Xiu, named after her film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.
- Chen was chosen by Goldsea Asian American Daily as one of the "100 Most Inspiring Asian Americans of All Time".
[edit] Filmography (as actress)
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Country | Role | Director/Series creator | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Youth | 青春 Qīngchūn | China | Shen Yamei / 沈亞妹 | Xie Jin (谢晋) | |
| 1979 | Little Flower | 小花 Xiǎo Huā | China | Zhao Xiaohua / 赵小花 | Zhang Zheng (张铮) | Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress |
| Hearts for the Motherland | 海外赤子 Hǎiwài Chìzǐ | China | Huang Sihua / 黃思華 | Ou Fan (欧凡), Xing Jitian (邢吉田) | ||
| 1981 | Awakening | 甦醒 Sūxǐng | China | Su Xiaomei / 蘇小梅 | Teng Wenji (滕文骥) | |
| 1985 | Miami Vice (ep. 1.2 The Golden Triangle) | USA | Lin | Paul Stanley | TV series — guest appearance | |
| 1986 | Goodbye My Love | 惡男 È Nán | Hong Kong | Ling Ti | Frankie Chan (陳勳奇) | |
| Tai-Pan | USA | May-May | Daryl Duke | |||
| 1987 | The Last Emperor | UK / France / Italy / China | Empress Wanrong | Bernardo Bertolucci | ||
| 1989 | The Blood of Heroes | Australia / USA | Kidda | David Peoples | ||
| 1990 | Twin Peaks | USA | Jocelyn "Josie" Packard | David Lynch, Mark Frost | TV series — series regular (2 seasons, 1990–1991) | |
| 1991 | Wedlock | USA | Noelle | Lewis Teague | ||
| 1992 | Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me | France / USA | Josie Packard | David Lynch | scenes deleted | |
| 1993 | Heaven & Earth | France / USA | Mama | Oliver Stone | ||
| Temptation of a Monk | 誘僧 Yòu Sēng | Hong Kong | Princess Hóng'è / 公主紅萼 (Scarlet) Qīngshòu / 青绶夫人 (Violet) |
Clara Law | ||
| Tales from the Crypt (ep. 5.4 Food for Thought) | USA | Connie | Rodman Flender | TV anthology series | ||
| 1994 | Golden Gate | USA | Marilyn | John Madden | ||
| Red Rose, White Rose | 紅玫瑰，白玫瑰 Hóng Méigui, Bái Méigui | Hong Kong / Taiwan | Wáng Jiāo-Ruǐ / 王嬌蕊 | Stanley Kwan | Golden Horse Award for Best Actress HKFCS Award for Best Actress Nominated for HKFA for Best Actress |
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| On Deadly Ground | USA | Masu | Steven Seagal | |||
| 1995 | The Hunted | USA | Kirina | J.F. Lawton | ||
| Wild Side | USA | Virginia Chow | Donald Cammell | |||
| Judge Dredd | USA | Ilsa Hayden | Danny Cannon | |||
| 1996 | Precious Find | USA | Camilla Jones | Philippe Mora | ||
| 1997 | Homicide: Life on the Street (ep. 5.15 Wu's on First?) | USA | Elizabeth Wu | Tim McCann | TV series — guest appearance | |
| 1998 | The Outer Limits (ep. 4.24 Phobos Rising) | USA | Major Dara Talif | Helen Shaver | TV anthology series | |
| 1999 | Purple Storm | 紫雨風暴 Zǐ Yǔ Fēngbào | Hong Kong | Shirley Kwan | Teddy Chan | |
| 2000 | What's Cooking? | USA | Trinh Nguyen | Gurinder Chadha | ||
| 2001 | Avatar | Singapore | Madame Ong | Kuo Jian-Hong | released in 2004 | |
| 2004 | Jasmine Women | 茉莉花开 Mòlìhuā Kāi | China | Mo's Mother / Mo | Hou Yong | |
| Saving Face | USA | Hwei-Lan Gao (Ma) | Alice Wu | |||
| 2005 | Sunflower | 向日葵 Xiàngrìkuí | China | Xiuqing | Zhang Yang | |
| 2006 | Americanese | USA | Betty Nguyen | Eric Byler | ||
| 2007 | The Home Song Stories | 意 Yì | Australia / Singapore | Rose Hong / 洪玫瑰 | Tony Ayres | Golden Horse Award for Best Actress IF Award for Best Actress TFF Award for Best Actress AFI Award for Best Actress Nominated for AF Award for Best Actress Nominated for APS Award for Best Actress |
| The Sun Also Rises | 太阳照常升起 Tàiyáng Zhàocháng Shēngqǐ | China | Dr. Lin / 林大夫 | Jiang Wen | AF Award for Best Supporting Actress | |
| All God's Children Can Dance | USA | Evelyn | Robert Logevall | |||
| Lust, Caution | 色，戒 Sè, Jiè | Taiwan / USA / Hong Kong / China | Mrs. Yee / 易太太 | Ang Lee | ||
| 2008 | The Leap Years (aka Leap of Love) | Singapore | Li-Ann (age 49) | Jean Yeo | ||
| Shi Qi | 十七 Shí Qī | China | Ma | Joe Chow (姬诚) | ||
| 24 City | 二十四城记 Èr shí sì chéng jì | China | Gu Minhua "Xiao Hua" / 小花 | Jia Zhangke | ||
| 2009 | Tonight at Noon | USA | Joan | Michael Almereyda | post-production (filmed in 2005) | |
| Mao's Last Dancer | Australia | Li Cunxin's mother | Bruce Beresford | post-production | ||
| Newcomers to the Middle-Aged | 新人到中年 Xīn Rén Dào Zhōng Nián | China | Dou Qi (斗琪) | TV | ||
| Journey to the West | 西游记 Xī Yóu Jì | China | Guan Yin / 观音 | Cheng Lidong (程力栋) | TV series — in production |
[edit] Filmography (as director)
| Year | Title | Writer | Producer | Main cast | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl / 天浴 (Tiān Yù) | Yan Geling, Joan Chen | Alice Chan, Joan Chen | Lulu Li (李小璐), Lopsang (洛桑群培) | also producer, executive producer and co-writer |
| 2000 | Autumn in New York | Allison Burnett | Gary Lucchesi, Amy Robinson, Tom Rosenberg | Richard Gere, Winona Ryder |
[edit] Filmography (as writer)
[edit] References
- ^ Corliss, Richard (April 5, 1999), "West To East", TIME (USA) 153 (13), http://www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990405/joan_chen2.html
- ^ a b Stokes, Lisa Odham (October-December 2005), "Sensuously Elegant: An Interview with Joan Chen", Asian Cult Cinema (USA) (48): 51-61
- ^ Tom Kagy."Heavenly And Hearthy." Goldsea Asian American Daily. August 1992.
- ^ TCM.com
- ^ "Film Role Sparks Mother Hen Instinct for Joan Chen". CRI English. September 12, 2007. http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/09/12/1261@273191.htm. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
- ^ HongKong Cinemagic Forum -> 17 / Shi Qi
- ^ "Louis Vuitton Soundwalk". I LVOE LV: Louis Vuitton Resource Center. June 29, 2008. http://www.ilvoelv.com/2008/06/louis-vuitton-soundwalk.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-30.
- ^ "Kyle MacLachlan, Bruce Greenwood, Joan Chen & Jack Thompson to star in Mao's Last Dancer". Inside Film magazine. February 27, 2008. http://www.if.com.au/News/View.aspx?newsid=783. Retrieved on 2008-02-27.
- ^ "《新人到中年》剧照曝光 刘金山为陈冲闪婚(图)" (in Chinese). Sina.com. 2009-01-22. http://ent.sina.com.cn/v/m/2009-01-22/07332353089.shtml. Retrieved on 2009-04-30.
- ^ Xie, Tingting (2009-01-02). "Joan Chen Plays Goddess in Monkey King Drama". CRI English. http://english.cri.cn/6666/2009/01/02/1261s438733.htm. Retrieved on 2009-04-30.
- ^ Chen, Joan (April 9, 2008), "Let the Games Go On", Washington Post (USA), http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/08/AR2008040802907.html
- ^ "Banyan Tree Project Feature Asian & Pacific Islander Stars in Latest HIV/AIDS Anti-Stigma Public Service Announcements". Reuters. May 20, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS199319+20-May-2008+PRN20080520. Retrieved on 2009-04-30.
- ^ The Banyan Tree Project Official Site
- ^ Asian American International Film Festival 2007
- ^ Hong Kong Film Critics Society
- ^ Red Rose, White Rose: Film Facts
- ^ National Board of Review of Motion Pictures:: Awards
[edit] 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.
- "West To East", by Richard Corliss. TIME (USA). Volume 153: Issue 13. April 5, 1999.
- "Joan of Art", by Richard Corliss. TIME (USA). April 5, 1999.
- "The Sent Down Girl", by Steven Schwankert. Beijing Scene. Volume 5: Issue 8. May 7, 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.
- "Empress and Enigma". China Daily. October 25, 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.
- "Joan Chen on Filming Lust, Caution in Shanghai: Follow One's Heart.", by Liu Qing. The Chinese Mirror. February 28, 2007.
- "The Many Faces of Joan Chen.", by Glen Schaefer. The Province. October 3, 2007.
- "Joan Chen returns to Chinese film.", by Min Lee. The China Post. October 17, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Joan Chen at the Internet Movie Database
- (Chinese) Joan Chen at the Chinese Movie Database
- Joan Chen at Yahoo! Movies
- Joan Chen at Allmovie
- Joan Chen at Art and Culture
- Joan Chen profile at EmanuelLevy.com
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Australian Film Institute Awards | ||
| Preceded by Emily Barclay for Suburban Mayhem |
Best Actress 2007 for The Home Song Stories |
Succeeded by Monic Hendrickx for Unfinished Sky |
| Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards | ||
| Preceded by None |
Best Actress 1994 for Red Rose, White Rose |
Succeeded by Siqin Gaowa for The Day the Sun Turned Cold Josephine Siao for Summer Snow |
| Golden Horse Awards | ||
| Preceded by Carrie Ng for Remains of a Woman |
Best Actress 1994 for Red Rose, White Rose |
Succeeded by Josephine Siao for Summer Snow |
| Preceded by Fruit Chan for Made in Hong Kong |
Best Director 1998 for Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl |
Succeeded by Ann Hui for Ordinary Heroes |
| Preceded by To Kwak Wai for Love Go Go |
Best Adapted Screenplay 1998 for Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl |
Succeeded by Vacant |
| Preceded by Zhou Xun for Perhaps Love |
Best Actress 2007 for The Home Song Stories |
Succeeded by Prudence Liew for True Women for Sale |
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