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Joan Chen

Joan Chen

27 movies on Netflix

Biography

Joan Chen is a Chinese-born American actress who has worked in Chinese and English-language films and also directs. Born in Shanghai, she was selected for the Shanghai Film Studio's Actors' Training Program in 1975 and made her film debut in Xie Jin's Youth (1977). She won a Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress for Little Flower (1979). American audiences took notice when she played Wanrong in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor (1987), and she later portrayed Josie Packard in Twin Peaks. Her film credits include Heaven & Earth (1993), Saving Face (2004), The Home Song Stories (2007), Lust, Caution (2007), Tigertail (2020) and Dìdi (2024); her work in Dìdi brought an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Her awards include an AACTA Award and four Golden Horse Awards from Taipei. She directed Hero (2022) and English (2018), along with Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (1998) and Autumn in New York (2000), and appeared on television in Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012).

65years old

Turns 66 on April 26in 196 days

  • Born Shanghai
  • Star sign: TaurusThe sign runs April 20 to May 20

Movie Career

Films
27
Career span
41 years1985 to 2026

Genres

First and latest

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  1. A change of course

    Chen moved to the United States when she was 20, and there she studied filmmaking at California State University, Northridge.

  2. Behind the camera

    Chen was tired of Hollywood casting her as an exotic beauty, so in 1998 she turned to directing with Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl, adapted from a novella by her friend Geling Yan.

  3. Getting ready for a role

    In Clara Law's Temptation of a Monk, Chen played two characters: a seductive princess of the Tang dynasty and a dangerous temptress. For the part, she shaved her head on-screen.

  4. Getting ready for a role

    Chen read The Secret History of the Mongol Queens to prepare for her role as Chabi in the 2014 television series Marco Polo.

  5. A first

    Chen was dubbed "the Elizabeth Taylor of China" by Time magazine after achieving stardom as a teenager with Little Flower.

Joan Chen movies on Netflix

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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  1. The Last Emperor1987 Biography, Drama, Historyas Wan Jung

    IMDb rating 7.7121K votes

  2. Lust, Caution2007 Drama, Romance, Thrilleras Yee Tai Tai

    IMDb rating 7.548K votes

  3. Remarkably Bright Creatures2026as Janice Kim

    IMDb rating 7.651K votes

  4. Saving Face2004as Ma

    IMDb rating 7.416K votes

  5. On Deadly Ground1994as Masu

    IMDb rating 4.627K votes

  6. Judge Dredd1995as Ilsa

    IMDb rating 5.6133K votes

  7. Dìdi (弟弟)2024as Chungsing Wang

    IMDb rating 7.317K votes

  8. Heaven & Earth1993as Mama

    IMDb rating 6.816K votes

Most often with

Yimou Zhang directed two of these films. Eight actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Rutger Hauer, 2 films togetherSee the 2 films with Rutger HauerKyra Sedgwick, 2 films togetherSee the 2 films with Kyra SedgwickAmy Hill, 2 films togetherSee the 2 films with Amy HillJames Saito, 2 films togetherSee the 2 films with James SaitoVictor Wong, 2 films togetherSee the 2 films with Victor WongVivian Wu, 2 films togetherSee the 2 films with Vivian WuYimou ZhangDirector, 2 filmsSee the 2 films by Yimou Zhang

Films together

Box office

What Joan Chen's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$389 million

14 of the 27 films have a worldwide figure.

Of the 27 films: 14 worldwide figure; 2 us gross only; 4 never in cinemas; 6 figure not found; 1 too new to count.

  • 14Worldwide figure
  • 2US gross only
  • 4Never in cinemas
  • 6Figure not found
  • 1Too new to count

Top grosser

Judge Dredd1995as Ilsa$113 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 96% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

  1. 1
    Judge Dredd1995as Ilsa
    $113M29.2% of the total
  2. 2
    Lust, Caution2007as Yee Tai Tai
    $67M17.3% of the total
  3. 3
    Under The Light2023as He Xiuli
    $63M16.1% of the total
  4. 4
    On Deadly Ground1994as Masu
    $49M12.6% of the total
  5. 5
    The Last Emperor1987as Wan Jung
    $44M11.3% of the total
  6. 6
    Mao's Last Dancer2009as Niang
    $24M6.2% of the total
  7. 7
    The Hunted1995as Kirina
    $6.6M1.7% of the total
  8. 8
    Heaven & Earth1993as Mama
    $5.9M1.5% of the total
Dìdi (弟弟) (2024), $5.2 million1911 (2011), $3.8 millionAva (2020), $3.0 millionThe Wedding Banquet (2025), $2.1 millionSaving Face (2004), $1.2 millionThe Blood of Heroes (1989), $882,290

$16.2 millionfrom the other 6 films with a worldwide figure, 4% of the total

Awards

Six awards and honors from 1980 to 2007.

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Joan Chen's awards and nominations, grouped by award
YearAwardFilmResult
Other honors
2007AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading RoleThe Home Song StoriesWon
2007Asian Film Award for Best Supporting ActressThe Sun Also RisesWon
2007Golden Horse Award for Best Leading ActressThe Home Song StoriesWon
1998Golden Horse Award for Best DirectorXiu Xiu: The Sent Down GirlWon
1994Golden Horse Award for Best Leading ActressRed Rose White RoseWon
1980Hundred Flowers Award for Best ActressWon

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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