Gemma Chan

Biography

Gemma Chan (born 29 November 1982) is a British film, television, and theatre actress and former fashion model. 

She played Charlotte in season four of the Showtime and ITV2 series Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2007); Ruth in Channel 4's Fresh Meat (2011); Mia Bennett in The Waters of Mars (2009), and Soo Lin in The Blind Banker (2010).

 She also appeared in the feature films Exam (2009) and Paramount Pictures' action-thriller Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014). 

Chan made a film for Amnesty International to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Chan was born at Guy's Hospital in London, England. Her father grew up in Hong Kong and was an engineer. 

Her mother, a pharmacist at Guy's Hospital, emigrated from pre-Cultural Revolution Communist China via Hong Kong with her parents (Chan's maternal grandparents) and younger sister, growing up in Greenock, Scotland. 

Chan was raised near Sevenoaks, Kent, and attended Newstead Wood School for Girls in Orpington, Bromley, London. She later went on to read law at Worcester College, Oxford.

Following graduation, Chan gained a training contract offer as a graduate at the law firm Slaughter and May, but instead pursued an acting career and studied at the Drama Centre London.

 Spotted at her showcase by British film producer Damian Jones, she signed with acting agent Nicki van Gelder. In 2006, Chan was one of the models in series one of Project Catwalk, the UK version of Project Runway. 

She has been photographed by Rankin for a campaign for Nivea Visage, having previously worked as a model in order to fund her studies and drama school training.

Chan played geologist Mia Bennett in The Waters of Mars (2009), starring David Tennant and Lindsay Duncan, which aired on 15 November 2009 in the UK. 

She was cast as a series regular in Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2007), the fourth and final series airing on ITV2 in the UK and Showtime in the US in 2011.

 She also appeared in Sherlock (2010), and the fourth series of The IT Crowd (2006) for Channel 4.

In 2012, Chan was a regular in series two of Sky Living's supernatural drama Bedlam (2011) and in True Love (2012), a five-part semi-improvised television series produced by Working Title for BBC One. 

In 2013, she starred in the new BBC One crime drama Shetland (2013), alongside Douglas Henshall and Steven Robertson, and guest starred in the BBC's Death in Paradise (2011). She was a cast member of Channel 4 romantic drama, Dates (2013).

Chan played the synthetic Anita/Mia in the AMC/Channel 4 eight-part science-fiction drama Humans (2015). Filming commenced in the autumn of 2014 with a June 2015 premiere. The second series premiered on 30 October.

 For her portrayal, she was nominated for numerous awards. In July 2016, Chan provided the voice "Dewdrop" in BBC One's animated television series Watership Down (2018). 

She appeared in the World War II drama film Shanghai (2010) and the comedy-drama Submarine (2010). Chan starred in Jean-Paul Rappeneau's Families (2015).

She made her professional stage debut in the British Premiere of Bertolt Brecht's last play, Turandot, at the Hampstead Theatre, London, directed by Anthony Clark. 

In November 2012, she performed in The Sugar-Coated Bullets of the Bourgeoisie, a new play by Anders Lustgarten at the Finborough Theatre.

 In June 2013, she performed in the UK premiere of Yellow Face by American playwright David Henry Hwang at The Park Theatre, London, directed by Alex Sims. It was revived in 2014 at the Royal National Theatre with the original London cast returning. 

In November 2013, Chan performed in the world premiere of Our Ajax by Timberlake Wertenbaker at the Southwark Playhouse, London. Wertenbaker chose her to play the war goddess Athena after she saw her performance in Yellow Face.

In October 2012 she witnessed a murder of a homeless gentleman outside the Putney Bridge Tube station in West London. She stayed with the gentleman while medics and police were called, but he soon expired. 

In September 2013 she gave evidence in the trial of the defendant.

Studied law at Worcester College, Oxford University prior to training as an actress.

Classically trained on the violin and piano, attaining the Diploma of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music on the violin whilst still at school.

Her father is from Hong Kong and her mother is from mainland China. Gemma's mother left the country before the Cultural Revolution, passing through Hong Kong before settling in Greenock, Scotland.

Worked as a fashion model to fund her drama school training, appearing in campaigns for Nokia and Selfridges & Co and numerous magazines including Elle, Cosmopolitan, and the Sunday Times Style.

She studied law at Worcester College, Oxford. Following her graduation, she turned down a legal job offer, and enrolled at the Drama Centre London to pursue an acting career.

Was one of three models to reach the final of the first season of Sky One's Project Catwalk, the UK version of Miramax's Project Runway.

Graduated from the Drama Centre London in 2008.

Filming as a new regular on the fourth season of Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2007) with Billie Piper.

In 2015, she starred in the inaugural season of the AMC/Channel 4 drama Humans as the main protagonist, Mia/Anita. That same year, she starred in the French drama Families, as Chen-Lin.

Shares a birthday with the late Chadwick Boseman & Don Cheadle who are her co-stars in the MCU.

Appearing on stage in the British premiere of Bertolt Brecht's final play "Turandot" - Hampstead Theatre, London

In 2014, she appeared alongside Chris Pine, Kenneth Branagh, and Keira Knightley in the thriller film, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014).