Acting
Joan Chen
Born 1961-04-26
Shanghai, China
Department: Acting
Biography
Joan Chong Chen (born April 26, 1961) is a Chinese American actress, 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.
Known For
Prominent works featuring Joan Chen
TV
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Twin Peaks
1990
TMDB4.2
TV
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Fringe
2008
TMDB4.0
Movie
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Judge Dredd
1995
TMDB3.0
Movie
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Ava
2020
TMDB2.9
Movie
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The Last Emperor
1987
TMDB3.8
TV
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Knight Rider
1982
TMDB3.8
TV
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MacGyver
1985
TMDB3.9
TV
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Marco Polo
2014
TMDB3.7
TV
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Tales from the Crypt
1989
TMDB4.0
Movie
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Remarkably Bright Creatures
2026
TMDB4.2
Filmography & Credits
Complete career catalog (130 titles)
| Poster | Title | Character / Role | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Evil Inside | Ho Jen-Jen / "Golden Phoenix" | Movie | 2026 | |
 | Remarkably Bright Creatures | Janice Kim | Movie | 2026 |
 | No Other Love | Ms. Miao | Movie | 2026 |
 | Montreal, My Beautiful | Feng Xia | Movie | 2026 |
 | Oh. What. Fun. | Jeanne Wang-Wasserman | Movie | 2025 |
 | Slow Conversation | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2025 |
 | The Wedding Banquet | May Chen | Movie | 2025 |
 | The Truck | Executive Producer | Movie | 2024 |
| The Making of Dìdi | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2024 | |
 | Dìdi (弟弟) | Chungsing Wang | Movie | 2024 |
| Dìdi (弟弟) | Executive Producer | Movie | 2024 |
 | A Murder at the End of the World | Lu Mei | TV Series | 2023 |
 | Under the Light | He Xiuli | Movie | 2023 |
 | Hachiko | Li Jiazhen | Movie | 2023 |
 | Logic Paralyzes the Heart | Cyborg #1 | Movie | 2022 |
 | Hero | Screenplay | Movie | 2022 |
| Hero | Director | Movie | 2022 |
 | Breathe | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2021 |
| Breathe | Producer | Movie | 2021 |
 | Ava | Toni | Movie | 2020 |
 | The Iron Hammer | Director | Movie | 2020 |
 | The Way to World Culture | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2020 |
 | Tigertail | Yuan | Movie | 2020 |
 | Sheep Without a Shepherd | La Wen | Movie | 2019 |
 | My Brilliant Masters | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2019 |
 | The 40th Anniversary of Chinese Film Since China's Reform and Opening-Up | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2018 |
 | The House That Never Dies II | 医生 | Movie | 2017 |
 | The One | 汤母·柯露思 | Movie | 2017 |
 | Wonderland | Susan | Movie | 2017 |
 | 鲁豫有约一日行 | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2016 |
 | Thirteen Talks | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2016 |
 | Cairo Declaration | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2015 |
 | Nature Is Speaking | Sky / Tiankong | TV Series | 2015 |
 | Lady of the Dynasty | Consort Wu | Movie | 2015 |
 | You Are My Sunshine | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2015 |
| 旗 | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2015 | |
 | Marco Polo | Empress Chabi | TV Series | 2014 |
 | For Love or Money | Xu's mother | Movie | 2014 |
 | Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces | Josie Packard | Movie | 2014 |
 | Meng's Palace | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2013 |
 | Serangoon Road | Patricia Cheng | TV Series | 2013 |
 | White Frog | Irene Young | Movie | 2013 |
| 笑傲江湖 | Dongfang Bubai | Movie | 2013 | |
| 笑傲江湖 | Yue Lingshan | Movie | 2013 | |
 | Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties | Empress Wenxian of Sui | TV Series | 2012 |
 | Double Xposure | Dr. Hao | Movie | 2012 |
 | Let It Be | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2012 |
 | Passion Island | Joanna | Movie | 2012 |
 | Hemingway & Gellhorn | Madame Chiang Kai Shek | Movie | 2012 |
 | Shanghai Strangers | Director | Movie | 2012 |
| Shanghai Strangers | Writer | Movie | 2012 |
 | 1911 | Longyu | Movie | 2011 |
 | Color Me Love | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2010 |
 | Love in Disguise | Joan | Movie | 2010 |
 | Journey to the West | Guanyin | TV Series | 2010 |
 | To Whom It May Concern: Ka Shen's Journey | Herself | Movie | 2010 |
 | Mao’s Last Dancer | Niang | Movie | 2009 |
 | 人到中年 | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2009 |
 | All God's Children Can Dance | Evelyn | Movie | 2008 |
 | 24 City | Xiao Hua | Movie | 2008 |
 | Fringe | Reiko | TV Series | 2008 |
 | The Leap Years | Li-Ann (age 48) | Movie | 2008 |
 | Shi Qi | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2008 |
 | Secrets from Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks | Self | Movie | 2007 |
 | Lust, Caution | Mrs. Yee | Movie | 2007 |
 | The Sun Also Rises | Dr. Lin | Movie | 2007 |
 | Hollywood Chinese | Self | Movie | 2007 |
 | The Home Song Stories | Rose Hong / Hong Meigui | Movie | 2007 |
 | Americanese | Betty Nguyen | Movie | 2006 |
 | Sunflower | Zhang Xiuqing | Movie | 2005 |
 | Cyber Wars | Madame Ong | Movie | 2004 |
 | Saving Face | Ma | Movie | 2004 |
 | Jasmine Women | Elder Mo | Movie | 2004 |
 | Autumn in New York | Director | Movie | 2000 |
 | What's Cooking? | Trinh Nguyen | Movie | 2000 |
 | Purple Storm | Shirley Kwan | Movie | 1999 |
 | In a Class of His Own | Linda Ching | Movie | 1999 |
 | Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl | Director | Movie | 1998 |
| Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl | Producer | Movie | 1998 |
| Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl | Executive Producer | Movie | 1998 |
| Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl | Screenplay | Movie | 1998 |
 | Precious Find | Camilla Jones | Movie | 1996 |
 | Wild Side | Virginia Chow | Movie | 1996 |
 | Judge Dredd | Dr. Ilsa Hayden | Movie | 1995 |
| Stallone's Law: The Making of 'Judge Dredd' | Herself | Movie | 1995 | |
 | The Outer Limits | Major Dara Talif | TV Series | 1995 |
 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Princess Jade (voice) | TV Series | 1995 |
 | The Hunted | Kirina | Movie | 1995 |
 | Red Rose White Rose | Wang Jiaohui | Movie | 1994 |
 | On Deadly Ground | Masu | Movie | 1994 |
 | Golden Gate | Marilyn Song | Movie | 1994 |
 | Heaven & Earth | Mama | Movie | 1993 |
 | Temptation of a Monk | Princess Hong-e - Scarlet / Qing-shou - Violet | Movie | 1993 |
 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Elizabeth Wu | TV Series | 1993 |
| Shadow of a Stranger | Vanessa | Movie | 1992 | |
 | Steel Justice | Nicole Loa | Movie | 1992 |
| Children of the Dragon | Jin-Juan | TV Series | 1992 | |
 | Strangers | The Girl (Small Sounds and Tilting Shadows) | Movie | 1992 |
 | Turtle Beach | Minou | Movie | 1992 |
 | Nightmare Cafe | Cafe Customer | TV Series | 1992 |
 | Wedlock | Noelle | Movie | 1991 |
 | Twin Peaks | Jocelyn Packard | TV Series | 1990 |
| Twin Peaks | Josie Packard (archive footage) | TV Series | 1990 |
 | Twin Peaks | Jocelyn Packard | Movie | 1989 |
 | The Blood of Heroes | Kidda | Movie | 1989 |
 | Tales from the Crypt | Connie | TV Series | 1989 |
| Dim Sum Take-Out | Self / Appearance | Movie | 1988 | |
 | The Last Emperor | Wan Jung | Movie | 1987 |
 | Wiseguy | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1987 |
 | The Night Stalker | Mai Wing | Movie | 1987 |
 | Tai-Pan | May-May | Movie | 1986 |
 | Goodbye My Hero | Self / Appearance | Movie | 1986 |
 | MacGyver | Lin | TV Series | 1985 |
 | Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart | Young M.J. Player | Movie | 1985 |
 | Miami Vice | May Ying | TV Series | 1984 |
 | Matt Houston | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1982 |
 | Knight Rider | Su-Lin | TV Series | 1982 |
| Peking Encounter | GUIDE | Movie | 1982 | |
 | American Playhouse | Mei Lai | TV Series | 1982 |
| American Playhouse | Young Mahjong Player | TV Series | 1982 |
| American Playhouse | Marilyn Song | TV Series | 1982 |
 | Awakening | Su Xiaomei | Movie | 1981 |
 | The Little Flower | 赵小花 | Movie | 1979 |
 | A Loyal Overseas Chinese Family | 黄思华 | Movie | 1979 |
 | Youth | Shen Yamei | Movie | 1977 |
 | Golden Horse Awards | Self | TV Series | 1962 |
 | The Oscars | Self | TV Series | 1953 |
 | Flayer | Self / Appearance | Movie | — |
| Tonight at Noon | Joan | Movie | — | |
 | English | Director | Movie | — |