Gemma Chan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gemma Chan
Chan in 2019
Born	(1982-11-29) 29 November 1982 (age 42) London, England
Education	Worcester College, Oxford (BA) Drama Centre London
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2006–present
Partner(s)	Jack Whitehall (2011–2017) Dominic Cooper (2018–present)
Awards	Full list
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	陳靜
Simplified Chinese	陈静
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Chén Jìng Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Chàhn Jihng

Gemma Chan (born 29 November 1982) is an English actress. She is known for her roles in popular movies and TV shows. Gemma studied at Worcester College, Oxford, and started acting in the late 2000s.

She became well-known for playing a robot named Mia in the science fiction TV series Humans (2015–2018). She also starred in the hit movie Crazy Rich Asians (2018). Gemma played Elizabeth Hardwick in the historical film Mary Queen of Scots (2018).

Later, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She played Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel (2019) and Sersi in Eternals (2021). Gemma also lent her voice to the Disney animated movie Raya and the Last Dragon (2021). She appeared in the thriller Don't Worry Darling (2022) and the science fiction film The Creator (2023). Outside of acting, Gemma Chan is also known for her great sense of style.

Early Life and Education

Gemma Chan was born in London, England. Her father was an engineer from Hong Kong. Her mother was a pharmacist who grew up in Scotland. Her grandparents had moved there from Hong Kong.

Gemma grew up in Locksbottom, London. She went to Newstead Wood School for Girls. After school, she studied law at Worcester College, Oxford. She even got an offer to work at a big law firm. But Gemma decided to follow her dream of acting instead. She went to the Drama Centre London to train as an actress.

Career Highlights

Starting Out (2000s)

Gemma Chan began her acting career in 2006. Her first TV role was in the miniseries When Evil Calls. She also appeared on a reality show called Project Catwalk. In 2008, she performed in her first play, Turandot, in London.

In 2009, Gemma was in the BBC show Doctor Who. She played a geologist named Mia Bennett in the episode "The Waters of Mars". This episode later won an award. That same year, she starred in the movie Exam.

Becoming Well-Known (2010s)

Chan at the 2013 BAFTA Awards

In the early 2010s, Gemma appeared in TV shows like The IT Crowd and Sherlock. Her role in Sherlock as Soo Lin Yao was one of her first big parts.

She also appeared in Fresh Meat. Gemma made a film for Amnesty International to celebrate human rights. In 2012, she acted in Bedlam and True Love. She also performed in the play Yellow Face. Gemma spoke about how it was sometimes hard to get roles that were not specifically for Chinese characters.

In 2013, Gemma starred in the play Our Ajax. Critics praised her performance. She also appeared in the TV shows Shetland, Death in Paradise, and Dates. She was in the movie The Double, which was well-liked by critics.

Chan at the 2014 BIFA Awards

In 2014, Gemma was in the action movie Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. In 2015, she returned to the stage in the play The Homecoming. Her acting in this play received excellent reviews. She said she enjoyed figuring out her character's complex personality.

That same year, she was in the French movie Belles Familles. She also voiced a character in the animated miniseries Watership Down in 2018.

Gemma became very famous for her lead role in Humans. She played Anita/Mia, a robot who starts to feel human emotions. This show ran from 2015 to 2018. Critics said Gemma's performance was amazing. She also voiced the robot Quintessa in Transformers: The Last Knight (2017). She appeared in the action movie Stratton (2017).

Chan at the 2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards

In 2018, Gemma co-starred in Crazy Rich Asians. She played Astrid Leong-Teo. She loved the character of Astrid because she had many layers. The movie was a huge success and was praised for its cast and showing Asian characters on screen. The Hollywood Reporter said Gemma was "a radiant presence."

She also appeared in a short film called Leading Lady Parts to support the Time's Up movement. Gemma played Elizabeth Hardwick in the historical drama Mary Queen of Scots (2018). Some people questioned her casting because the real Elizabeth Hardwick was white. Gemma responded that "art should reflect life now."

In 2019, Gemma joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel. This role required her to wear a lot of special makeup. The movie was a big hit. That same year, she was featured on the cover of British Vogue magazine.

Current Work (2020s)

Chan at the premiere of Don't Worry Darling in 2022

In 2020, Gemma starred with Meryl Streep in the movie Let Them All Talk. She played Karen, a literary agent. The film was well-received. That year, Gemma also received the Women In Film Max Mara Face of the Future award for her acting and style.

In March 2021, Gemma voiced the warrior princess Namaari in the Disney animated film Raya and the Last Dragon. The movie was very popular with critics. In November 2021, she starred in another Marvel Studios film, Eternals, as Sersi. This was her second role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Gemma appeared in the TV series Extrapolations. She also voiced a character in the English version of the Japanese animated film The Boy and the Heron (2023). She was in the movie Don't Worry Darling and the science fiction film The Creator.

Gemma will next star in an upcoming film called The Actor.

Advocacy and Activism

Chan (third from left) at Edwards Air Force Base alongside her Captain Marvel costars

Gemma Chan uses her platform to support important causes. In 2017, she traveled to Lebanon with Save the Children to meet Syrian child refugees. In 2018, she worked with Moet to help the charity Help Refugees UK. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she volunteered for Cook-19, which delivered meals to essential workers.

Gemma has supported UNICEF UK since 2015. In 2019, she went to Jamaica with UNICEF to raise awareness about domestic violence. She also took part in Soccer Aid in 2019 to raise money for charity. She celebrated World Children's Day in 2020. In 2021, she became a celebrity ambassador for UNICEF UK.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in racist attacks against people of East and Southeast Asian descent. Gemma spoke out against this and supported the #StopAAPIhate movement. In May 2021, she started the #StopESEAHate campaign to help victims of hate crimes.

Personal Life

Gemma Chan dated comedian Jack Whitehall from 2011 to 2017. She started a relationship with actor Dominic Cooper in 2018. They live together in London.

Gemma has also spoken about her political views. She has supported a second Brexit referendum. She has also shared her thoughts on how political parties choose their leaders.

Filmography

Key

Denotes projects that have not yet been released

Film

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2006	When Evil Calls	Molly Nelson
2009	Exam	Chinese woman
2010	...	Bo
	Shanghai	Shin Shin
	Submarine	Kim-Lin
2013	The Double	Glamorous Judge
2014	Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit	Amy Chang
2015	Love Is a Four Letter Word: Worth Seven Points	Wife	Short film
	Families	Chen-Lin
2016	Everyday Performance Artists	Melody	Short film
	Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them	Madam Ya Zhou
2017	Transformers: The Last Knight	Quintessa (voice)
	Stratton	Aggy
2018	Crazy Rich Asians	Astrid Leong-Teo
	London Fields	Petronella
	Mary Queen of Scots	Elizabeth Hardwick
	Intrigo: Dear Agnes	Henny
	Leading Lady Parts	Herself	Short film
2019	Captain Marvel	Minn-Erva
2020	Let Them All Talk	Karen
2021	Raya and the Last Dragon	Namaari (voice)
	Eternals	Sersi
2022	Don't Worry Darling	Shelley
2023	The Creator	Maya Fey / Nirmata
	The Boy and the Heron	Natsuko (voice)	English dub
TBA	The Actor	Edna	Post-production
	Josephine	TBA	Post-production

Television

Theatre

Video Games

Awards and Nominations