Gemma Chan is a vibrant and charismatic British actress of Asian descent. Her determination and perseverance have enabled her to build a successful career, becoming a star in Hollywood blockbusters. Her films often top the box office charts and consistently pique the interest of audiences and critics alike.
Actress Gemma Chan
Childhood and Youth
Gemma, an Englishwoman of Asian descent, was born in London and grew up in Sevenoaks, Kent. Her mother, a pharmacist, moved from China to London with her parents at a young age and worked as a pharmacist at Guy's Hospital. Her father, a chartered engineer, emigrated from Hong Kong as an adult.
Gemma Chan as a child
Gemma was a calm and diligent girl who learned to play the violin and the piano at a music studio. She professionally trained in swimming and ballet. She attended the prestigious Newstead Wood School for Girls, where she was considered one of the top students.
Gemma Chan and her family
After receiving her secondary education diploma, she continued her studies at Worcester College, University of Oxford, where she studied international law and jurisprudence. Following a successful internship at the prominent law firm "Slaughter and May," she unexpectedly decided to change her career and become an actress.
Her decision shocked her parents, who knew the difficulties immigrant children faced achieving success in a foreign country. Her father did not speak to her for three months! Nevertheless, Gemma insisted on her choice, moved to London, and enrolled in an acting school at the capital's drama theater.
Modeling Business
To pay for her education, a girl started working part-time as a model and soon achieved notable success in this field. Her bright Asian appearance caught the attention of managers from leading fashion brands, who began to offer Gemma alluring contracts. Before long, our heroine was promoting products from globally renowned brands such as Nivea, Nokia, and Reebok, participated in fashion shows for the house of Valentino, and appeared on the covers of prestigious glossy magazines. Riding the wave of success, she made appearances on television, becoming one of the top three finalists in the British version of the popular reality show "Runway".
During her studies, Gemma Chan became a model
But Gemma Chan's rapid career in the modeling business didn't deter her from her chosen path. She continued to dream about the stage, and in 2008, after graduating from the Drama Centre London, she joined one of the leading theaters in the capital. Her creative portfolio includes many bright theatrical roles played on prestigious London stages, but she gained widespread fame thanks to her roles in TV series.
Gemma Chan in a Bing commercial
Acting Career
The young woman first appeared on screen in the youth thriller "When Evil Calls" (2006), where she played a tiny episodic role. This was followed by roles in "Doctor Who" (2009), "The Exam" (2009), and many others, which became the first steps on the path to global fame. In 2010, Gemma appeared in the iconic series "Sherlock" and also took part in the filming of the fourth season of the sitcom "The IT Crowd".
Gemma Chan in the series ‘Sherlock’
The young actress's role in the spy action film "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" (2014) did not go unnoticed, where she starred alongside Kevin Costner and Keira Knightley. Following the release of this movie, producers of the series "Humans" noticed Chan and invited her to play the role of the synthetic robot Anita.
Humans - Life with a Robot
Gemma had to work hard on her facial expressions, gestures, and movements to convincingly transform into a carrier of artificial intelligence and seamlessly fit into such an unusual image. The series attracted a multimillion-strong audience and was renewed for two more seasons, bringing long-awaited fame and worldwide recognition to Chan.
Gemma Chan on Captain Marvel, Robots & Crazy Rich Asians
From this point on, she no longer had to jump at the first job that came her way, and she became more selective about the offers she received. In 2016, she appeared in the major adaptation of J.K. Rowling's bestseller "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" as Madam Ya Zhou and voiced Quintessa, a powerful being who created the Knights of Cybertron, in the iconic "Transformers".
Gemma Chan in the movie ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’
The year 2018 marked a real breakthrough in the actress's professional career. She starred in four major projects, each of which became an event in the world of cinema. Gemma played the leading role in the comedy "Crazy Rich Asians," had a bright appearance in the thriller "London Fields," performed the role of Elizabeth I's lady-in-waiting in the historical drama "Mary Queen of Scots," and transformed into the villain Minn-Erva in the superhero action movie "Captain Marvel".
A shot from the movie ‘Crazy Rich Asians’
Meanwhile, she finds time for social activism, actively defending women's rights in the fight against sexual harassment by employers and visiting hotspots around the world as part of volunteer missions.
Gemma Chan as Minn-Erva in the movie ‘Captain Marvel’
At the end of 2020, Gemma could be seen in the feature-length comedy "Let Them All Talk" by Steven Soderbergh, alongside Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen, and Dianne Wiest. Streep plays the main role – an elderly writer who travels on a liner from the US to Britain, while Gemma played her literary agent. According to the actress, almost all the dialogues in the film were pure improvisation.
Gemma Chan in the movie ‘Let Them All Talk’
One of the main roles was offered to Chan in the new film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the blockbuster "Eternals". Her character Sersi is a member of the Eternals, the most powerful beings in the universe. Yet, she is the only one among her peers who empathizes with humanity and truly enjoys the fruits of human civilization.
A shot from the movie ‘Eternals’
Gemma Chan highlighted this quality first and foremost when talking about her character:
...Sersi is not your typical superheroine: she's not the best fighter, she doesn't have impressive abilities. What's important about her is that she's an empath. She has a connection with people, the world, and the Earth. That's her strength.
Gemma also appeared in the thriller "Don't Worry Darling" by Olivia Wilde and in the miniseries "Extrapolations," an anthology about the near future and climate change.
Gemma Chan and Kit Harington at the premiere of ‘Extrapolations’
Gemma Chan's Personal Life
Despite a successful professional career and a busy work schedule, Gemma makes time for her personal life as well. She dated her "Fresh Meat" co-star Jack Whitehall since 2011, whom she met on set. By the end of 2017, the couple split up, and Chan moved back to her apartment in London.
Gemma Chan and Jack Whitehall
The actress didn't stay single for long – six months later, she started a relationship with actor Dominic Cooper, star of the series "Preacher". The couple openly attends social events together and does not feel the need to hide their relationship.
Gemma Chan and Dominic Cooper
Gemma Chan Now
In 2023, Gemma Chan voiced Natsuko in the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's new animated masterpiece, "The Boy and the Bird." She appeared as a guest star in the second season of the Apple TV project "Afterparty," and played the lead role alongside Ken Watanabe and John David Washington in the sci-fi thriller "The Creator."
Gemma Chan in the movie 'The Creator'
At the same time, she was busy filming the detective drama "The Actor" by Duke Johnson. She was joined by Andre Holland, who played Paul Cole, an actor from New York who, due to amnesia, found himself stuck in a small American town in the 1950s.
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