Beauty, intelligence, talent and virtue are qualities that rarely get along in one person. But the actress, director and philanthropist Joan Chen is just such an exception. The girl tested her strengths in both Chinese and American cinema, visited as a director and throughout her life was actively involved in charity work. This article talks about Joan Chen and what movie roles she played.
Childhood and youth
Joan Chen was not born into a family of hereditary actors and directors. Her parents are doctors who graduated from Harvard. For a long time, they did not suspect that their child had a distinctive acting talent, but noticed that she did not have the ability to heal. Therefore, Joan received her education at Shanghai University of Foreign Languages. In the future, this played a key role in her fate.
Attending theater classes and courses, young Chen managed to adequately demonstrate her theater skills - Chinese directors drew attention to her. The actress received her first film role at the age of 14. It was Zhang Zheng's Xiaohua painting. After graduating from a university in his native country, Joan moves to the USA to get a second higher education there - already acting.
New life, new passport
In 1981, a twenty-year-old Chinese actress arrives in the States. Joan lived in California, and studied at California State University Northbridge. There she acquired connections with directors and aspiring actors, and soon her talent became pleasing to Hollywood.
The first roles of Joan Chen were secondary. She played initially in little-known action films. The most famous of her first films is the TV show Night Hunter. Her face was also seen in the film "The Last Emperor", which was shot in 1987. Working for the good of America, in 1989, Joan received a US citizen passport.
Twin Peaks
In 1990, a series appeared on Showtime channel, which later became one of the most iconic in the history of cinema. Twin Peaks is not just a TV show, but a whole world into which the dreams and thoughts of all viewers and fans of the production moved. It was in this legendary series that Joan Chen played one of the key roles. Photos of the actress in the role of Josie Packard, which she played, were printed in all magazines and newspapers. She was recognized not only as one of the most sought after actresses, but also one of the most beautiful women in the world.
Who is Josie?
It is worth stopping at the most important role in the career of the actress and remember who Josie is. And why is her role considered key in the series, although not the main one?
The heroine Chen is a Chinese woman who is married to a wealthy American who owns a sawmill in Twin Peaks. Under mysterious circumstances, Andrew Packard dies, leaving his business to his wife and sinister sister, who, of course, does not really like Josie. In the first episodes, the heroine Joan appears as a tender, modest, even a little frightened girl. But it soon becomes clear that she may well stand up for herself. She is capable of deception and even a scam, but at the same time she always remains true to those she loves. Alas, the presence of negative character traits became the key to instill in Josie Bob, the evil spirit from the Black Wigwam. In the last episodes of the series, Mrs. Packard dies, and her soul remains imprisoned in the handle of the nightstand.
Further work in the cinema
After Joan Chen played Josie Packard in her youth, filming offers rained down on her like an avalanche. However, in most films she also played secondary roles. Among the most famous productions with the participation of the actress are Heaven and Earth, Madness, as well as Red Rose, White Rose. For the last film, Chen received her most outstanding award - the Golden Horse.
On the account of the actress more than 40 films and series. Some of them were shown only in America, others came out exclusively for the Chinese public. But they became an experience for Joan and an incentive thanks to which she did not lose her talent.
Directorial activity
In 1995, Joan Chen decided to test her strength in the director's chair. The first picture she worked on was shown only in America - this is Wild Side. A little later, in 1999, the premiere on the Chinese TV of the film "Xu Xiu: Exile" took place. He later became known throughout the world.
A year later, a new premiere comes out, directed by Joan - "Autumn in New York." In this picture, she worked with the "cream" of Hollywood - Richard Gere and Winona Ryder. The film turned out to be sensual, subtle and truly cozy.
"Autumn in New York" was Chen's third and final work as a director. After the premiere of the picture, in parallel with acting, she combined only charity.
Filmography
It is worth noting movies with Joan Chen:
- The Knight of the Roads (1984).
- "Miami Police. Department of Morals" (1985).
- "Tai Pen" (1986).
- The Last Emperor (1987).
- The Night Hunter (1987).
- Twin Peaks (1990-1991).
- Deadly Union (1991).
- "Twin Peaks. Through the Fire" (1992).
- "Heaven and Earth" (1993).
- "Tales from the Crypt (1993).
- "Red Rose, White Rose" (1994).
- "Wild Fuss" (1995).
- The Slaughter Department (1997).
- “What we cook” (2000).
- "Saving the face" (2004).
- "Sunflower" (2005).
- “And the sun will rise again” (2007).
- 911 (2011).
- Marco Polo (2014-2016).
Personal life of Joan Chen
In 1985, a young Chinese actress met her craft colleague, Jimmy Lau. The couple legalized the relationship in the same year. Their marriage lasted five years. By 1990, Chen divorced Lau. One of the reasons for the breakup was long and exhausting filming at Twin Peaks.
In 1992, Joan got married a second time. This time for a cardiologist named Peter Hai. With him, the actress is still married. The couple has two children - both girls. A happy family lives in San Francisco, but they are often in China. Joan believes her children should be familiar with her mother’s native culture.