Joan Chen

Joan Chen (simplified Chinese; 陈冲; born April 26, 1961) is a Chinese-born American actress and film director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Taipei Golden Horse Awards and an AACTA Award. She made her film debut in the Chinese film Youth (1977) before starring in the film Little Flower [zh] (1979). She came to the attention of American audiences for her portrayal of Wanrong in the Bernardo Bertolucci historical epic film The Last Emperor (1987), which won nine Academy Awards including Best Picture.

She is also known for her leading roles in Heaven & Earth (1993), Golden Gate (1994), Red Rose White Rose (1994), Saving Face (2004), Sunflower (2005), and The Home Song Stories (2007) with supporting roles in Lust, Caution (2007), Tigertail (2020), and Dìdi (2024). As a filmmaker she directed the feature films Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (1998), Autumn in New York (2000), English (2018) and Hero (2022).

On television, she is most known for her recurring role as Jocelyn 'Josie' Packard in the David Lynch-created surrealist drama series Twin Peaks (1990–1991). She also portrayed Madame Chiang Kai-shek in the HBO film Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012), Chabi in the Netflix series Marco Polo (2014–2016) and Lu Mei in the FX on Hulu series A Murder at the End of the World (2023).