Person biography:
Gemma Chan was born on November 29, 1982, in Guy's Hospital, London, England. Her father, an engineer, grew up in Hong Kong, and her mother, a pharmacist, emigrated from Communist China via Hong Kong and grew up in Scotland. Chan was raised near Sevenoaks, Kent, and attended Newstead Wood School for Girls in Orpington, Bromley, London. She later studied law at Worcester College, Oxford, but instead pursued an acting career.
Chan began her career as a model, appearing in series one of Project Catwalk, the UK version of Project Runway, and was photographed by Rankin for a campaign for Nivea Visage. She has also worked as a model to fund her studies and drama school training.
In her acting career, Chan has appeared in numerous television shows and films, including Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Fresh Meat, The Waters of Mars, and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. She has also made a film for Amnesty International to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Chan has been a regular in several television series, including Bedlam, True Love, Shetland, and Dates. She has also guest-starred in shows such as Sherlock and Death in Paradise.
In addition to her television work, Chan has appeared in several films, including Shanghai, Submarine, and Families. She has also made her professional stage debut in the British Premiere of Bertolt Brecht's last play, Turandot, at the Hampstead Theatre, London.
Chan has been nominated for numerous awards for her portrayal of synthetic Anita/Mia in the AMC/Channel 4 science-fiction drama Humans. She has also provided the voice "Dewdrop" in BBC One's animated television series Watership Down.
