Gemma Chan – Biography, Age, Career, Net Worth

Who is Gemma Chan?

Gemma Chan is widely recognized as an English actress. Modeling, social media influence, and activism are all aspects of her life. Her television credits include roles in True Love, Fresh Meat, Bedlam, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Doctor Who, Sherlock, and others. Other movies that Gemma appeared in include Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, and Transformers: The Last Knight.

She played one of the leading roles in the widely acclaimed science fiction series Humans (2015–2018). In ‘Crazy Rich Asians’, she made a major impression as ‘Astrid’, a central character in the romantic comedy film. Her roles in Captain Marvel and Sersi were Minn-Erva and Sersi.

She also had a voice role in the Disney animated film Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) and appeared in Olivia Wilde’s psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling (2022) and Gareth Edwards’ science fiction film The Creator (2023). Chan has been identified as a fashion icon on-screen.

Biography

Emma Chan’s birth date was November 29, 1982 in London, UK, and she was raised by a middle-class family. Gemma’s father was an engineer who had emigrated to the UK from Hong Kong, while her mother was raised in Scotland, after her parents moved to the UK from Hong Kong. Her mother had a job as a pharmacist. Helen is Helen’s younger sister.

During her childhood, she began learning to play the piano and violin, as well as receiving professional swimming and ballet dancing training. Newstead Wood School, a school for girls in London, was where she was enrolled. Academics and extracurricular activities were areas where she excelled. Despite her father’s wishes for her to pursue law, she had a desire to become an actress. Numerous national-level swimming competitions were also part of her involvement.

She enrolled in Worcester College, Oxford after completing her secondary school education to study law. She graduated in jurisprudence from Worcester College, Oxford and began receiving offers to work in London law firms, but instead of accepting job offers she started taking acting classes from the Drama Centre London. She started modeling to pay for her acting classes because her family didn’t initially support them.

Personal Life

Gemma Chan and comedian Jack Whitehall had a relationship during the early 2010s. Their relationship continued until their separation in 2017.

In 2018, Gemma embarked on a relationship with Dominic Cooper, an actor.

Career

In 2006, she made her first film appearance, playing the role in a miniseries called When Evil Calls. Molly Nelson was played by her in a small role in the series. Later that year, she also appeared in the first series of the televised version of the modeling-based show Project Catwalk, where she was one of the contestants to reach the finals. At the Hampstead Theatre in London, she made her theatrical debut by playing a supporting role in the play called Turandot in 2008.

Her supporting role as ‘Mia Bennett’ in the third episode of the popular British science fiction series Doctor Who garnered her some recognition in 2009. She played an unnamed Chinese woman as a supporting character in the 2009 psychological thriller film Exam. In 2010, she played the role of ‘Soo Lin Yao’ in the second episode of the Sherlock series, which was called The Blind Banker. Sherlock was recognized by both critics and audiences as one of the BBC’s most critically and commercially acclaimed television series. During the same year, she played a supporting role in films like Shanghai and Pimp.

In 2011, she made an appearance in the finale of the British drama series Secret Diary of a Call Girl. In the same year, she was given the opportunity to play Ruth in the comedy drama series Fresh Meat on a regular basis. She portrayed Kiera, a free-spirited girl, in the 2012 supernatural drama series Bedlam. The Double, a black comedy thriller, featured her in a supporting role in 2013. The film was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and received significant critical acclaim upon its theatrical release.

In 2013, she performed in a play called Yellow Face that was first presented at The Park Theatre in London. In a year’s time, the show was revived and exhibited again at the Royal National Theatre. She played a crucial role in the action thriller film Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit in 2014. Despite its financial success, the film received mixed critical responses. She portrayed Chen-Lin’s character in the French comedy-drama film ‘Families’ in 2015. The Toronto International Film Festival chose the independent film to premiere.

The film received positive feedback from Gemma and she was nominated for the Broadcasting Press Guild Award for her performance as Anita. During this time, she played a leading role in Transformers: The Last Knight and the mini-animated series Watership Down. The key role of Astrid in the romantic comedy film titled Crazy Rich Asians led her to her biggest career breakthrough in 2018. The director of the film, Jon M. Chu, had considered Gemma for the lead role, but she turned it down and chose to play the even more interesting character of Astrid.

She played a supporting role in the mystery thriller film titled London Fields in 2018. The year following, she appeared in a major role in the historical drama film titled Mary Queen of Scots. In the following years, she played supporting roles in films such as Captain Marvel and Let Them All Talk.

She participated in the COVID-19 pandemic by volunteering for Cook-19, an organization that provides meals to key workers. Chan has been a supporter of UNICEF UK since 2015 and traveled to Jamaica in 2019 to raise awareness of domestic violence with the organization. Her participation in Soccer Aid in 2019 resulted in raising funds for the charity. In 2020, she took part in the commemorations for World Children’s Day. In 2021, she was given the role of celebrity ambassador for UNICEF UK.

Filmography

Movies

• 2006 When Evil Calls
• 2009 Exam
• 2010 Pimp
• 2010 Shanghai
• 2010 Submarine
• 2013 The Double
• 2014 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
• 2015 Love Is a Four Letter Word: Worth Seven Points
• 2015 Families
• 2016 Everyday Performance Artists
• 2016 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• 2017 Transformers: The Last Knight (Voice)
• 2017 Stratton
• 2018 Crazy Rich Asians
• 2018 London Fields
• 2018 Mary Queen of Scots
• 2018 Intrigo: Dear Agnes
• 2018 Leading Lady Parts
• 2019 Captain Marvel
• 2020 Let Them All Talk
• 2021 Raya and the Last Dragon (voice)
• 2021 Eternals
• 2022 Don’t Worry Darling
• 2023 The Creator
• 2023 The Boy and the Heron

TV Series

• 2006 Project Catwalk (TV Series)
• 2009 Doctor Who (TV Series)
• 2010 The IT Crowd (TV Series)
• 2010 Sherlock (TV Series)
• 2011 Secret Diary of a Call Girl (TV Series)
• 2011 Fresh Meat (TV Series)
• 2012 Bedlam (TV Series)
• 2012 True Love (TV Series)
• 2013 Shetland (TV Series)
• 2013 Death in Paradise (TV Series)
• 2013 Dates (TV Series)
• 2014 The Game (TV Series)
• 2015–18 Humans (TV Series)
• 2015 Brotherhood (TV Series)
• 2016 Revolting Rhymes (voice) (TV Series)
• 2018 Watership Down (voice) (TV Series)
• 2019 I Am Hannah (TV Series)
• 2020 Thunderbirds Are Go (voice) (TV Series)
• 2023 Extrapolations (TV Series)
• 2023 The Afterparty (TV Series)

Net Worth

Chan’s current value is $7 million. Her career, which has spanned over 10 years, has been the main source of her wealth. Chan has been able to secure brand deals and endorsements that have significantly contributed to her wealth.

Social Media