# Hong Chau

Hong Chau (born June 25, 1979) is an American actress. She has received several award nominations for her film roles as Ngoc Lan Tran in Downsizing (2017) and as Liz, a nurse, in The Whale (2022), including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the latter.
Chau was born to Vietnamese parents who lived in a refugee camp in Thailand after fleeing Vietnam in the late 1970s. A Vietnamese Catholic church in New Orleans sponsored Chau and her family to move to the United States. She grew up in New Orleans and majored in film studies at Boston University College of Communication before pursuing an acting career. She appeared in the TV series Treme (2010–2013) and the film Inherent Vice (2014). She went on to have supporting roles in the HBO limited series Watchmen (2019) and the Prime Video series Homecoming (2018–2020). Chau has also played leading roles in the 2019 films Driveways and American Woman, and further supporting roles in the 2022 film The Menu and the 2023 Netflix series The Night Agent.

## Early and personal life

Before Hong Chau was born, her parents and her two brothers lived in Vietnam. In 1979, the family was among the Vietnamese boat people who fled their country, and Chau's mother was six months pregnant with her. During their escape, Chau's father was shot and nearly bled to death. Chau was born in a refugee camp in Thailand on June 25 that year. A Vietnamese Catholic church in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States arranged for a local Vietnamese family to sponsor her family. Chau grew up speaking Vietnamese as her first language, and later learned English in school. Her family lived in government housing and used subsidized lunch programs.
Chau was raised in New Orleans East and attended Eleanor McMain Secondary School, Benjamin Franklin High School, and then Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts; the first two are in New Orleans and the latter, from which Chau graduated, is in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Her parents worked as dishwashers then ran a convenience store, working to ensure that the children could attend college. Chau said her parents, who speak English with heavy Vietnamese accents, were shunned as Asian migrants. She said, "My whole life, I've always felt like I was the more acceptable of my parents, and they were always the people who had to stay in the background, or hide in the broom closet."
Receiving Pell Grants, Chau attended Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, where she initially studied creative writing. She changed her major to film studies when her parents requested that she study something more practical. She explored acting to challenge her introversion; she acted in other students' short films and was encouraged to pursue acting. She graduated from Boston University College of Communication with her film-studies major in 2001. After college, Chau got a job with PBS and anticipated a career in documentaries. Chau started taking public speaking classes to overcome being introverted, which led to improv classes. When Chau met a sitcom TV director, he encouraged her to move to Los Angeles and to get in contact with him. Chau decided to move to LA and began seeking acting opportunities there.
As of May 2020, she has a dog, a Rottweiler-Australian Shepherd mix. In November of the same year, Chau gave birth to a daughter. She and her husband, who grew up in New Hampshire, met in Boston.

## Career
### 2006–2017: Early work and breakthrough with Downsizing

Chau began acting in film and TV in 2006. In the early 2010s, she had guest roles on the CBS TV series NCIS and How I Met Your Mother. One of her first major roles was in the HBO series Treme (2010–2013), which was set in New Orleans. Her first feature film role was in the 2014 film Inherent Vice. For two years after her role, she was not able to get an audition for another film role. In 2015, she had a key role in the Off-Broadway play John, she credited the experience for strengthening her acting. She also had a supporting role in the first season of the HBO series Big Little Lies in 2017.
Chau appeared in a supporting role as Ngoc Lan Tran, a Vietnamese political activist, in Alexander Payne's comedy-drama Downsizing (2017). Her performance was described as a standout by several reviewers. Writing for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers described her performance as "nothing less than an acting triumph", and took particular note of her "poignant scenes" with the film's star Matt Damon. She was nominated for several awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture. Some commentators criticized her character as stereotypical because Chau spoke in broken English, but Chau defended her as "so multifaceted and complex and well-written".

### 2018–2020: Leading roles

Following Downsizing, in 2018, Hong Chau was one of 928 new members invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She appeared in guest roles in several TV series, including BoJack Horseman and Forever. She had a supporting role as a corporate secretary in the first season of the Amazon Prime Video series Homecoming. The Ringer's Alison Herman said another actor would have sought to accumulate more recurring roles on TV series. Herman said, "In the Peak TV Era, Chau opted for something much savvier: taking some choice guest parts in a few critically acclaimed TV shows ... Chau benefits from these shows' prestige; the shows benefit from her talents." In 2019, The Hollywood Reporter's Rebecca Sun said since Downsizing, "Chau has appeared in a series of critically acclaimed projects."
Chau had her first leading roles in the films Driveways and American Woman, both released at film festivals in 2019. For Driveways, Chau was familiar with director Andrew Ahn's previous film Spa Night, recognized his name when he contacted her with an offer for the role, and readily accepted the offer. Also in 2019, Chau appeared in the HBO limited series Watchmen as the trillionaire Lady Trieu, whose performance The Hollywood Reporter's TV critic Tim Goodman said was one of the series' "exceptional, memorable performances". Following the 2020 video-on-demand release of Driveways, Rolling Stone's Maria Fontoura wrote that Chau has a "cool tenacity" in her roles. Fontoura said, "Whether she's playing a mysterious mogul, a secretive secretary, or a grieving single mother, the actress is steely, whip-smart, and deceptively powerful."
In May 2020, Chau had a larger role in Homecoming's second season, in which she moves from secretary to a person in charge in the series's featured corporation. Entertainment Tonight's Stacy Lambe said Chau "has become something of a scene stealer over the years". Lambe said, "What's notable about most of her projects is that they feature a diverse cast of actors of color who get to shine in unexpected ways," highlighting Treme, Watchmen, and Homecoming. While Chau had filmed a small part as Opal Koboi in the 2020 film Artemis Fowl, her appearance was ultimately cut. Her character's voice was used, but Chau was not officially credited. Her deleted scene became available on Disney+.

### 2021–present: Oscar nomination for The Whale

Chau spent most of 2020 in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, giving birth to a daughter in November of that year. In 2021, she participated in the filming of four films: The Whale, Showing Up, The Menu, and Asteroid City. For the drama The Whale, she was invited by its director Darren Aronofsky to audition for the role of Liz, a nurse. For The Menu, Chau was a fan of the TV series Succession and wanted to work with director Mark Mylod, who had directed over a dozen episodes in the series. She also wanted to work with actor Ralph Fiennes. Showing Up premiered in May 2022 at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, while in September 2022, The Whale premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, and The Menu premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Both The Whale and The Menu had commercial releases in theaters later in 2022. Matthew Creith of Out Front wrote, "The highlight of The Whale comes from an outstanding turn from Hong Chau, who gives a memorable performance in a vital role". For her performance, Chau was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Chau has said that she gives directors "a wide range of line readings and reactions each time they call 'action'". A journalist for Variety wrote, "It's resulted in a string of performances of remarkable versatility, star turns."
Chau appeared as a guest star in an episode of the Peacock TV series Poker Face, entitled "The Night Shift", which premiered in January 2023. In March, Chau starred as Diane Farr, the White House chief of staff, in the Netflix thriller series The Night Agent. Chau was familiar with series creator Shawn Ryan's work with the series The Shield and Terriers and accepted the opportunity to work with Ryan and to have a role in a political thriller that would be new genre territory for her. Variety's critic Daniel D'Addario opined that her "excellent" performance had elevated the series. The Night Agent had strong viewership on the platform.
In Wes Anderson's ensemble film Asteroid City, which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Chau had a single scene. Anderson saw Chau in a play about five years prior and remembered her performance and sought an opportunity to cast her. She was part of another ensemble cast in Yorgos Lanthimos's absurdist anthology film Kinds of Kindness, which premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Lanthimos cast her to play three different parts in it after being impressed with her acting range in Showing Up. Chau next appeared in the action thriller film The Instigators (2024), directed by Doug Liman.

## Acting credits
### Film

Chau's film roles :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2014 | Inherent Vice | Jade | |
| 2017 | Downsizing | Ngoc Lan Tran | |
| 2018 | Duck Butter | Glow | |
| 2019 | Driveways | Kathy | |
| 2019 | American Woman | Jenny Shimada | |
| 2020 | Artemis Fowl | Opal Koboi | Uncredited voice role; deleted scene |
| 2022 | Showing Up | Jo Tran | |
| 2022 | The Whale | Liz | |
| 2022 | The Menu | Elsa | |
| 2023 | Asteroid City | Polly | |
| 2024 | Kinds of Kindness | Sarah/Sharon/Aka | |
| 2024 | The Instigators | Dr. Donna Rivera | |
| 2026 | Wuthering Heights | Nelly Dean | Filming |
| 2026 | Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie | TBA | Post-production |

### Television

Chau's TV roles :
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | Finding My America | Minh | Episode: "The Road Trip Begins" |
| 2008 | The Sarah Silverman Program | Asian Masseuse | Episode: "Patriot Tact" |
| 2010 | How I Met Your Mother | Cook Pu | Episode: "Perfect Week" |
| 2010 | Trenches | Spc. Wing | Main role (10 episodes) |
| 2010 | NCIS | F.B.I. Lab Tech Molly Choi | Episode: "Jurisdiction" |
| 2010 | My Boys | Audrey | Episode: "Puss 'N' Glutes" |
| 2010 | $#*! My Dad Says | DJ | Episode: "Code Ed" |
| 2011–2013 | Treme | Linh | 13 episodes |
| 2012 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Julie Blanch | Episode: "Ms. Willows Regrets" |
| 2012 | Good Luck Charlie | Theresa | Episode: "Welcome Home" |
| 2014–2015 | A to Z | Lora | Main role (13 episodes) |
| 2017 | Big Little Lies | Jackie | 6 episodes |
| 2017 | American Dad! | Korean Spy (voice) | Episode: "Casino Normale" |
| 2018 | BoJack Horseman | Pickles Aplenty (voice) | 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Forever | Sarah | Episode: "Andre and Sarah" |
| 2018–2020 | Homecoming | Audrey Temple | Main role (11 episodes) |
| 2019 | Watchmen | Lady Trieu | Main role (4 episodes) |
| 2023 | Poker Face | Marge | Episode: "The Night Shift" |
| 2023 | The Night Agent | Diane Farr | Main role (season 1) |

### Theatre

Chau's stage roles :
| Year | Title | Role | Playwright | Venue | Ref. |
| 2015 | John | Jenny | Annie Baker | Signature Theatre, Off-Broadway | |

## Awards and nominations

Chau had a supporting role in the 2017 film Downsizing and was nominated for several awards, including Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. Considered a probable nominee for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 90th Academy Awards, she was not nominated. USA Today's Andrea Mandell said, "Hong Chau was snubbed ... a nomination many had assumed was a lock given the strength of her performance as a Vietnamese refugee."
Chau also had a supporting role in the 2022 film The Whale and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the first time. She was also nominated for other supporting-actress awards including the Gotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.
Awards and nominations received by Hong Chau :
| Organizations | Year | Category | Work | Result |
| Academy Awards | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Nominated |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | 2022 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | The Whale | Nominated |
| Astra Creative Arts TV Awards | 2024 | Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Poker Face | Nominated |
| Astra Film Awards | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Nominated |
| British Academy Film Awards | 2023 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | The Whale | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Nominated |
| Chicago Indie Critics | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Nominated |
| Chlotrudis Awards | 2024 | Best Performance in a Supporting Role | Showing Up | Nominated |
| Cinequest Film Festival | 2020 | Maverick Spirit Award | — | Honored |
| Columbus Film Critics Association | 2018 | Best Supporting Actress | Downsizing | Nominated |
| Columbus Film Critics Association | 2023 | Actor of the Year | The Menu The Whale | Runner-up |
| Columbus Film Critics Association | 2023 | Breakthrough Film Artist | The Menu The Whale | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | 2018 | Best Supporting Actress | Downsizing | Nominated |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Runner-up |
| Denver Film Critics Society | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Nominated |
| DiscussingFilm Critics Awards | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Nominated |
| Dorian Awards | 2023 | Supporting Film Performance of the Year | The Whale | Nominated |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | 2017 | Best Supporting Actress | Downsizing | Nominated |
| Gold List | 2023 | Best Performance in a Supporting Role | The Whale | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2018 | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Downsizing | Nominated |
| Gotham Independent Film Awards | 2022 | Outstanding Supporting Performance | The Whale | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards | 2015 | Robert Altman Award | Inherent Vice | Won |
| Independent Spirit Awards | 2020 | Best Female Lead | Driveways | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards | 2024 | Robert Altman Award | Showing Up | Won |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | 2022 | Best Supporting Performance | The Whale | Nominated |
| International Cinephile Society | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | Showing Up | Nominated |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society | 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Nominated |
| London Film Critics' Circle | 2023 | Supporting Actress of the Year | The Whale | Nominated |
| Music City Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Nominated |
| New York Film Critics Online | 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Won |
| North Dakota Film Society | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Nominated |
| North Texas Film Critics Association | 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Nominated |
| Oklahoma Film Critics Circle | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Runner-up |
| Online Association of Female Film Critics | 2022 | Best Supporting Female | The Whale | Nominated |
| Online Film & Television Association | 2018 | Best Supporting Actress | Downsizing | Nominated |
| Online Film & Television Association | 2020 | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Watchmen | Runner-up |
| Online Film & Television Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Nominated |
| Phoenix Critics Circle | 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | The Whale | Nominated |
| Portland Critics Association | 2023 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | The Whale | Nominated |
| Santa Barbara International Film Festival | 2017 | Virtuosos Award | Downsizing | Honored |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2018 | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | Downsizing | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2023 | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | The Whale | Nominated |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | 2017 | Best Supporting Actress | Downsizing | Nominated |
| Sunset Circle Awards | 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | The Menu The Whale | Nominated |