Gemma Chan

**Gemma Chan** is an English actress, producer and former fashion model. She portrays Natasha Alper on Apple TV+'s *Extrapolations*.

## Background

She played Charlotte in season four of the Showtime and ITV2 series *Secret Diary of a Call Girl* (2007); Ruth in Channel 4's *Fresh Meat* (2011); Mia Bennett in *Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars* (2009), and Soo Lin in *Sherlock: The Blind Banker* (2010). She also appeared in the feature films *Exam* (2009) and Paramount Pictures' action-thriller *Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit* (2014). Chan also made a film for Amnesty International to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Chan was born at Guy's Hospital in London, England. Her father grew up in Hong Kong and was an engineer. Her mother, a pharmacist at Guy's Hospital, emigrated from pre-Cultural Revolution Communist China via Hong Kong with her parents (Chan's maternal grandparents) and younger sister, growing up in Greenock, Scotland. Chan was raised near Sevenoaks, Kent, and attended Newstead Wood School for Girls in Orpington, Bromley, London. She later went on to read law at Worcester College, Oxford.

Following graduation, Chan gained a training contract offer as a graduate at the law firm Slaughter and May, but instead pursued an acting career and studied at the Drama Centre London. Spotted at her showcase by British film producer Damian Jones, she signed to acting agent Nicki van Gelder. In 2006, Chan was one of the models in series one of *Project Catwalk*, the UK version of *Project Runway*. She has been photographed by Rankin for a campaign for Nivea Visage, having previously worked as a model in order to fund her studies and drama school training.

In 2012, Chan was a regular in series two of Sky Living's supernatural drama *Bedlam* (2011) and in *True Love* (2012), a five-part semi-improvised television series produced by Working Title for the BBC One. In 2013, she starred in new BBC One crime drama *Shetland* (2013), alongside Douglas Henshall and Steven Robertson, and guest starred in the BBC's *Death in Paradise* (2011). She was a cast-member of Channel 4 romantic drama, *Dates* (2013).

Chan played the synthetic Anita/Mia in the AMC/Channel 4 eight-part science-fiction drama *Humans* (2015). Filming commenced in autumn 2014 with a June 2015 premiere. The second series premiered on 30 October. For her portrayal, she was nominated for numerous awards. In July 2016, Chan provided the voice "Dewdrop" in BBC One's animated television series *Watership Down* (2018). She appeared in the World War II drama film *Shanghai* (2010) and the comedy-drama *Submarine* (2010). Chan starred in Jean-Paul Rappeneau's *Families* (2015).

She made her professional stage debut in the British Premiere of Bertolt Brecht's last play, *Turandot*, at the Hampstead Theatre, London, directed by Anthony Clark. In November 2012, she performed in The Sugar-Coated *Bullets of the Bourgeoisie*, a new play by Anders Lustgarten at the Finborough Theatre. In June 2013, she performed in the UK premiere of *Yellow Face* by American playwright David Henry Hwang at The Park Theatre, London, directed by Alex Sims. It was revived in 2014 at the Royal National Theatre with the original London cast returning. In November 2013, Chan performed in the world premiere of *Our Ajax* by Timberlake Wertenbaker at the Southwark Playhouse, London. Wertenbaker chose her to play the war goddess Athena after she saw her performance in *Yellow* .

## External links

* Gemma Chan at the Internet Movie Database
* Gemma Chan (@gemmachan) on Instagram
* Gemma Chan on Wikipedia
* Gemma Chan (@gemma\_chan) on Twitter

## References

1. ↑ The Allure Podcast: Gemma Chan on Aging, Self-Acceptance, and Being a Kid of the '90s - Allure
2. ↑ About Gemma Chan - Visible Chinese