For audiences overseas, she may be a new Asian actress, but for those in Hong Kong, Fala Chen is a familiar face. As one of the leading actresses of the local film industry, she suddenly disappeared from Hong Kong’s screens in 2014 at the peak of her career, which led many to speculate about her whereabouts. Now — 7 years later — she returns with triumph alongside Hong Kong legendary actor Tony Leung in Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings, a global Marvel best-seller that took Hong Kong by storm.
This month, Chen stars on the cover of Vogue Hong Kong’s November “City Issue”, in which she reveals details about her life after leaving Hong Kong, including her experience in becoming a mother and landing a Marvel role. As the actress reaches a new milestone in her career, here are 6 things you should know about Fala Chen.
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1. She travelled all the way to New York to study acting
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Since her debut in 2006, Chen has appeared in countless popular Hong Kong television dramas. However, she felt that she had reached a plateau in her career, so she dropped everything in Hong Kong in 2014 to pursue a MFA in drama at Juilliard in hopes that it would reignite her excitement in acting. As the prestigious university mainly accepts students with less experience, she took a chance when she enrolled herself in the programme. Yet, she managed to stand out from thousands of applicants and started her four-year journey at Juilliard, making history as the first Chinese graduate of her course.
2. She landed her role in Shang Chi without auditioning
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A lot of people say Marvel movies are magical, in the sense that every actor who stars in Marvel rises to fame overnight. Robert Downey Jr., who plays Iron Man, and new generation Spider-Man Tom Holland are perfect examples of why Marvel roles are so coveted in the film industry. However, Chen was offered her Shang Chi role as Ying Li, the protagonist’s mother, without auditioning. With years of acting experience, fluent English and 5 years of martial arts training under her belt, the director thought that Chen would be perfect for the role. When Chen received the invitation, she was surprised by the crew’s resolution to cast her, but judging by her seamless assimilation into her role, the director clearly made the right choice.
3. She has become close friends with other Shang Chi actors
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After the release of Shang Chi, Chen has been praised for her acting, especially for the natural portrayal of her character in a scene with Tony Leung, who played her husband. While her improvement as an actress is undoubtedly a result of her hard work at Juilliard, the solid friendships she has developed with her fellow actors also played a role. She reveals that everyone naturally became good friends after training together for a long time, and occasionally, they would gather to have fun after work. Chen even admitted that she has never felt such a close connection with her fellow actors in her previous acting experiences, which explains the excellent synergy and chemistry between Shang Chi‘s characters on screen.
4. She is a new mum
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In addition to flipping open a new chapter in her career, Chen has also taken on a new role this February — that of a mother. The birth of her daughter Minnie has flipped Chen’s life upside down as it requires her to juggle motherhood with being an actress. Yet, under the guidance of her own parents, Chen has remained open-minded and adapted her work to her family life accordingly. If she has to travel for work, she would sometimes take her husband Emmanuel Straschnov and daughter to her shooting locations so that she can still spend quality time with her family amidst her busy schedule.
5. She shared scenes with Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman on HBO
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A year after graduating from her master’s degree, Chen got the opportunity to star in HBO miniseries The Undoing, marking her foray into the American film industry. Although she didn’t appear in every episode, she shared scenes with Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman. Her sharp acting skills and commanding presence left a memorable impression on the show’s audience.
6. She cherishes every opportunity to audition
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Chen, who is currently focusing on her developing her career in New York, remains humble and extremely grounded despite her previous achievements. She believes that every opportunity to perform is an opportunity for the audience to get to know her better, so she gives it her all at auditions no matter the size or type of the role it is for.
Editor
Heidi LeungCredit
Lead Image: @falachenfala via Instagram ; Translation: Kaitlyn Lai