Breaking Away from ‘Crazy Rich Asians’
Following her dazzling performance as Astrid in Crazy Rich Asians, Gemma Chan found herself receiving numerous offers for roles that mirrored the character of a graceful yet discontented spouse. Recognizing the risk of being pigeonholed, Chan expressed: “There’s a danger of being typecast.
But I’m still a work-in-progress pushing back on that. I want to do something different and show something different and tell a different story.”
Exploring New Horizons with ‘The Actor’
Her latest film, The Actor, directed by Duke Johnson, provided the perfect opportunity for Chan to explore new territories. In this project, she takes on the role of Edna, a costume designer residing in a factory town, who becomes romantically involved with a man suffering from amnesia.
Chan was initially drawn to Johnson’s previous work, the evocative animated film Anomalisa, and felt a similar connection when she read the script for The Actor.
“Then I spoke to Duke about how he planned to shoot it, which was in quite a different way to anything that I’ve shot before,” she explained. “Quite experimental, bringing elements that were quite theatrical and quite stylized.”
Expanding Her Creative Vision
Aside from The Actor, Chan has completed filming Josephine, alongside Channing Tatum, a gripping tale centering on an 8-year-old who witnesses a traumatic event. Chan is also stepping into the role of producer, working on an adaptation of the Rise of the Empress fantasy book series for Amazon Prime Video.
Additionally, she is developing an unconventional portrayal of Anna May Wong, celebrated as the first Chinese American movie star.
