Fala Chen
Fala Chen (Chinese: 陳法拉; born February 24, 1982) is a Chinese-American actress who has appeared on film, television, and stage.[1] She is best known for her roles in Hong Kong drama series including Steps, No Regrets, Triumph in the Skies II, and Lives of Omission. She also stars in the Hong Kong films Tales from the Dark 2 (2013), Turning Point (2009), and Despicable Me 3 (2017 - Cantonese). On stage, she portrayed Kyra Hollis in Skylight by David Hare (2016). In 2018, Chen wrote, directed and starred in the short film Passinger, which was a finalist for the Sundance Film Festival: Hong Kong Short Film Competition.[3] She made her first Hollywood appearance in the HBO miniseries The Undoing in 2020 and is set to star in the upcoming Disney Marvel film Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021.[4] Fala’s mother tongue is in Mandarin, but she is multilingual, and is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Japanese.
Fala Chen | |||||||||||
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 Chen in 2010 | |||||||||||
| Born | |||||||||||
| Education | Juilliard School (MFA) Emory University (BA) | ||||||||||
| Occupation | Actress,[2] Singer,[2] Beauty Pageant Titleholder | ||||||||||
| Years active | 2005–present | ||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Emmanuel Straschnov (m. 2019)Daniel Sit
(m. 2008; div. 2013) | ||||||||||
| Awards | TVB Anniversary Awards – Best Supporting Actress 2007 Steps 2010 No Regrets Asian Television Awards – Best Supporting Actress 2011 No Regrets | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 陳法拉 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 陈法拉 | ||||||||||
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| Musical career | |||||||||||
| Labels | Stars Shine International (2010–2012) | ||||||||||
| Website | Fala Chen | ||||||||||
Early life and Education
Chen was born on February 24, 1982 and raised in Chengdu, Sichuan, China until 14 years old, when she emigrated to Atlanta, Georgia, United States with her parents.[1] Graduating from high school within the top 10 of her cohorts, she then went on to pursue a course in Marketing and International Business in Emory University's Goizueta Business School, Georgia in May, 2005.
During her college term breaks, Chen took part in a couple of pageants as a means to pay for her tuition fees. Amongst them was the Miss Chinese International Pageant 2005 which was hosted in Hong Kong, where she earned a place as 1st runner-up, kicking off her career in entertainment.[5][6][7]
In 2014, Chen went on to pursue a 4-year Master of Fine Arts in Drama (MFA) Program at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City. She graduated in May 2018.
Career
2005–06: Entry to the TV scene
Chen began her professional acting career when she signed an 8-year contract with TVB. She first started out as a host on numerous variety shows on TVB8's Mandarin channel, before making her acting debut in the TVB series Forensic Heroes, where she was cast as a murderess.
2007–09: Breakthrough
In 2007, after starring in Heart of Greed, The Family Link, and Steps, Chen won her first acting award in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role in Steps.[5] Additionally, she was also nominated for "My Favorite Female Character" and "Most Improved Actress" categories for the same role. She also received a nomination in the "Most Improved Actress" category for her roles in Heart of Greed and The Family Link in 2007.
Chen's breakthrough came in 2008, when her notable work was the character of Gam Wing Hing (a mute girl) in a TVB series Moonlight Resonance, a non-related sequel to Heart of Greed. The final episode of the series received an average of 47 rating points and peaked at 50 points.[5][8][9] Chen had to specially learn sign language in order to portray her character. This role landed her nominations for the "Best Supporting Actress" and "My Favorite Female Character" categories for the second year in a row.
In 2009, Chen was nominated again for the "Best Supporting Actress" and "My Favorite Female Character" categories for her role in The Stew of Life.
2010–13: Leading roles and entry to the music scene
Chen's acting in 2010's No Regrets secured her position as one of Hong Kong's celebrated actresses, alongside Tavia Yeung, Linda Chung, Myolie Wu, and Kate Tsui. Her role as Lau Ching in No Regrets, not only won her Best Supporting Actress at the TVB Anniversary Awards in 2010, but also brought her recognition at the 16th Asian Television Awards in Singapore for "The Best Actress in a Supporting Role" category.
With a total of five dramas belted out in 2010 alone, Chen was one of the few actresses within the industry with a higher exposure rate.
Since then, she has been taking on leading roles in numerous productions, and some of which were Lives of Omission, Queens of Diamonds and Hearts, and Triumph in the Skies II. Lives of Omission (2011) was a distant sequel to the 2009 film Turning Point in which Chen had also acted in as the sister of a triad boss. Queens of Diamonds and Hearts (Feb 2012) allowed Chen to experiment with looking 'ugly' on screen for the first time, as her character Chung Mo Yim was born with a prominent birth mark on her face. Triumph in the Skies II (2013) was a sequel to the station's previous drama Triumph in the Skies (2003). Chen played the role of Holiday Ho - a free-spirited punk girl who aspires to fly - who became emotionally entangled between 2 male leads, Captain Samuel Tong played by Francis Ng and Captain Jayden Koo played by Julian Cheung. Chen also starred in one of TVB's 2013 productions Will Power 《法外風雲》 alongside veteran actors Wayne Lai and Moses Chan where she played the role of Sam Yuet Kan, a junior barrister with a tough personality.
Since 2009, Chen has been sporadically participating in the music scene, singing theme songs for The Stew of Life, Links to Temptation, and Queens of Diamonds and Hearts. In 2010, Chen signed under Stars Shine International and subsequently launched her first album in 2012, titled Beautiful Life. Her contract with Stars Shine International has come to an end.
At the same time, her contract with Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) had ended in the middle of 2013, and Chen is currently a self-managed artiste. Having more freedom to choose and ever so determined to become a better actress, Chen would like to direct her focus on filming more movies and dramas, and she is not afraid to take up new challenges.
2014: Entry into China's TV industry
Chen acted in her first mainland Chinese drama series, Sound of the Desert, where she played the role of Li Yan.[1] It aired in 2014 and was based on the historical romance novel Ballad of the Desert by Tong Hua.
2019: Entry into the US TV industry
Shortly after graduating from the Juilliard School, Chen is cast as Jolene in The Undoing, along with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant.
2009: Newcomer
In 2009, Chen took her chance at her first leading female character in the movie Turning Point as Michael Tse's girlfriend and Francis Ng's sister. Turning Point is a spin-off from a TVB crime drama in 2009 - E.U. (TV series), where "Laughing Gor", played by Michael Tse, has become a household name.
Chen was nominated for the Best New Performer category at the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards for her role in Turning Point.
2010–13: Budding film actress
Ever since her first break into the movie scene in 2009, Chen has been continuously involved in a string of movies almost every year despite her busy work schedule at TVB.
In 2010, Chen starred in two movies, Black Ransom and 72 Tenants of Prosperity. In Black Ransom, she acted as a superintendent, alongside internationally acclaimed Hong Kong actor and film producer, Simon Yam. 72 Tenants of Prosperity on the other hand, was a light-hearted Hong Kong comedy film directed by Eric Tsang, involving a star-studded cast of Hong Kong stars.
Chen took to the movie scene again in 2011, acting in the first installment of the heartwarming I Love Hong Kong film series, directed and produced by Eric Tsang. She too worked together with Eric Tsang again who produced and acted in The Fortune Buddies, another Hong Kong comedy film which also co-stars Louis Yuen, Wong Cho-lam and Johnson Lee who are better known as "Fuk Luk Sau" (福祿壽).
Tales from the Dark 2 (2013) was her first shot at the horror movie scene, and acting with her is Gordon Lam. Chen's story revolves around pillow demons, where her character Chow Jing Ee is seen to suffer from serious insomnia after her break-up with her boyfriend Yuen Hao Hong, played by Gordon Lam. Chen delivered a stellar performance, and was commended for the preparation work she did prior to filming, by staying a few nights alone in the cold apartment they filmed at to get into character and understand the loneliness and insomnia that the character suffered. The media had focused on the scene where Chen's character accidentally killed her boyfriend and tried to get rid of the corpse by taking off all of his garments and putting him into a vacuum bag. This is the first time that Gordon Lam has gone fully nude in a film. Owing to the explicit scenes, the movie has received a Category III rating.[10]
Chen starred in the Cantonese version of Despicable Me 3 as the voice of Lucy Wilde, an Anti-Villain League agent, Gru's wife and the girls' adoptive mother. Doing voice-over for an animation film for the very first time, Chen commented that it requires a lot of energy and precision to sync with the character's lip movement, and it takes capturing the unique sounds and myriad of nuances in personality to bring the character to life.
2015: Movies Pending Release
Chen has concluded filming for The Treasure, directed by Gordon Chan and Ronald Tsang.
2020: US feature debut
Chen is set to make her US debut in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe feature film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.[11][12]
2013-16: Stage Debut
Ever since Chen's contract with Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) concluded in 2013, she went on to pursue a 4-year Master of Fine Arts in Drama (MFA) Program at Juilliard School with the passion and determination to better herself as a professional artiste. The MFA Program only accepts 8 to 10 students each year, and encompasses areas such as production, directing, playwriting, pedagogy, and current trends in American and World Theater.
Chen's debut on the theatre stage came in 2016 with Skylight (play) - the premiere of Chinese adaptation of the 1995 British play written by David Hare that debuted in West End and Broadway. The play was scheduled to run for 24 shows at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, but due to overwhelming responses, 11 additional shows were added, making that a total of 35 shows running across 1 July 2016 to 14 August 2016. Starring alongside Dayo Wong and Terrance Lau, Skylight (play) was a sold out show within a few hours, and it received plenty of raving positive reviews including praises for Chen's performance as a theatre actor.
2012: First album - Beautiful Life
Chen's first Canto-pop debut album, Beautiful Life, was released on 31 July 2012. Some of the highlights from the album are "一半", "愛上鳥", and "Beautiful Life". Among these songs, "一半" was the first plugged song which garnered her awards in the Best Newcomer category across various music platforms such as 2012 TVB8 Golden Music Awards for the Bronze Award, 2012 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation, and "2013 IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Awards".
Within a week from the launch of her album, it had climbed up to first place on HMV's 'Asian Album Top Sales Chart'.
Endorsements
Chen is the spokesperson for Olay in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. She is also Hong Kong Cancer Fund’s Pink Ambassador for the Pink Revolution Campaign, which is held every October to promote breast cancer awareness and raise funds to support free services for patients and their families.
Personal life
Chen was previously married to Hong Kong actor Daniel Sit in 2008 before they divorced in 2013. In 2019, Chen got married to French entrepreneur Emmanuel Straschnov.[13][14]
Filmography
TV series
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Turning Point 《Laughing Gor之变节》 | Karen and Jodie | Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Performer |
| 2010 | Black Ransom 《撕票風雲》 | Superintendent Koo | |
| 72 Tenants of Prosperity 《72家租客》 | Xiu Tou Hung 小桃紅 | ||
| 2011 | I Love Hong Kong 《我愛HK 開心萬歲》 | Lee Kei (Nikki) 李琪 | |
| The Fortune Buddies 《勁抽褔祿壽》 | Sister Man 蚊姐 | ||
| 2013 | Tales from the Dark II 《奇幻夜》 | Chow Jing Ee | |
| 2015 | Secret Treasure[15] | ||
| 2017 | Despicable Me 3 (Cantonese Version) 《壞蛋獎門人3》 | Lucy Wilde | |
| 2021 | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Jiang Li |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Skylight (play) 《前度》 | Kyra | Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts |
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album Title | Album Information |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Beautiful Life |
Release Date: 31 July 2012 Label: Star Shine International Debut Album |
Awards
2013
- TVB Star Awards Malaysia 2013: Favourite TVB Character (Triumph in the Skies 2 - Holiday)
- 2013 10th Huading Awards: Best Chinese Actress in TV Series (Queen of Diamonds and Hearts)
- 2013 IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Awards: Best Newcomer Award
2012
- StarHub TVB Awards 2012: My Favorite TVB Female Character (Queens of Diamonds and Hearts - Chung Mo-Yim)
- 2012 TVB8 Golden Music Awards: Best Newcomer Award (Bronze)
- 2012 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation: Newcomer Impact Award
2011
- 16th Asian Television Award - Best Actress in a Supporting Role (No Regrets - Lau Ching)[16]
- StarHub TVB Awards 2011: My Favorite TVB Female Character (No Regrets - Lau Ching)
- Starhub TVB Awards 2011: Perfect Smile Award
- My AOD Malaysia My Favourite TVB Series Presentation 2011: My Favourite Top 15 Characters (Lives of Omission - Jodie)
- My AOD Malaysia My Favourite TVB Series Presentation 2011: My Favourite Onscreen Couple (Lives of Omission - Fala Chen and Michael Tse)
- Next TV Awards: Top 10 Artist (No. 9)
2010
- TVB Anniversary Awards 2010 - Best Supporting Actress (No Regrets - Lau Ching)[17]
- My AOD Malaysia My Favourite TVB Series Presentation 2010: Best Supporting Actress (No Regrets - Lau Ching)
- Next TV Awards: Top 10 Artist (No. 10)
2009
- Next TV Awards 2009: Hekura Stylish Female Artist
- StarHub TVB Awards 2009: My Favorite TVB Female Character (Moonlight Resonance - Gum Wing Hing)
2008
2007
- TVB Anniversary Awards 2007 - Best Supporting Actress (Steps - Ching Ka-Man (Karmen))
- Next TV Awards 2007: Hekura Most Self-confident New Actress
2005
- Miss Chinese International 2005 - 1st runner up
2004
- Miss NY Chinese 2004 - Best MTV, Best Costume, and Miss Photogenic
2003
- Miss Chinatown USA 2003 - 1st runner up (officially known as Miss Chinese Chamber of Commerce 2003)
2002
- Miss Asian America 2002
References
- "Fala Chen says she's hardly interested in fame game". The Straits Times. 25 February 2013.
- Chen, Vivian (4 October 2012). "Sunglasses with which to see and be seen". South China Morning Post.
- "Short Film Competition Award". Sundance Hong Kong.
- "'Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings' Reveals Additional Cast". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
- Yan, Seto Kit (9 March 2010). "The right moves: Fala Chen discovers her love for ballroom dancing in Steps". The Star Online (Malaysia). Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
- Hauser, Brooke (12 August 2007). "The Rainbow Runway". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
- "Miss NY Chinese 2004". 纽约华裔小姐. Archived from the original on 2008-04-23. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
- "《溏心風暴》收視飄紅 有望勝過《大長今》". 新浪娛樂. 2007-06-01.
- 《溏心風暴》收視超高 結局收視創近5年新高 (in Chinese). 騰訊娛樂. 2007-06-06.
- "Fala Chen Faces Gordon Lam's Naked Body in "Tales from the Dark 2"". Jayne Stars. 1 August 2013.
- "Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi: Fala Chen Reportedly Cast in a Key Role". Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- https://www.marvel.com/articles/movies/shang-chi-legend-ten-rings-cast
- Heidi Hsia (2020-01-02). "Daniel Sit opens up about past marriage with Fala Chen". Yahoo Style. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
- Loh Keng Fatt (2019-05-24). "Actress Fala Chen marries French entrepreneur in Paris". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
- Kevin Ma (16 July 2014). "Bona launches Secret Treasure". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- "Asian Television Awards 2011 Winner List". Television Asia Plus. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
- "Hong Kong's TVB King & Queen crowned". AsiaOne. 7 December 2010.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fala Chen. |
- Fala Chen on Sina Weibo
- Fala Chen at IMDb
- Fala Chen Fa-La at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| TVB Anniversary Awards | ||
| Preceded by Shirley Yeung for Always Ready |
Best Supporting Actress 2007 for Steps |
Succeeded by Tavia Yeung for Moonlight Resonance |
| Preceded by Susan Tse for Rosy Business |
Best Supporting Actress 2010 for No Regrets |
Succeeded by Sharon Chan for Ghetto Justice |
| Miss Chinese International Pageant | ||
| Preceded by Mandy Cho |
1st runner up 2005 |
Succeeded by Ginney Kanchanawat |