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Recently, a headline titled "Chinese Actress Joan Chen Washing Dishes at a Restaurant" has topped searches on Chinese social media.
Clicking on it reveals that it’s just clickbait. Joan Chen did wash dishes, but not now - it was an experience from her early days in the U.S. many years ago.
So, what’s the story? Let’s start from the beginning.
Joan Chen, an acclaimed Chinese-American actress, has once again sparked online discussions as her remarkable journey from dishwasher to Hollywood luminary resurfaced in Chinese media. Best known for her role in the Oscar-winning film The Last Emperor, Chen’s story of resilience and perseverance has inspired countless individuals.
Born in Shanghai in 1961, Chen hailed from an illustrious family deeply rooted in the medical profession. Her mother, Zhang Anzhong, was a distinguished pharmacologist and neurobiologist, while her father, Chen Xingrong, was a radiology expert and former dean of Huashan Hospital. Chen's maternal grandfather, Zhang Changshao, was one of China’s pioneering pharmacologists, and her maternal grandmother, Shi Yifan, was a respected sociologist who mingled with literary greats like Xu Zhimo and Shen Congwen.
Growing up in this intellectually enriched environment, Chen was encouraged to pursue academics. Her early education included piano and accordion lessons, but it was her passion for acting that set her apart. At the age of 15, she caught the attention of director Xie Jin, who cast her in Youth, marking her debut in the film industry. Her breakthrough came in 1979 when she starred in The Little Flower, earning her the Best Actress Award at the 3rd Hundred Flowers Awards.
Despite her meteoric rise in the Chinese film industry, Chen decided to leave her flourishing career behind in 1981, during the height of China’s "going abroad" wave. Armed with $500, she set off for the United States to further her education, enrolling at the State University of New York at New Paltz.
To support herself financially, Chen took on various jobs, including working as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant, cleaning toilets, and serving tables. Reflecting on those challenging times, she said, “I take pride in how clean I could scrub a toilet - it gave me a sense of fulfillment and control.” Her resilience and humility during these formative years would shape her future success.
Her transition from a celebrated actress to a struggling student was not without its difficulties. “The restaurant owner would often boast to customers that a Chinese film queen was working there,” she recalled. This unwanted attention only fueled her determination to succeed on her own terms. During her studies, she rediscovered her love for film and later transferred to California State University, Northridge, to study filmmaking.
In 1986, Chen’s big break in Hollywood came when Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci cast her as Empress Wanrong in The Last Emperor. The film’s monumental success - winning nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture - catapulted Chen to international fame. Her nuanced portrayal of Wanrong, the tragic last empress of China, showcased her extraordinary talent and marked her as a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.
The following year, Chen made history as the first Chinese actress to present an award at the Oscars, standing proudly alongside John Lone at the 60th Academy Awards. Her success in Hollywood was groundbreaking for Asian representation in Western cinema, paving the way for future generations of actors.
Chen’s career continued to flourish in the following decades. She starred in Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution (2007) and collaborated with notable directors on hit films like Sheep Without a Shepherd and Under the Light. Beyond her artistic achievements, Chen is also a devoted mother. In May 2020, she shared her joy when her eldest daughter, Angela, graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University, calling it one of her proudest moments.
While Chen’s professional achievements continue to inspire admiration, her personal life has been a source of controversy. After her first marriage ended in divorce, Chen married her second husband, Peter Hui, a cardiologist based in the U.S. During this period, Chen struggled with fertility issues and experienced multiple miscarriages. Believing she might never have children, she and Hui decided to adopt twin girls from China in the late 1990s.
However, shortly after bringing the twins to the U.S., Chen unexpectedly became pregnant at the age of 37 and later gave birth to her biological daughter. Facing the challenges of raising three young children as an older mother, Chen made the contentious decision to give the adopted twins up for re-adoption to another family.
This decision ignited widespread outrage both at the time and again in recent years as the story resurfaced online. Critics have accused Chen of being irresponsible and heartless, pointing out that many families with fewer resources successfully raise multiple children. Others have expressed disappointment that someone who had the financial means to provide for the children chose to prioritize her biological child over her adopted ones.
Despite the controversy, Chen maintained contact with the twins and occasionally invited them to her home for holidays. However, many netizens remain unconvinced, arguing that her actions reflected poorly on her character. “If you weren’t ready to raise them, why adopt them in the first place?” one commenter wrote. Another added, “Her choice to abandon the twins casts a shadow over her story of resilience. Success isn’t just about career achievements - it’s also about how you handle responsibilities.”
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