Tsai Chin (actress)
Encyclopedia
Tsai Chin also known as Irene Chow, is a Chinese
-born actress living in England.
in 1936. She spent her early life in Shanghai
. She had two short marriages which both ended in divorce. Her brother is Michael Chow, owner of the Mr. Chow
restaurant chain. Through Michael Chow, she is the aunt to actress/model China Chow
and her brother Maximillian Chow, who are the children of Michael and his late ex-wife, Tina Chow
.
She was the first person with Chinese roots to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
, London in 1951, and later became an associate member.
in London's west end but is probably best known for her role as Lin Tang, the diabolic daughter of Dr. Fu Manchu
in the Fu Manchu
movies starring Christopher Lee
. She is also memorable for her role as Ling in the James Bond
movie You Only Live Twice
and in the role of "Juicy Lucy" in The Virgin Soldiers
. She continues to appear in films, including The Joy Luck Club
, Memoirs of a Geisha
, and the recently released James Bond film Casino Royale
and the rotoscope
film Year of the Fish
. She also has a recurring role in Grey's Anatomy
as Helen Rubenstein, the mother of Cristina Yang
.
Chin appeared on stage in London in The World of Suzie Wong
.
She is the author of Daughter of Shanghai, her personal memoirs. Chinese title:《上海的女儿》.
In the early 1960s she made records for the UK Decca Records
label, notably "The Ding Dong Song" (1959), based on a traditional Chinese song with an English lyric provided by Lionel Bart
. Tsai Chin recorded two Long play albums for UK (Decca)
The latter album contained a mixture of ballads, pop and quirky songs, including the mid-sixties hits: "Yeah Yeah!" and "Little Boxes" made popular by folk singer Pete Seeger, the album has also a rendition of "Daisy Bell
" in which Tsai Chin sings amusingly in a London cockney accent.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
-born actress living in England.
Early life, family & education
Chin was born to Peking Opera actor Zhou XinfangZhou Xinfang
Zhou Xinfang, , was a famous Beijing Opera actor who died in the Cultural Revolution. He is regarded as one of the greatest masters of Beijing Opera. He is the most famous and important member of the Shanghai School of Beijing Opera...
in 1936. She spent her early life in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. She had two short marriages which both ended in divorce. Her brother is Michael Chow, owner of the Mr. Chow
Mr. Chow
Mr. Chow is an upscale Chinese restaurant chain founded by restaurateur Michael Chow.-History:Michael Chow, son of Chinese Peking Opera Grand Master, Zhou Xinfang, opened the first Mr. Chow in Knightbridge, London on February 14, 1968. A Beverly Hills location soon followed in 1974 and Midtown New...
restaurant chain. Through Michael Chow, she is the aunt to actress/model China Chow
China Chow
China Chow is a British actress and model.-Personal life:Chow was born in London, England to restaurateur Michael Chow and late model/designer Tina Chow. She is of Chinese, Japanese, German, and Scottish ancestry. Chow has a brother who is three years younger. Her aunt is actress and one-time Bond...
and her brother Maximillian Chow, who are the children of Michael and his late ex-wife, Tina Chow
Tina Chow
Tina Chow was an internationally renowned model and a fashion icon in the 1980s. She is also a member of the International Best Dressed List since 1985....
.
She was the first person with Chinese roots to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
, London in 1951, and later became an associate member.
Career
Chin played the part of Liat in the 1950s production of South PacificSouth Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
in London's west end but is probably best known for her role as Lin Tang, the diabolic daughter of Dr. Fu Manchu
Fu Manchu
Dr. Fu Manchu is a fictional character introduced in a series of novels by British author Sax Rohmer during the first half of the 20th century...
in the Fu Manchu
The Face of Fu Manchu
The Face of Fu Manchu is a 1965 British/German Constantin Film co-production thriller based on the character of Fu Manchu, the Chinese villain created by Sax Rohmer...
movies starring Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
. She is also memorable for her role as Ling in the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movie You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice (film)
You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name...
and in the role of "Juicy Lucy" in The Virgin Soldiers
The Virgin Soldiers
The Virgin Soldiers is a 1966 comic novel by Leslie Thomas, inspired by his own experiences of National Service in the British Army.The novel was turned into a film The Virgin Soldiers in 1969, directed by John Dexter, with a screenplay by the British screenwriter John Hopkins. It starred Hywel...
. She continues to appear in films, including The Joy Luck Club
The Joy Luck Club (film)
The Joy Luck Club is a 1993 American film about the relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese mothers. It is based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Amy Tan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bass. The film was produced by Oliver Stone and directed by Wayne Wang...
, Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha (film)
Memoirs of a Geisha is a 2005 film adaptation of the novel of the same name, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and Spyglass Entertainment and by Douglas Wick's Red Wagon Productions. It was directed by Rob Marshall. It was released in the United States on December 9, 2005 by...
, and the recently released James Bond film Casino Royale
Casino Royale (2006 film)
Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
and the rotoscope
Rotoscope
Rotoscoping is an animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films. Originally, recorded live-action film images were projected onto a frosted glass panel and re-drawn by an animator...
film Year of the Fish
Year of the Fish
Year of the Fish is a 2008 American animated film based on Ye Xian, a ninth century Chinese variant of the fairy tale Cinderella, starring Tsai Chin , Randall Duk Kim, Ken Leung and An Nguyen...
. She also has a recurring role in Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
as Helen Rubenstein, the mother of Cristina Yang
Cristina Yang
Cristina Yang is a fictional surgeon on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by actress Sandra Oh, who won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award in 2006 for the role...
.
Chin appeared on stage in London in The World of Suzie Wong
The World of Suzie Wong
The World of Suzie Wong is a 1957 novel written by Richard Mason. The main characters are Robert Lomax, a young British artist living in Hong Kong, and Suzie Wong, the title character, a Chinese woman who works as a prostitute...
.
She is the author of Daughter of Shanghai, her personal memoirs. Chinese title:《上海的女儿》.
In the early 1960s she made records for the UK Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
label, notably "The Ding Dong Song" (1959), based on a traditional Chinese song with an English lyric provided by Lionel Bart
Lionel Bart
Lionel Bart was a writer and composer of British pop music and musicals, best known for creating the book, music and lyrics for Oliver!-Early life:...
. Tsai Chin recorded two Long play albums for UK (Decca)
- The World Of Tsai Chin (1962) in (stereo) and (mono) LK 4501.
- The Western World Of Tsai Chin (1965) LK 4717 (mono)
The latter album contained a mixture of ballads, pop and quirky songs, including the mid-sixties hits: "Yeah Yeah!" and "Little Boxes" made popular by folk singer Pete Seeger, the album has also a rendition of "Daisy Bell
Daisy Bell
"Daisy Bell" is a popular song with the well-known chorus "Daisy, Daisy/Give me your answer do/I'm half crazy/all for the love of you" as well as the line "...a bicycle built for two".-History:"Daisy Bell" was composed by Harry Dacre in 1892...
" in which Tsai Chin sings amusingly in a London cockney accent.
Filmography
- Violent PlaygroundViolent PlaygroundViolent Playground is a 1958 British film directed by Basil Dearden starring Stanley Baker, Peter Cushing and David McCallum.-Plot:A British take on the popular genre of J.D. films, Violent Playground centres on a Liverpool street gang led by Johnny Murphy...
(1958) (appearing with her brother, Michael Chow) - The Inn of the Sixth HappinessThe Inn of the Sixth HappinessThe Inn of the Sixth Happiness is a 1958 American 20th Century Fox film based on the true story of Gladys Aylward, a tenacious British maid, who became a missionary in China during the tumultuous years leading up to World War II...
(1958) - The Face of Fu ManchuThe Face of Fu ManchuThe Face of Fu Manchu is a 1965 British/German Constantin Film co-production thriller based on the character of Fu Manchu, the Chinese villain created by Sax Rohmer...
(1965) - The Brides of Fu ManchuThe Brides of Fu ManchuThe Brides of Fu Manchu is a 1966 British/German Constantin Film co-production adventure crime film based on the fictional Asian villain Fu Manchu, created by Sax Rohmer. It was the second film in a series, and was preceded by The Face of Fu Manchu. The Vengeance of Fu Manchu followed in 1967, The...
(1966) (appearing with her brother, Michael Chow) - BlowupBlowupBlowup is a 1966 film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, his first English-language film.It tells of a British photographer's accidental involvement with a murder, inspired by Julio Cortázar's short story, "Las babas del diablo" or "The Devil's Drool" , translated also as Blow-Up, and by the life...
(1966) - The Vengeance of Fu ManchuThe Vengeance of Fu ManchuThe Vengeance of Fu Manchu is a 1967 British film directed by Jeremy Summers starring Christopher Lee, Douglas Wilmer and Tsai Chin. It was the third British/German Constantin Film co-production of the Fu Manchu series and the first to be filmed in Hong Kong.-Plot:In his remote hideaway in the...
(1967) - You Only Live TwiceYou Only Live Twice (film)You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name...
(1967) (appearing with her brother, Michael Chow) - The Blood of Fu ManchuThe Blood of Fu ManchuThe Blood of Fu Manchu, also known as Fu Manchu and the Kiss of Death, Kiss and Kill and Against All Odds, is a 1968 British adventure crime film based on the fictional Asian villain Fu Manchu, created by Sax Rohmer. It was the fourth film in a series, and was preceded by The Vengeance of Fu...
(1968) - The Castle of Fu ManchuThe Castle of Fu ManchuThe Castle of Fu Manchu also known by its German title Die Folterkammer des Dr. Fu Man Chu, is the fifth and final Fu Manchu film with Christopher Lee portraying the title character. The spy/crime film was filmed on location in Spain and Istanbul and originally released in West Germany in 1969...
(1968) - The Virgin SoldiersThe Virgin SoldiersThe Virgin Soldiers is a 1966 comic novel by Leslie Thomas, inspired by his own experiences of National Service in the British Army.The novel was turned into a film The Virgin Soldiers in 1969, directed by John Dexter, with a screenplay by the British screenwriter John Hopkins. It starred Hywel...
(1969) - The Joy Luck ClubThe Joy Luck Club (film)The Joy Luck Club is a 1993 American film about the relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese mothers. It is based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Amy Tan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bass. The film was produced by Oliver Stone and directed by Wayne Wang...
(1993) - Red CornerRed CornerRed Corner is a drama film produced in 1997, directed by Jon Avnet and written by Robert King.- Plot :It tells the story of a wealthy American businessman named Jack Moore working in China and attempting to put together a satellite communications deal as part of a joint venture with the Chinese...
(1997) - The InterpreterThe InterpreterThe Interpreter is a 2005 political thriller film starring Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, and Catherine Keener. It was the final film to be directed by Sydney Pollack.-Plot:...
(2005) - Memoirs of a GeishaMemoirs of a Geisha (film)Memoirs of a Geisha is a 2005 film adaptation of the novel of the same name, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and Spyglass Entertainment and by Douglas Wick's Red Wagon Productions. It was directed by Rob Marshall. It was released in the United States on December 9, 2005 by...
(2005) - Wendy Wu: Homecoming WarriorWendy Wu: Homecoming WarriorWendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior is a 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie starring Brenda Song and Shin Koyamada. Koyamada plays a Chinese monk who visits the title character, an American teenager played by Song, claiming Wu is the reincarnation of a powerful female warrior and the only person who can...
(2006) - Casino RoyaleCasino Royale (2006 film)Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
(2006) - Year of the FishYear of the FishYear of the Fish is a 2008 American animated film based on Ye Xian, a ninth century Chinese variant of the fairy tale Cinderella, starring Tsai Chin , Randall Duk Kim, Ken Leung and An Nguyen...
(2007) - "The Other Side of This LifeThe Other Side of This Life"The Other Side of This Life", which aired as the 22nd and 23rd episodes of season 3 of the TV series Grey's Anatomy, is a backdoor pilot episode for the spin-off show, Private Practice. The episode was written by Shonda Rhimes, the creator of both of the series, and the episode was directed by...
" - Grey's AnatomyGrey's AnatomyGrey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
(2007)