**Joan Chen** (born in Shanghai, China, on April 26, 1961) is an actress, director, and screenwriter who achieved international renown through complex roles and her ability to navigate diverse cultures.

Beginning her career in China as a teenager, she became globally recognized with Bernardo Bertolucci's *The Last Emperor* (1987), where she portrayed Empress Wan Rong, a role that earned her critical acclaim. She subsequently appeared in Western productions such as the acclaimed series *Twin Peaks* (as Josie Packard) and films like Oliver Stone's *Heaven & Earth* (1993) and *Judge Dredd* (1995).

In the 1990s, she also embarked on a directing career, helming the multi-award-winning *Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl* (1998), which received widespread critical acclaim. She continues to act in both Hollywood and Asian productions, often embodying strong, elegant, and charismatic female figures, with profound dramatic intensity.