Gemma Chan

'Gemma Chan' (qv) (born 29 November 1982) is a British film, television, and theatre actress and former fashion model. She played Charlotte in season four of the Showtime and ITV2 series _Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2007)_ (qv); Ruth in Channel 4's _Fresh Meat (2011)_ (qv); Mia Bennett in _Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars (2009)_ (qv), and Soo Lin in _Sherlock: The Blind Banker (2010)_ (qv). She also appeared in the feature films _Exam (2009)_ (qv) and Paramount Pictures' action-thriller _Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)_ (qv). Chan made a film for Amnesty International to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.Chan was born at Guy's Hospital in London, England. Her father grew up in Hong Kong and was an engineer. Her mother, a pharmacist at Guy's Hospital, emigrated from pre-Cultural Revolution Communist China via Hong Kong with her parents (Chan's maternal grandparents) and younger sister, growing up in Greenock, Scotland. Chan was raised near Sevenoaks, Kent, and attended 'News' (qv)tead Wood School for Girls in Orpington, Bromley, London. She later went on to read law at Worcester College, Oxford.Following graduation, Chan gained a training contract offer as a graduate at the law firm Slaughter and May, but instead pursued an acting career and studied at the Drama Centre London. Spotted at her showcase by British film producer 'Damian Jones' (qv), she signed to acting agent Nicki van Gelder. In 2006, Chan was one of the models in series one of Project Catwalk, the UK version of Project Runway. She has been photographed by Rankin for a campaign for Nivea Visage, having previously worked as a model in order to fund her studies and drama school training.Chan played geologist Mia Bennett in _Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars (2009)_ (qv), starring 'David Tennant' (qv) and 'Lindsay Duncan' (qv), which aired 15 November 2009 in the UK. She was cast as a series regular in _Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2007)_ (qv), the fourth and final series airing on ITV2 in the UK and Showtime in the US in 2011. She also appeared in _Sherlock (2010)_ (qv), and the fourth series of _The IT Crowd (2006)_ (qv) for Channel 4.In 2012, Chan was a regular in series two of Sky Living's supernatural drama _Bedlam (2011)_ (qv) and in _True Love (2012)_ (qv), a five-part semi-improvised television series produced by Working Title for the BBC One. In 2013, she starred in new BBC One crime drama _Shetland (2013)_ (qv), alongside Douglas Henshall and Steven Robertson, and guest starred in the BBC's _Death in Paradise (2011)_ (qv). She was a cast-member of Channel 4 romantic drama, _Dates (2013)_ (qv).Chan played the synthetic Anita/Mia in the AMC/Channel 4 eight-part science-fiction drama _Humans (2015)_ (qv). Filming commenced in autumn 2014 with a June 2015 premiere. The second series premiered on 30 October. For her portrayal, she was nominated for numerous awards. In July 2016, Chan provided the voice "Dewdrop" in BBC One's animated television series _Watership Down (2018)_ (qv). She appeared in the World War II drama film _Shanghai (2010)_ (qv) and the comedy-drama _Submarine (2010)_ (qv). Chan starred in 'Jean-Paul Rappeneau' (qv)'s _Families (2015)_ (qv).She made her professional stage debut in the British Premiere of Bertolt Brecht's last play, Turandot, at the Hampstead Theatre, London, directed by Anthony Clark. In November 2012, she performed in The Sugar-Coated Bullets of the Bourgeoisie, a new play by Anders Lustgarten at the Finborough Theatre. In June 2013, she performed in the UK premiere of Yellow Face by American playwright David Henry Hwang at The Park Theatre, London, directed by Alex Sims. It was revived in 2014 at the Royal National Theatre with the original London cast returning. In November 2013, Chan performed in the world premiere of Our Ajax by Timberlake Wertenbaker at the Southwark Playhouse, London. Wertenbaker chose her to play the war goddess Athena after she saw her performance in Yellow Face.::ahmetkozan