Tina Chen

Tina Chen (Chinese: 陳婷; pinyin: Chén Tíng; born November 2, 1943) is a Chinese-American stage, film, and television actress, director, and producer. Born in Chongqing, Chen lived briefly in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan before moving to the United States. While pursuing her acting career, she worked for over a decade as a researcher in the serology and genetics department at the New York Blood Center. She also co-founded Food Liberation, one of the first health food stores in New York City.

In film, Chen made early appearances in projects such as Alice's Restaurant in 1969, The Hawaiians in 1970, and Three Days of the Condor in 1975. Her supporting role in The Hawaiians earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination. Her other film work includes Paper Man in 1971, The Ghost of Flight 401 in 1978, and Face in 2002. Later credits include the 2011 independent feature Almost Perfect, the 2011 short film The Potential Wives of Norman Mao, and the 2014 title Descendants of the Past, Ancestors of the Future.

Chen has also accumulated an extensive television career across episodic series and made-for-television specials. She earned an Emmy Award nomination for her supporting performance in the 1967 CBS Playhouse special The Final War of Olly Winter. Her television special credits also include 13 Stars for Channel 13, the 1975 PBS production The Year of the Dragon, and the 1985 CBS special Lady from Yesterday. On episodic television, she guest-starred on programs including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Dan August, The Man and the City, The Delphi Bureau, The Streets of San Francisco, Kung Fu, Harry O, The Devlin Connection, Airwolf, City Kids, Central Park West, and Mercy.

As a theatrical actress, Chen has performed in numerous stage plays. Her credits include The Love Suicide at Schofield Barracks, The Shanghai Gesture, Comfort Women, Empress of China, The Joy Luck Club, The Innocence of Ghosts, The Chang Fragments, Arthur and Leila, Madame de Sade, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Tropical Tree, In the Heart of America, A Small Delegation, Widescreen Version, A Streetcar Named Desire, Santa Anita '42, The Kitchen God's Wife, A Song for All Saints, and Darkness Within. She also appeared in David Henry Hwang's Family Devotions and As the Crow Flies, as well as Frank Chin's The Year of the Dragon.

Beyond performing, Chen has directed and produced theatrical works. She directed plays at New York theaters, including Velina Hasu Houston's Tea and Kokoro/True Heart, along with The Shining Queen, At Plank Bridge, Yin Chin Bow, and Pan Asian Repertory Theatre's 1992 production of Fairy Bones, which featured Lucy Liu in her stage debut. As a producer, her work includes The Shining Queen, Beyond Gravity, and Best Kept Secret. On Broadway, she co-produced Peter Nichols's Passion Play starring Frank Langella and joined the producing team for Terrence McNally's The Rink, starring Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli, which received a Drama Desk nomination.

Chen presents a lecture titled "Heroes of History: Legacy of My Chinese Family," which incorporates 158 biographical photos. The presentation focuses on three generations of her mother's family, including her great-grandfather, and their contributions to Chinese history. She has presented this lecture at the Mirror Repertory Co., Urban Stages, and New York City's China Institute.

In addition to her Golden Globe, Emmy, and Drama Desk nominations, Chen's honors include the Anna May Wong Award of Excellence, the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre's Legacy Award, the Urban Stages 25th Anniversary Award for Artistic Brilliance, the Women's Project's Women of Achievement Award, and the Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction Award.