Nearly five decades into her career, Joan Chen is getting another chance at a Hollywood comeback — but this isn’t the first time the acclaimed actress has tasted success.
Her introduction came when she was the 18-year-old star of the 1979 Chinese film “Little Flower,” for which she won China’s most prestigious acting award. Eight years later, she experienced fame on a global scale with Bernardo Bertolucci’s celebrated historical drama, “The Last Emperor,” which took home nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Now, at 63, Chen is receiving renewed attention for her achingly nuanced portrayal of Chungsing, an immigrant Taiwanese mother who gives up her artistic dreams to raise her less-than-grateful American teenage children in Sean Wang’s feature directorial debut, “Dìdi.”