Tina Chen (Chinese: 陳婷; pinyin: Chén Tíng; born November 2, 1943) is a Chinese-American stage, film, and television actress, director, and producer, who starred in the films Alice's Restaurant, Three Days of the Condor, and The Hawaiians. She has been nominated for Golden Globe, Emmy, and Drama Desk awards.
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Biography
Born in Chongqing, Chen lived briefly in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and then went to the United States.
While pursuing her acting career, Chen 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.
Her films include the independent feature Almost Perfect and the short film The Potential Wives of Norman Mao. She also starred in The Hawaiians, for which she received a Golden Globe award nomination; Alice's Restaurant, Three Days of the Condor, and Face.
Chen has guest-starred on numerous TV shows and was nominated for an Emmy for her performance in the CBS Playhouse special The Final War of Olly Winter.
Chen has directed plays at various theaters in New York, including Pan Asian Repertory Theatre's production of Fairy Bones, starring Lucy Liu in her stage debut. Chen co-produced the Broadway production of the Peter Nichols play, Passion Play, starring Frank Langella and was part of the producing team of the Broadway production of The Rink, by Terrence McNally, starring Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli.
Lecture
Chen's lecture, "Heroes of History: Legacy of My Chinese Family" features 158 biographical photos. It is about three generations of her mother's family and their contributions to the history of China. In the lecture, which has been presented at New York City's China Institute, Urban Stages, and the Mirror Repertory Co., she talks about her great-grandfather.
Work
Film
Descendants of the Past, Ancestors of the Future (2014)
Almost Perfect (2011)
The Potential Wives of Norman Mao (2011)
Face (2002)
The Ghost of Flight 401 (1978)
Three Days of the Condor (1975)
Paper Man (1971)
The Hawaiians (1970)
Alice's Restaurant (1969)
Made for Television Specials
Lady from Yesterday (CBS, 1985)
The Year of the Dragon (PBS, 1975)
13 Stars for Channel 13 (PBS)
The Final War of Olly Winter (CBS Playhouse, 1967)
Episodic Television
Mercy
Central Park West
The Devlin Connection
Dan August
The Streets of San Francisco
Harry O
The Man and the City
Airwolf
City Kids
Kung Fu
The Delphi Bureau
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Theatre
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
Family Devotions (by David Henry Hwang)
The Year of the Dragon (by Frank Chin)
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Tropical Tree
In the Heart of America
A Small Delegation
Widescreen Version
As the Crow Flies (by David Henry Hwang)
A Streetcar Named Desire
Santa Anita '42
The Kitchen God's Wife
A Song for All Saints
Darkness Within
Directing
Tea (by Velina Hasu Houston)
The Shining Queen
At Plank Bridge
Kokoro/True Heart (by Velina Hasu Houston)
Yin Chin Bow
Fairy Bones (1992) — with Lucy Liu
Producing
The Shining Queen
Beyond Gravity
Best Kept Secret
The Rink (Drama Desk Nomination; by Terrence McNally; starring Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli)
Passion Play (by Peter Nichols; starring Frank Langella)
Awards
Chen received a Golden Globe nomination for her supporting performance in the film The Hawaiians. She received an Emmy nomination for her supporting performance in the CBS Playhouse drama The Final War of Olly Winter. She also received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Production of a Musical for, The Rink, starring Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli.
Other awards include Urban Stages 25th Anniversary Award for Artistic Brilliance, Women's Project's Women of Achievement Award, Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction Award, the Anna May Wong Award of Excellence, and Pan Asian Repertory Theatre's Legacy Award.