Tsai Chin (actress)

Tsai Chin
Chin in 2019
Born	(1933-09-01) 1 September 1933 (age 91) Tianjin, Republic of China
Other names	Irene Chow
Citizenship	United Kingdom[1]
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Tufts University
Occupation(s)	Actress, singer, director, teacher, author
Years active	1957–present
Spouses	Frank Chang ​ ​ (m. 1955; div. 1956)​ Peter Coe
Children	1
Parent(s)	Zhou Xinfang Lilian Qiu
Relatives	Michael Chow (brother) China Chow (niece)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	周採芹
Simplified Chinese	周采芹
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhōu Cǎiqín Wade–Giles Chou1 Ts'ai3-ch'in2 IPA [ʈʂóʊ tsʰàɪ.tɕʰǐn]

Tsai Chin (Chinese: 周采芹; born 1 September 1933) is a Chinese-British actress, singer, director, and teacher. Her career spans more than six decades and three continents.

The daughter of Peking Opera star Zhou Xinfang, Chin was born in Shanghai and educated there and in British Hong Kong. She became the first Chinese-born student of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, of which she is an Associate Member. Initially under the stage name Irene Chow, she starred onstage in London's West End in The World of Suzie Wong and on Broadway in Golden Child. Chin appeared in two James Bond films, 39 years apart, as a Bond girl in You Only Live Twice; and in Casino Royale.

In the United States, Chin is best known for her role as Auntie Lindo in the film The Joy Luck Club (1993). She also appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "The Only Light in the Darkness" (2014) as Lian May and in the feature film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) as Waipo. She was the first acting instructor to be invited to teach acting in China after the Cultural Revolution, when China's universities reopened. In China, she is best known for her portrayal of Grandmother Jia in the 2010 TV drama series The Dream of Red Mansions.