With her role in the new Netflix series The Night Agent as White House Chief of Staff Diane Farr, Hong Chau has become a popular face on television. The American actress has had an acting career spanning over 15 years. During that time, Chau appeared in several notable movies and TV series.
Born to Vietnamese immigrants, Chau was born in a Thai refugee camp on June 25, 1979. Chau has played various roles that have shown her versatility and acting range. These are the 10 best Hong Chau movie roles of her career.
9. Lora In A to Z (2014–2015)
Hong Chau appears in the NBC romantic comedy A to Z as Lora. Lora works on the same internet dating site as Andrew. She became Dinesh’s love interest, leading to their dating. However, the relationship didn’t last long, as they broke up. The series only aired for one season and was canceled after the fifth episode. However, NBC decided to air the remaining eight episodes. A to Z premiered on October 2, 2014, and aired its last episode on January 22, 2015.
8. Ngoc Lan Tran in Downsizing (2017)
Downsizing (2017) is Hong Chau’s second appearance in film. She plays the fictional supporting character of Ngoc Lan Tran in Alexander Payne’s science fiction comedy-drama. Chau’s character is a Vietnamese activist who ends up in Leisureland. Although the movie bombed at the box office, it starred Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, and Kristen Wiig.
7. Audrey Temple In Homecoming (2018–2020)
Homecoming was Amazon Prime Video’s psychological thriller TV series aired from November 2, 2018, to May 22, 2020. Created by Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg, the series had 17 episodes over 2 seasons. Hong Chau is cast as Audrey Temple. Her character was a recurring role in season 1 and was upgraded to a main cast in season 2. Temple is an assistant at Homecoming’s parent company, Geist Emergent Group.
6. Kathy In Driveways (2019)
Hong Chau plays Kathy in Andrew Ahn’s 2019 drama Driveways. Her character is the movie’s main protagonist, who comes to her late sister’s house with her son intending to sell it. As she struggles to get the house in order, she gets introduced to her neighbors. Her elderly widower neighbor becomes friends with her son. The movie was a favorite for several critics, earning a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer.
5. Jenny Shimada In American Woman (2019)
Hong Chau plays the lead in Semi Chellas’ directorial debut drama American Woman. A 40-year-old Chau plays the 25-year-old Jenny Shimada, a former radical living off the grid. The movie received above-average positive reviews from film critics.
4. Jo Tran In Showing Up (2022)
In Kelly Reichardt’s comedy-drama, Showing Up (2022), Hong Chau played a supporting role as Jo Tran. The movie had Michelle Williams as its protagonist, Lizzy. Showing Up was critically acclaimed, receiving mostly positive reviews. The movie premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival on May 27, 2022.
3. Liz In The Whale (2022)
Hong Chau was cast in the award-winning Darren Aronofsky’s psychological drama The Whale. For her performance as Liz, Chau was nominated in the category of Best Supporting Actress at the 2022 Oscars. Chau’s character Liz is the nurse and only friend of the reclusive and morbidly obese English instructor, Charlie. She starred alongside Brendan Fraser, who won Best Actor at the 2022 Oscars for his performance as Charlie. The movie was a commercial success, grossing $55.2 million on a $3 million budget.
2. Elsa In The Menu (2022)
2022 was a busy year for Hong Chau, as she appeared in three feature films. Chau plays a supporting role as Elsa in Mark Mylod’s comedy horror The Menu (2022). Chau’s character, Elsa, is the assistant to the celebrity chef, Chef Slowik, played by Ralph Fiennes. Amongst other award nominations, the movie was nominated at the Golden Globe Awards in two categories – Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
1. Diane Farr In The Night Agent (2023)
The year 2023 started great for Hong Chau as she plays a main cast role in Shawn Ryan’s action thriller, The Night Agent. The series premiered on March 23, 2023, and became the third-most-viewed debuting series on Netflix in its first four days. The series was renewed for a second season a week after its premiere. Chau’s character Diane Farr is the White House Chief of Staff. Hong Chau‘s performance has earned positive reviews from critics and the series’ audiences.
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