Jacqui Chan

Chan was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago to a Chinese mother and a Chinese-Russian father. Her parents had both migrated to British Guiana as indentured laborers to work on a sugar cane plantation after the abolition of slavery.[1] She moved to London at age 16, and studied ballet at the Elmhurst Ballet School. She enrolled on a three-year teaching course at the Royal Academy of Dancing, but quit after a year and joined the cast of Teahouse of the August Moon. [3]

Chan became a principal dancer in a West End production of The King and I, but rose to fame as Gwennie in The World of Suzie Wong, earning rave reviews and subsequently reprising the role in Australia. Other acting roles include parts in Dixon of Dock Green, The Hidden Truth, Armchair Theatre, Ghost Squad, and Marco Polo.[4] Chan has also appeared in the movies Cleopatra and Krakatoa: East of Java.[5]

Chan also performed a spoken interlude in Mandarin Chinese on the recording of the 1967 psychedelic song Kites by the British band Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, which reached number 9 on the UK music charts in late 1967. According to the later testimony of the group's then-bassist, Peter O'Flaherty, he didn't know the meaning of the Chinese words that Chan was saying, and neither did she.[6]

In the Netflix series The Crown, Chan is played by Chinese-born British actress Alice Hewkin.[7] In the series, Chan is depicted having a brief sexual relationship with Antony Armstrong-Jones before his marriage to Princess Margaret.[4] Her portrayal in the series has led to criticism, with some alleging her appearance played into orientalist stereotypes.[8]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jacqueline Chan.

• IMDB entry