Lori Tan Chinn (born July 7, 1948) is an American actress and comedian. She played a recurring character in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black and Awkwafina's grandmother on Comedy Central's Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens (2020–2023). Chinn began her acting career on Broadway, where she played Miss Higa Jiga in Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen (1970). She was also a notable member of the Katherine Dunham Company and performed African dance with Syvilla Fort.
Lori Tan Chinn | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 7, 1948 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1970–present |
Early life
editChinn was born on July 7, 1948, in Seattle, Washington. She is of Hoisan Chinese descent. Chinn moved to New York City by herself in 1969.[1]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Author! Author! | Mrs. Woo | |
| 1985 | Brass | Hilda | TV movie |
| 1989 | She-Devil | Vesta Rose Woman | |
| 1990 | Revealing Evidence: Stalking the Honolulu Strangler | Pua | TV movie |
| 1991 | What About Bob? | Bus driver | |
| 1992 | Glengarry Glen Ross | Coat check girl | |
| 1995 | Living in Oblivion | Costume Designer | |
| 1996 | Ransom | Woman on Street #3 | |
| 1999 | Mickey Blue Eyes | Restaurant Owner | |
| 2001 | South Pacific | Bloody Mary | 2003 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Resident Musical |
| 2004 | From Other Worlds | Mrs. Kim | |
| 2007 | Security | Mrs. Pong | Short |
| 2007 | Year of the Fish | Shuk Yee (voice) | Animated film |
| 2008 | The Guitar | Mrs. Tzu | |
| 2012 | Miss D | Mrs. Ling | Short |
| 2013 | Final Recipe | Mrs. Wang | |
| 2015 | Chloe and Theo | Landlady | |
| 2022 | Turning Red | Auntie Chen (voice) | Animated film |
| 2023 | Joy Ride[2] | Nai Nai | |
| 2024 | Kung Fu Panda 4 | Granny Boar (voice) | Animated film |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Roseanne | Iris | 4 episodes |
| 1992 | Mathnet | Miss Jessica | Episode: "The Case of the Smart Dummy" |
| 1999 | It's Like, You Know... | Daisy | Episode: "Lost in America" |
| 2000 | Spin City | Samaritan Nun | Episode: "Mike's Best Friend's Boyfriend" |
| 2000 | Law & Order | SEC Investigator | Episode: "High & Low" |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Mrs. Park | Episode: "The Line" |
| 2013–19 | Orange is the New Black | Mei Chang | 27 episodes |
| 2020–2023 | Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens | Nora's grandmother | starring role |
| 2023 | Strange Planet | Voice role | |
| 2024 | Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld | Flora "Gugu" Chau | Voice role; Post-production |
| 2024 | A Man on the Inside | Susan Yang | Pacific View Retirement Community resident council president[3] |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970–1971 | Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen | Miss Higa Jiga | |
| 1979 | G. R. Point | Mama-San | |
| 1988–1990 | M. Butterfly | Comrade Chin, Suzuki, Shu Fan | [4] |
| 2015 | Gotta Dance | Mae | [5] |
| 2015 | Triassic Parq | Twin velociraptor | [6] |
References
edit- ^ Chow, Andrew R. (January 24, 2020). "Lori Tan Chinn Is a Scene-Stealer in Awkwafina's New Series. But the Role Comes After Decades of Harassment and Discrimination". Time. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
- ^ "2023's must-see film: meet the talented Asian-American stars of Joy Ride". South China Morning Post. May 21, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ^ https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/man-on-the-inside-cast/
- ^ Richards, David (February 11, 1988). "Chinese Puzzle; At the National, a Curious 'M. Butterfly'". The Washington Post (subscription required). Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
- ^ Cox, Gordon (June 29, 2015). "Stefanie Powers, Georgia Engel Join Cast of Broadway-Bound 'Gotta Dance'". Variety. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
- ^ Gioia, Michael (October 31, 2011). "Mitchell Jarvis and Lori Tan Chinn Will Lead a Dinosaur Revolution in Triassic Parq NYC Readings". Playbill. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
