Hong Chau

Chau began acting in film and television in 2006.[15] One of her first major roles was in the television series Treme (2010–2013), which was set in New Orleans.[4] Her first feature film role was in the 2014 film Inherent Vice.[16] For two years after her role, she was not able to get an audition for another film role.[5] In 2015, she had a key role in the Off-Broadway play John;[5] she credited the experience for strengthening her acting. She also had a supporting role in the 2017 premiere season of the TV series Big Little Lies.[17] She subsequently appeared in a supporting role in the 2017 film Downsizing,[16] for which her performance was described as a standout by several reviews.[18] She was nominated for several awards for best supporting actress (see accolades).[19] Some criticized her character Ngoc Lan Tran as stereotypical because Chau spoke in broken English, but Chau said that she found her character "so multifaceted and complex and well-written".[16]

Following Downsizing, in 2018, Hong Chau was one of 928 new members invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[20] She appeared in guest roles in several TV series, including BoJack Horseman and Forever.[21] She had a supporting role as a corporate secretary in the first season of the TV series Homecoming.[22] The Ringer's Alison Herman said another actor would have sought to accumulate more recurring roles on TV series. Herman said, "In the Peak TV Era, Chau opted for something much savvier: taking some choice guest parts in a few critically acclaimed TV shows ... Chau benefits from these shows' prestige; the shows benefit from her talents."[21] In 2019, The Hollywood Reporter's Rebecca Sun said since Downsizing, "Chau has appeared in a series of critically acclaimed projects."[23]

Chau had her first leading roles in the films Driveways and American Woman, both released at film festivals in 2019.[24] For Driveways, Chau was familiar with director Andrew Ahn's previous film Spa Night, recognized his name when he contacted her with an offer for the role, and readily accepted the offer.[25] Also in 2019, Chau appeared in the limited series Watchmen as the trillionaire Lady Trieu,[26] whose performance The Hollywood Reporter's TV critic Tim Goodman said was one of the series' "exceptional, memorable performances".[23] Following the 2020 video-on-demand release of Driveways, Rolling Stone's Maria Fontoura wrote that Chau has a "cool tenacity" in her roles. Fontoura said, "Whether she's playing a mysterious mogul, a secretive secretary, or a grieving single mother, the actress is steely, whip-smart, and deceptively powerful."[5]

In May 2020, Chau had a larger role in Homecoming's second season, in which she moves from secretary to a person in charge in the series's featured corporation. Entertainment Tonight's Stacy Lambe said Chau "has become something of a scene stealer over the years". Lambe said, "What's notable about most of her projects is that they feature a diverse cast of actors of color who get to shine in unexpected ways," highlighting Treme, Watchmen, and Homecoming.[27] While Chau had filmed a small part as Opal Koboi in the 2020 film Artemis Fowl, her appearance was ultimately cut.[28] Her character's voice was used, but Chau was not officially credited. Her deleted scene became available on Disney+.[29]

Chau spent most of 2020 in a COVID-19 lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States,[30] giving birth to a daughter in November of that year.[31] In 2021, she acted in the filming of four films: The Whale, Showing Up, The Menu, and Asteroid City.[30] For The Whale, she was invited by its director Darren Aronofsky to audition for a role.[32] For The Menu, Chau was a fan of the TV series Succession and wanted to work with its director Mark Mylod, who had directed over a dozen episodes in the series. She also wanted to work with actor Ralph Fiennes.[32]

Showing Up premiered in May 2022 at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival,[33] while in September 2022, The Whale premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival,[34] and The Menu premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.[35] With The Whale being commercially released in theaters in December 2022, Los Angeles Times wrote, "...She's among those generating Oscar buzz for the film."[36] Chau said she gives directors "a wide range of line readings and reactions each time they call 'action'". Variety wrote, "It's resulted in a string of performances of remarkable versatility, star turns."[37]

Chau appeared in the TV series Poker Face,[38] which premiered in January 2023.[39] Chau is also set to appear in Asteroid City, to be released in June 2023.[40] She was cast in the Netflix political conspiracy thriller TV series The Night Agent,[41] which will premiere on March 23, 2023.[42] In October 2022, she was cast in the film And.[3]