Hong Chau

Chau began acting in film and television in 2006.[12] One of her first major roles was in the TV series Treme (2010–2013), which was set in New Orleans.[2] Her first feature film role was in the 2014 film Inherent Vice.[13] For two years after her role, she was not able to get an audition for another film role.[3] In 2015, she had a key role in the Off-Broadway play John, written by Annie Baker and directed by Sam Gold. Chau acted with three others, including Georgia Engel and Lois Smith,[3] and Chau credited the experience for strengthening her acting. She also had a supporting role in the 2017 premiere season of the TV miniseries Big Little Lies alongside Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon.[14] She subsequently appeared in the 2017 film Downsizing,[13] for which her performance was described as a standout by several reviews.[15] She was nominated for several awards for best supporting actress (see accolades).[16] 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".[13]

Following Downsizing, Chau appeared in guest roles in several TV series in 2018, including BoJack Horseman and Forever.[17] She had a supporting role as a corporate secretary in the first season of the TV series Homecoming.[18] 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."[17] In 2019, The Hollywood Reporter's Rebecca Sun said since Downsizing, "Chau has appeared in a series of critically acclaimed projects."[19]

Chau had her first leading roles in the films Driveways and American Woman, both released at film festivals in 2019.[20] 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.[21] Also in 2019, Chau appeared in the TV limited series Watchmen as the trillionaire Lady Trieu,[22] whose performance The Hollywood Reporter's TV critic Tim Goodman said was one of the series' "exceptional, memorable performances".[19] 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."[3]

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.[23] While Chau had filmed a small part in the 2020 film Artemis Fowl, it was ultimately cut.[24]