Jacqueline Chan (15 July 1934 – 19 May 2026) was a Chinese Trinidadian dancer, actress, and singer.[1][2]
Jacqui Chan | |
|---|---|
 Chan in 1961 | |
| Born | Jacqueline Chan 15 July 1934 Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Died | 19 May 2026 (aged 91) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1954–2023 |
Early life and education
editChan was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on 15 July 1934, 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.[1] Her father's cousin was the mother of the artist Carlisle Chang.[3] She moved to England at age 16 and studied at the Elmhurst Ballet School. She enrolled in a three-year teaching course at the Royal Academy of Dancing, but abandoned it after a year and was cast successively in two productions of Teahouse of the August Moon.[4]
Acting career
editChan became a principal dancer in the London West End production of The King and I, and was soon placed in the London stage production of The World of Suzie Wong. In the immensely successful film version of the play, she played, against type, the rather plain Gwennie earning appreciative notice. Subsequently she performed the leading role in the 1961 stage production in Australia. Chan's other acting roles included parts in Dixon of Dock Green, Armchair Theatre, Ghost Squad, The Saint, The Main Chance, and Marco Polo.[5] Chan also appeared in the films Cleopatra and Krakatoa: East of Java.[6]
Singing
editShe released one single in 1960 on the Pye Records label called "But No One Knows".[7] She 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 music charts in the United Kingdom in late 1967. According to the later testimony of the group's then-bassist, Peter O'Flaherty, he did not know the meaning of the Chinese words that Chan was saying, and neither did she.[8]
Death
editChan died on 19 May 2026, at the age of 91.[6]
Popular culture
editIn the Netflix series The Crown, Chan is played by Chinese-born British actress Alice Hewkin.[9] In the series, Chan is depicted having a brief sexual relationship with Antony Armstrong-Jones before his marriage to Princess Margaret.[5] Her portrayal in the series has led to criticism, with Hanna Flint of Yahoo! Movies suggesting her depiction played into orientalist stereotypes.[10]
References
edit- 1 2 Clarke, Hilary (10 October 2018). "Jacqui Chan on that sex scene from The Crown, being a Chinese actress in the 1960s and why she's still in demand". South China Morning Post.
- ↑ "Jacqui Chan, Actress and singer". National Portrait Gallery.
- ↑ Raymond, Judy (May–June 1998). "Carlisle Chang". Caribbean Beat. Vol. 31. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ Best, Betty (1 February 1961). "JACQUI (not Jackie) CHAN —don't ask her about Tony". Australian Women's Weekly. Retrieved 18 November 2021 – via Trove.
- 1 2 Hallemann, Caroline (18 December 2017). "Who Was Antony Armstrong-Jones's Former Girlfriend, Jacqui Chan?". Town & Country. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- 1 2 Hayward, Anthony (21 May 2026). "Jacqueline Chan obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ Jacqui Chan - But No One Knows (7"). Pete's Music. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "In the 1967 hit 'Kites' by Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, a girl speaks in an apparent Chinese dialect. Does anyone know what it means?" Notes and Queries. guardian.co.uk.
- ↑ The Crown Characters with Their Real-Life Counterparts
- ↑ Flint, Hanna (5 December 2017). "'The Crown' Season 2: Princess Margaret actress Vanessa Kirby defends graphic sex scene (exclusive)". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
External links
edit
- Jacqui Chan at IMDb
- Jacqui Chan discography at Discogs