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Tsai Chin (Chinese: 周采芹; pinyin: Zhōu Cǎiqín; born November 30, 1936), also known as Irene Chow, is a Chinese-born actress living in England.[1]
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Chin was born to Peking Opera actor Zhou Xinfang in 1936. She spent her early life in Shanghai. She had two short marriages which both ended in divorce. Her brother is Michael Chow, owner of the Mr. Chow restaurant chain.[2] Through Michael Chow, she is the aunt to actress/model China Chow and her brother Maximillian Chow, who are the children of Michael and his late ex-wife, Tina Chow.
She was the first person with Chinese roots to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London in 1951, and later became an associate member.
Chin played the part of Liat in the 1950s production of South Pacific in London's west end but is probably best known for her role as Lin Tang, the diabolic daughter of Dr. Fu Manchu in the Fu Manchu movies starring Christopher Lee. She is also memorable for her role as Ling in the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice[3] and in the role of "Juicy Lucy" in The Virgin Soldiers. She continues to appear in films, including The Joy Luck Club,[4] Memoirs of a Geisha, and the recently released James Bond film Casino Royale[5] and the rotoscope film Year of the Fish.[6] She also has a recurring role in Grey's Anatomy as Helen Rubenstein, the mother of Cristina Yang.
Chin appeared on stage in London in The World of Suzie Wong.
She is the author of Daughter of Shanghai, her personal memoirs. Chinese title:《上海的女儿》.
In the early 1960s she made records for the UK Decca Records label, notably "The Ding Dong Song" (1959), based on a traditional Chinese song with an English lyric provided by Lionel Bart. Tsai Chin recorded two Long play albums for UK (Decca)
The latter album contained a mixture of ballads, pop and quirky songs, including the mid-sixties hits: "Yeah Yeah!" and "Little Boxes" made popular by folk singer Pete Seeger, the album has also a rendition of "Daisy Bell" in which Tsai Chin sings amusingly in a London cockney accent.