--- name: "Tsai Chin" canonical: "https://film.one/person/tsai-chin" roles: [] born: "30 November 1936" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 79 average_over: 3 updated: "2026-09-18T11:07:14.704815+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Tsai Chin Actor. Born 30 November 1936 in Tianjin, China. ## Details - **Born:** 30 November 1936, Tianjin, China - **Active:** 1967–2006 - **Also known as:** Tsai Chin Zhou , 周采芹, Zhōu Cǎiqín, Chou Ts’ai-ch’in, 저우차이친, ツァイ・チン, Zhou Caiqin - **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 2 acting, 1 other - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 88 (1), 1960s 62 (1), 2000s 86 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 74 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Action 2, Adventure 2, Thriller 2, Drama 1, History 1, War 1 - **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $756m across 3 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsai_Chin_(actress), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q434790, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0157796/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10075 ## Biography Tsai Chin is a Chinese-British actress, singer, director, teacher and author. The daughter of Peking opera performer Zhou Xinfang, she was the first Chinese student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She later earned a master's degree at Tufts University. Her stage work includes the title role in the West End production of *The World of Suzie Wong* and a Broadway appearance in *Golden Child*. She appeared in two James Bond films: as Ling in *You Only Live Twice* (1967) and as Madame Wu in *Casino Royale* (2006). Other screen roles include Auntie Lindo in *The Joy Luck Club* (1993), Auntie in *Memoirs of a Geisha* (2005) and Waipo in *Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings* (2021). She was the first acting instructor invited to teach in China after the Cultural Revolution and is known there for portraying Grandmother Jia in the 2010 television series *The Dream of Red Mansions*. Her brother is restaurateur and actor Michael Chow. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, jamesbond.fandom.com.* ## On Fi1m (3) ### Performed in (2) - *Casino Royale* (2006), Fi1m 86, as Madame Wu — [page](https://film.one/film/casino-royale.md) - *You Only Live Twice* (1967), Fi1m 62, as Ling — [page](https://film.one/film/you-only-live-twice.md) ### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited - *The Bridge on the River Kwai* (1957), Fi1m 88, as Tokyo Rose (voice) (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai.md) ## Complete filmography (55) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings* (2021), as Waipo - *Lucky Grandma* (2020), as Grandma - *Abominable* (2019), as Nai Nai (voice) - *The Jade Pendant* (2017), as Madame Pong - *She's Got a Plan* (2016), as Mrs. Roberts - *Now You See Me 2* (2016), as Bu Bu - *We Bare Bears* (2015), series, as Linda (voice) - *A Leading Man* (2014), as Grandma Lu Mei-An - *She Lights Up Well* (2014), as Grandma - *Getting On* (2013), series, as Ruth Lee - *Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* (2013), series, as May's Mother - *Nani* (2012), as Isabel - *The Dream of Red Mansions* (2010), series, as 贾母 - *Year of the Fish* (2007), as Mrs. Su - *Casino Royale* (2006), as Madame Wu — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/casino-royale.md) - *Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior* (2006), as Grandma - *Memoirs of a Geisha* (2005), as Auntie - *The Interpreter* (2005), as Luan - *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), series, as Helen Rubenstein — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md) - *Avatar: The Last Airbender* (2005), series, as Aunt Wu (voice) - *The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer* (2003), as Madame Lu - *Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity* (2002), as Hun Ping Wong - *Strong Medicine* (2000), series, as Jin Jae - *Titan A.E.* (2000), as Old Woman (voice) - *My American Vacation* (1999), as Grandma Lee - *Fantasy Island* (1998), series, as Rita - *Red Corner* (1997), as Chairman Xu - *The Magic Pearl* (1997), as Additional Voices (voice) - *The West Side Waltz* (1995), as Tenant - *Crowfoot* (1995), as Det. Lisa Ishima - *Due South* (1994), series, as Mrs. Lee - *Chicago Hope* (1994), series, as Board Member - *All-American Girl* (1994), series, as Auntie June - *The Joy Luck Club* (1993), as Lindo Jong - *James Bond: The First 21 Years* (1983), as Ling (archive footage) - *Rentadick* (1972), as Madam Greenfly - *The Virgin Soldiers* (1969), as Juicy Lucy - *The Castle of Fu Manchu* (1969), as Lin Tang - *The Blood of Fu Manchu* (1968), as Lin Tang - *You Only Live Twice* (1967), as Ling — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/film/you-only-live-twice.md) - *The Vengeance of Fu Manchu* (1967), as Lin Tang - *Blow-Up* (1966), as Thomas's Receptionist (uncredited) - *The Brides of Fu Manchu* (1966), as Lin Tang - *Invasion* (1965), as Nurse Lim - *The Face of Fu Manchu* (1965), as Lin Tang - *The Troubleshooters* (1965), series, as Esther Ho - *The Cool Mikado* (1963), Acting - *Man of the World* (1962), series, as Souen - *The Defenders* (1961), series, as Parma Gideon - *The Treasure of San Teresa* (1959), as 1st Girl in Fight - *Whicker's World* (1959), series, Acting - *The Inn of the Sixth Happiness* (1958), as Sui-Lan - *Violent Playground* (1958), as Primrose - *The Bridge on the River Kwai* (1957), as Tokyo Rose (voice) (uncredited) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai.md) - *Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst* (1957), as Sampan Woman ## Gallery - ![Tsai Chin](https://film.one/media/person/384850/gallery-6b6e424148d8.jpg) Tsai Chin — Greg2600, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Tsai_Chin_%2840817490063%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Chinese-British actress Tsai Chin in a promotional picture of the 1965 film The Face of Fu Manchu. Distributed by Seven Arts in the US.](https://film.one/media/person/384850/gallery-0d5447e49f85.jpg) Chinese-British actress Tsai Chin in a promotional picture of the 1965 film The Face of Fu Manchu. Distributed by Seven Arts in the US. — Seven Arts Productions - National Screen Service Corp., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Tsai_Chin_%281965_Seven_Arts_publicity_photo%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Tsai Chin](https://film.one/media/person/384850/gallery-99375c341f04.jpg) Tsai Chin — Image via TMDB --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/tsai-chin