Line #29 Creator/JamieChung


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jamie_chung_4.jpg]]
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3	Jamie Jilynn Chung (born April 10th 1983 in San Francisco, California) is an American actress and blogger of Korean descent.
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5	Her career began on ''Series/TheRealWorld'', of all things; she was a contestant on the show's fourteenth season, ''The Real World: San Diego'', and also appeared on the 10th season of the SpinOff game show ''Real World[=/=]Road Rules Challenge'', where she emerged as one of the winners. Considering her later professional success, she is regarded by many as having one of the most successful media careers out of ''The Real World'''s alumni. However, it was reportedly tough for Chung to shake her reputation from the show; she claims she left it off her resume in most of her early auditions.
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7	Chung is also one of the most successful Asian-American actors working in Hollywood today, though she too has fallen victim to the MinorityShowGhetto, as evidenced by the DevelopmentHell for the 2012 biopic ''Eden'', which she starred in, and which struggled to find investors due to its absence of a WhiteMaleLead. Regardless, Chung won critical acclaim for her performance in the film.
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9	Early roles included guest spots on ''Series/VeronicaMars'', ''{{Series/ER}}'', ''{{Series/CSINY}}'', ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' and a [[SmallRoleBigImpact small but important role]] on ''Series/DaysOfOurLives''. She got slightly more exposure with notable roles in ''Film/GrownUps'', ''Film/TheHangoverPartII'', ''Film/SuckerPunch'' and ''Film/PrincessProtectionProgram''. ''Film/PremiumRush'' is recognised as her [[StarMakingRole breakout role]].
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11	Chung also has [[SesameStreetCred Disney cred]] for her roles as {{WesternAnimation/Mulan}} on the TV show ''Series/OnceUponATime'', the voice of [=GoGo=] Tomago in ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'' (a role she reprised for the TV adaptation); she additionally played Chelsea Barnes in the aforementioned ''Princess Protection Program'', a Creator/DisneyChannel Original Movie. She also writes for her own fashion blog called ''[[http://whatthechung.com What the Chung?]]''.
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13	She is married to fellow actor Creator/BryanGreenberg, and they have two children. Despite having the same last name, she's not related to Creator/CharletChung.
14	----
15	!! Selected filmography:
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17	* ''Film/INowPronounceYouChuckAndLarry'' (2007) as Hooters Girl
18	* ''Film/AYearAndChange'' (2015) as Pam
19	* ''Series/DaysOfOurLives'' (2007) as Cordy Hann
20	* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'' (2008) as Commander Takara Sato
21	* ''Film/PrincessProtectionProgram'' (2009) as Chelsea Barnes
22	* ''Film/SororityRow'' (2009) as Claire
23	* ''Film/DragonballEvolution'' (2009) as Chi Chi
24	* ''Film/GrownUps'' as Amber Hilliard
25	* ''Film/SuckerPunch'' (2011) as Amber
26	* ''Film/TheHangoverPartII'' (2011) as Lauren
27	** ''Film/TheHangoverPartIII'' (2013)
28	* ''Film/AbductionOfEden'' (2012) as Eden
29	* ''Film/TheManWithTheIronFists'' (2012) as Lady Silk
30	* ''Film/PremiumRush'' (2012) as Nina
31	* ''Series/OnceUponATime'' (2012-2018) as Mulan
32	* ''Film/SinCityADameToKillFor'' (2014) as 'Miho'
33	* ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'' (2014) as [=GoGo=] Tomago (voice)
34	** ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6TheSeries'' (2017-2021) as [=GoGo=] Tomago (voice)
35	** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' (2019) as [=GoGo=] Tomago (voice)
36	* ''Series/{{Believe\|2014}}'' (2014) as Janice Channing
37	* ''Series/ResidentAdvisors'' (2015-present) as Olivia
38	* ''Film/AlreadyTomorrowInHongKong'' (2015) as Ruby Lin
39	* ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' (2016) as Valerie Vale
40	* ''Series/{{The Gifted\|2017}}'' (2017) as Clarice Fong / Blink
41	* ''WesternAnimation/DCShowcaseDeath'' (2019) as Death
42	* ''Series/AwkwafinaIsNoraFromQueens'' (2020-present) as Young Grandma
43	* ''Series/LovecraftCountry'' (2020) as Ji-Ah
44	* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanSoulOfTheDragon'' (2021) as Jade
45	* ''Anime/StarWarsVisions - Akakiri'' (2021) as Misa
46	* ''WesternAnimation/MyDadTheBountyHunter'' (2023) as Vax
47	* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueXRWBYSuperHeroesAndHuntsmen: Part 2'' (2023) as Dinah Lance / Black Canary
48
49	!!Tropes associated with her work:
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51	* ActionGirl: She plays this role a lot, with ''Film/SuckerPunch'' and ''Film/SinCityADameToKillFor'' being probably the biggest examples.
52	* ActorAllusion: In ''Film/PremiumRush'', the romance between the leads is compared to the ''Real World''.
53	* ActorInspiredElement:[[invoked]] She and Creator/SarahBolger picked up on the LesYay between Mulan and Aurora, and read their scenes as if they were lovers. The show then decided to reveal [[spoiler: Mulan was secretly in love with Aurora]].
54	* BigEater: Confesses to being one, saying she'd love to "eat my way through the entire world".
55	* CastingGag:
56	** [[invoked]] She played two characters called Amber in back-to-back films - ''Film/GrownUps'' and ''Film/SuckerPunch''.
57	** In ''Film/AlreadyTomorrowInHongKong'' Josh (Bryan Greenberg) guesses wrongly that Ruby's from San Francisco (actually Los Angeles). Creator/JamieChung really is from San Francisco. Josh also tries to convince her to split up with her fiance for him. Bryan is her actual husband.
58	* DawsonCasting:[[invoked]] In ''Film/AbductionOfEden'', Eden is kidnapped at the age of eighteen. Jamie was in her late twenties, but she also plays Eden across a TimeSkip.
59	* DeadpanSnarker: A couple of her more recent roles seem to have her as this, [=GoGo=] Tomago and Blink being the most notable.
60	* DyeHard:[[invoked]] Has been known to add blonde into her hair.
61	* DyeingForYourArt:[[invoked]] Underwent three months of gruelling workouts, combat and weapons training to prepare for ''Film/SuckerPunch''.
62	* EnforcedMethodActing:[[invoked]] For ''Film/AlreadyTomorrowInHongKong'', she and her husband stayed in separate hotel rooms during production. As they were playing two people who just met, it helped convey the unfamiliarity between them.
63	* TheFashionista: She runs a fashion blog called ''What The Chung?'' - and given her penchant for doing action roles, this technically makes her an ActionFashionista too.
64	* InterchangeableAsianCultures: Despite being Korean, she rarely plays Korean characters. Chi-Chi of ''Film/DragonballEvolution'' is Japanese, Ruby of ''Film/AlreadyTomorrowInHongKong'' is Chinese, and Mulan of ''Series/OnceUponATime'' is from a FantasyCounterpartCulture based on a Chinese ballad. Averted with [=GoGo=] Tomago though - who is Japanese in the comics but becomes Korean to accommodate Jamie.
65	* MagnumOpusDissonance:[[invoked]] Lists ''Film/SuckerPunch'' as her favourite role, calling it a "beautiful movie" and citing the friendships she made with the other girls.
66	* MsFanservice: Many of her roles are designed to show off her beauty; ''Series/LovecraftCountry'' even has her first nude scenes, though they cross over with FanDisservice due to her character's condition.
67	* OldShame:[[invoked]]
68	** Played with when it comes to ''Series/TheRealWorld''. She doesn't regret doing it, and still keeps in touch with her cast mates. But she left it off her resumes and struggled to be taken seriously as an actress for years because of it.
69	** ''Film/INowPronounceYouChuckAndLarry'' is a straighter example, where she had a small role as a FanserviceExtra. She was mortified when her mother called her up after seeing it, and says the only good thing about it is that it got her into the union.
70	* OlderThanTheyLook: She's 40 but could easily pass for being in her late twenties.
71	* TheOtherDarrin:[[invoked]] She replaces Devon Aoki as Miho in the second ''Film/SinCity'' film, due to the latter's pregnancy.
72	* PlayingAgainstType:[[invoked]]
73	** She plays Mulan as a ProudWarriorRaceGirl in ''Once Upon A Time''. Notable because her characterization in the Disney movie is closer to Jamie's usual type.
74	** And as a Woobie forced into sex slavery in ''Film/AbductionOfEden''.
75	* RaceLift: A proxy example. She plays Valerie Vale in ''{{Series/Gotham}}'', who is the aunt of Vicki Vale according to WordOfGod. Vicki is a white woman in the comics. Valerie is single, so she's not a Vale by marriage.
76	* RealLifeWritesThePlot:[[invoked]] Mulan was [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome Brother Chucked]] in Season 3 of ''Once Upon A Time'' due to Jamie being cast in ''Believe''. When the series was cancelled, she returned for a couple of episodes in Season 5.
77	* RealitySubtext:[[invoked]] In ''Film/AbductionOfEden'' she plays a Korean girl who is forced to pretend to be Chinese. She herself has played a lot of Chinese roles, despite being Korean.
78	* RomanceOnTheSet:[[invoked]] She met her husband Bryan Greenberg after working together on two different films. They starred together as the leads in ''Film/AlreadyTomorrowInHongKong''.
79	* SugarWiki/SheReallyCanAct: A few felt that she was miscast as Mulan in ''Once Upon A Time'', given she was best known for AsianAirhead roles and Mulan is a ProudWarriorRaceGirl. Come "Quite A Common Fairy" and [[spoiler: Mulan's confession that she loves Aurora is cut short when the latter announces her pregnancy with Philip]]. In the character's subsequent appearances she also displays a bit more spunk and charisma.
80	* TomHanksSyndrome:[[invoked]] She invoked this with ''Film/AbductionOfEden''. Having done mostly comedies or horror movies, she won critical acclaim for her role in the dark drama about a girl sold into sex trafficking.
81	* TypeCasting: [[invoked]] Early in her career she was stuck as an AsianAirhead. She's now called on to do a lot more ActionGirl roles.
82	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:[[invoked]]
83	** She claims she was turned down for a part in the ''Film/CrazyRichAsians'' adaptation, because producers wanted someone who was Chinese (as she is Korean). She later criticised the casting directors for their hypocrisy when they cast another part with an actor who was half-white. Later, she apologized for her comments after people accused her for attacking Eurasians. [[note]]The actor in question, Henry Golding, who is Malaysian-British and had stayed in Singapore for years, was hurt with the accusation of not being really Asian.[[/note]]
84	** Creator/EmmaStone was the original choice for Amber in ''Film/SuckerPunch''. After she dropped out, Freida Pinto was the second choice.

Context Creator / JamieChung