Lori Tan Chinn
Personal details
  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1948-07-07
    • Born Place: Seattle, Washington, USA
  • Also Known As:

    로리 탠 친

Lori Tan Chinn

Lori Tan Chinn is a distinguished American actress and comedian whose career spans over five decades across Broadway, television, and film. Born on July 7, 1948, in Seattle, Washington, she is a self-taught talent who began her journey as a dancer and singer before making a major Broadway debut in 1970 in Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen. She is widely celebrated for her stage work, particularly for her portrayal of Bloody Mary in South Pacific, a role for which she won the prestigious Helen Hayes Award. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Chinn became a staple of the New York acting scene, appearing in notable films like She-Devil, What About Bob?, and Glengarry Glen Ross, and she left a lasting comedic impression as a persistent restaurant owner in the 1999 film Mickey Blue Eyes. In recent years, Chinn experienced a major career resurgence and reached a new generation of fans through her role as the enigmatic Mei Chang in the Netflix hit series Orange Is the New Black. She followed this success with a starring role as the sharp-tongued, beloved grandmother in Comedy Central's Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens. Her filmography also includes providing the voice of Auntie Chen in Disney Pixar’s Turning Red. In early 2026, she joined the ensemble of the psychological thriller Sleepwalker, portraying the character Bai Zhao. In the film, she plays a vital role within the community surrounding Sarah (Hayden Panettiere), offering a performance that blends her signature groundedness with the film’s increasingly surreal atmosphere.

Person History