Gemma Chan

The Crazy Rich Asians star grew up in London and studied law at Worcester College, Oxford, subsequently landing a plum training contract at the London law firm Slaughter and May. But rather than take it, Chan enrolled at the Drama Centre London, where she was spotted by the film producer Damian Jones. She became a model and actress, working on a range of films from horror to thrillers and to ‘Dr Who’ before the ‘Crazy Rich’ success.

But her legal career has helped her with her acting career, despite the fact that she considers herself someone who would not have made a great lawyer. “On the whole, it is quite a different part of the brain: Law is very analytical, and acting is more instinctive and emotionally driven,” she told Modern Luxury Magazine earlier this year.

“But, it does come in handy with learning lines―and reading my own contract.” She had to learn about 2000 cases by heart . . “so I am fairly good at learning scripts quickly.”

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