On May 4, 1992, People Weekly magazine published their “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” issue that ranked a number of beautiful celebrities. Joan Chen was ranked number 32 on the list that year. Thank to 1400 River Road, here is a scan of Chen’s spotlight from that year.
PEOPLE WEEKLY’S 50 MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD – MAY 4, 1992
People Weekly’s list of the 50 most beautiful people is, according to their website, a “celebration of the stars who are redefining beauty, living life on their own terms and inspiring us all along the way.” Michelle Pfeiffer was featured on the first cover of the People Weekly Extra magazine containing this list in summer 1990. For their third issue in May 1992, Jodie Foster, then 29, graced the cover. She fresh from her second Oscar win for Silence of the Lambs.
PEOPLE WEEKLY – JOAN CHEN | PAGE 101
Joan Chen’s feature was found on page 101 of People Weekly’s “50 Most” issue. Here is a transcript of the article:
Here’s how the actress who played Twin Peaks’ fortune-hunting cookie evaluates herself: “I’m OK.” Yeah, right. The Shanghai-born Chen is OK like David Lynch’s TV series was talked about only a little. “I was taught to be modest,” she counters. “I’m more recognized now since that show. I’ve received more offers to play that same kind of character—I just turned down the role of a vampire. But it’s still very hard for me to say anything good about myself, because I’m shy.”
Except, that is, when the camera’s rolling. Her urbane parents, both physicians, were sent to re-education camps during China’s Cultural Revolution, but Chen was nonetheless selected by the state at 14 to train as an actress. Although she “always played a country girl,” she quickly became one of the country’s top box office draws. In 1981, at age 20, Chen was permitted to leave China and ended up a film production major at California State University, Northridge. A part in the 1986 turkey Tai-Pan led to her portrayal of The Last Emperor’s drug-addicted empress. Newly married to second husband Peter Hui, 35, a San Francisco cardiologist, she now splits her time between the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
Chen says that “for an Asian to be successful in this industry is very difficult—there isn’t an empress in every film. But people are coming to me with creative offers.” As well they should. Lynch, who recently finished directing her in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, this summer’s big-screen prequel to his ABC series, says of Chen: “She’s the best thing from China since pasta and much more beautiful.
The People Weekly magazine was published just a few weeks before David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and in Japan on May 16, 1992. At the time, it was still thought that Chen would appear in Lynch’s prequel film to the groundbreaking television series.
The earliest newspaper mention I found about Joan appearing in the film comes from The Leaf Chronicle on Dec. 8, 1991. T.E. from Dallas, Texas asked the news paper about the “Twin Peaks movie.”
Q: Tell us more about the ‘Twin Peaks’ movie. A group of us were huge fans of the series and are looking forward to the movie version.
A: ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” is the title of the ‘Twin Peaks’ theatrical movie currently before the cameras. The action will take place approximately a week before the series began and, yes, Laura Palmer is alive and a central figure. In addition to Sheryl Lee playing Laura, the cast includes Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen, Frank Silva, Ray Wise, Peggy Lipton, James Marshall, DAna [sic] Ashbrook, Michael Ontkean, Everett McGill and Grace Zabriskie from the TV Series.
Similar reports would be found like this in newspapers from December through May 15 when The Miami Herald published a look ahead to summer movies opening on August 28:
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me: Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Peggy Lipton and Joan Chen are among the cast for David Lynch’s return to the infamous town. Lynch wrote it, too. Should be weird. Better be weird – we’ll need it by now.
Imagine the surprise from audiences who discovered Chen’s scenes (and many other actors) were cut from the theatrical release. It would take many years before The Missing Pieces would find their way to Blu-ray when Twin Peaks – The Entire Mystery was released in 2014.
JOAN CHEN BY TONY COSTA
Long-time People Weekly contributor and Los Angeles-based celebrity photographer Tony Costa took Chen’s image for the May 1992 issue. He provided People with stunning photographs for years.
It’s been a joy to watch folks rediscover Joan Chen this past year. You can follow her on Instagram @_joanchen_. Thank you again to 1400 River Road for saving this clipping which is now a part of the living, breathing Twin Peaks archive.
Download a high-resolution copy of the article and Joan Chen’s photo from my Flickr account.
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