Hong Chau (born June 25, 1979) is a Vietnamese-American actress who gained recognition for her supporting role in the 2017 film Downsizing, in which she played the character Ngoc Lan Tran. For her performance, she was nominated for several supporting-actress awards. Variety wrote in 2022 that Chau had "been prolific in recent years" and that she had "an acclaimed turn" in the TV series Watchmen (2019) and Homecoming (2018–2020).
Before Downsizing, she appeared in the television series Treme (2010–2013) and the film Inherent Vice (2014). In 2018, she had guest star roles in several TV series. In 2019, she played a supporting role in the limited series Watchmen, and had leading roles in the films American Woman and Driveways. In 2020, she had a starring role in the second season of the TV series Homecoming, having had a supporting role in its first season in 2018. In 2022, she appeared in supporting roles in the films Showing Up, The Menu, and The Whale with the latter earning her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Chau was born to Vietnamese parents who lived in a refugee camp in Thailand after fleeing Vietnam in the late 1970s. A Vietnamese Catholic church in New Orleans, Louisiana sponsored Chau and her family to move to the United States. She grew up in New Orleans and studied film at Boston University before pursuing an acting career.
2026
2026
as Nelly Dean
2024
as Dr. Donna Rivera
2024
as Sarah / Sharon / Aka
2023
as Polly
2023
as Jo
2023
as Diane Farr
2023
as Marge
2022
as Liz
2022
as Elsa
2020
as Kathy
2020
as Opal Koboi (uncredited)
2019
as Lady Trieu
2019
as Jenny
2018
as Audrey Temple
2018
as Sarah
2018
as Glow
2017
as Ngoc Lan Tran
2017
as Jackie
2014
as Jade
2014
as Lora
2014
as Pickles Aplenty (voice)
2014
as Angela
2010
as DJ
2010
as Theresa
2007
as Asian Masseuse
2005
as Cook Pu
2005
as Korean Spy (voice)
2003
as FBI Lab Tech Molly Choi
2000
as Julie Blanch