For her performance in Under the Skin she was nominated for the 1994 AFI Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama.
[1] Lin began her career in China where from 14 years old she started training for the Chinese Beijing Opera Company as a singer before going to Shanghai and taking up acting with the city's Theatre Academy.
Her first featured role there was in the fifth episode of 1993's anthology TV series Under The Skin.
Soon after she moved away from acting due to the lack of good Asian roles.
She then went on to land a major role in the 2019 American film The Farewell.