Born in Chongqing, Chen lived briefly in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and then went to the United States.
While pursuing her acting career, Chen worked for over a decade as a researcher in the serology and genetics department at the New York Blood Center.
Chen has guest-starred on numerous TV shows and was nominated for an Emmy for her performance in the CBS Playhouse special The Final War of Olly Winter.
[3] Chen has directed plays at various theaters in New York, including Pan Asian Repertory Theatre's production of Fairy Bones, starring Lucy Liu in her stage debut.
She also received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Production of a Musical for, The Rink, starring Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli.