What The Cast Of The Joy Luck Club Looks Like Now

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In 1993, women of all backgrounds flocked to theaters to watch "The Joy Luck Club." Based on the bestselling novel by Amy Tan, the groundbreaking film follows the stories of eight women: four mothers who left China under difficult circumstances during World War II, and their American-born daughters who struggle to understand and relate to them. Although some aspects of the film are specific to the culture and era, the themes are universal, and the mother-daughter stories and reunions are guaranteed to make you cry. "Anyone with parents or children, which is to say, everyone, will identify with the way that the hopes of one generation can become both the restraints and the inspirations of the next," wrote noted film critic Roger Ebert. He also applauded the film's Asian cast and themes: "'The Joy Luck Club' is like a flowering of talent that has been waiting so long to be celebrated." What does that talent look like now?

More than just another acting job for the stars, "The Joy Luck Club" has made lifelong friends out of the women who played the younger generation. Speaking to the "Today" show for the movie's 30th anniversary in 2025, the actors laughed about their frequent group chat sessions and slammed the film's total snubbing at Oscar time: "It was not even nominated for a screenplay," noted Ming-Na Wen, who played June. "It has to be addressed."

Still, the film paved the way for greater inclusion of Asian professionals and stories in mainstream media. Rosalind Chao (who played Rose) mused in the aforementioned interview, "That's my dream for us: that we break into the tapestry, that we're not considered 'exotic' anymore." Here's a look at what these accomplished actors are up to now. (And if you've never read anything by Amy Tan, this book is the one you should start with.)

One of the central characters of "The Joy Luck Club" is June Woo, whose mother abandoned her infant twin sisters in China in a heartbreaking act of desperation. Ming-Na Wen's performance launched what has become a long and highly successful career. Notably, she voiced the beloved title character in Disney's animated "Mulan" and its sequel. She called the heroine "one of my absolute favorite characters that I've ever played" in an Instagram post.

Wen's other notable credits include a nine-year run on "ER" as Dr. Jing-Mei Chen, seven years on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." as Melinda May, and the character Fennec Shand in "The Mandalorian" and other "Star Wars" series. In July 2026, it was finally announced that Wen would be receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Married and a mom of two, Wen proudly collects figures and artwork of all the roles she's played. When she's not performing, the versatile Pittsburgh native loves to cook; her parents owned a Chinese restaurant in their home city and taught her how to prepare both traditional and Americanized dishes. As a tribute to them, Wen penned a cookbook, "Have You Eaten Yet?: Family Recipes from a Restaurant Daughter," scheduled to release in October 2026.

Rosalind Chao had already been working for more than two decades when she was cast as Rose Hsu Gordon, the meek daughter caught in a troubled marriage. TV viewers knew her best as part of the cast of "M*A*S*H" and "AfterMASH"; she played Soon-Lee, the Korean wife of Max Klinger. Considering roughly 125 million people watched the finale of "M*A*S*H," Chao was likely the most familiar face in "The Joy Luck Club" to Western audiences. "Star Trek" fans also remember her fondly as Keiko Ishikawa O'Brien in the "Next Generation" and "Deep Space Nine" series.

Chao's numerous credits since "The Joy Luck Club" include appearances on "Six Feet Under," "Better Things," and "3 Body Problem." The married mom of two also has the distinction of joining Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan in both "Freaky Friday" and the sequel "Freakier Friday." 

Like many of the characters in "Joy Luck," Chao's parents came to America during the early years of World War II, when the Japanese army brutally attacked portions of China. In 2007, Chao appeared in "Nanking," a film chronicling the events. She told a reporter at the Sundance Film Festival (per YouTube), "I grew up with Chinese parents, and I learned nothing about it. Nothing. They used to say, 'Well, you know, during the Japanese invasion we went underground,' and that was it. They didn't really want to discuss it very much."

Lauren Tom had small supporting roles before playing Lena St. Clair, whose husband out-earns her but still expects her to pay an equal share of expenses. Today, fans know her for more than "The Joy Luck Club," including such standouts as Ross' girlfriend Julie in "Friends," Linda Tran in "Supernatural," and Celia Mack in the Disney Channel's "Andi Mack." Tom is also a seasoned voice actor whose most well-known characters include Amy Wong on "Futurama," Connie Souphanousinphone and her mother, Minh, in "King of the Hill," and Jinx and Gizmo in the "Teen Titans" cartoons. 

Offscreen, Tom revealed a personal crisis in July 2026. She's a mother of two, and her adult daughter, Ellie, is being treated for osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Sharing images of her child on Instagram, Tom asked her friends and fans for support and thanked Ellie's medical team at Cedars-Sinai "for their ongoing boundless support, love, and care." Among the friends who reached out were two of her "Joy Luck" sisters. "Praying for Ellie and keeping all of your family in our thoughts and prayers, sis!" Ming-Na Wen wrote, adding, "Love you!" Tamlyn Tomita kept it short with a long string of heart emojis.

Tamlyn Tomita played Waverly Jong, a former child chess prodigy who seeks her mother's approval for her engagement to a white man. In real life, Tomita is proud of her home culture: Born in Okinawa, Japan, and raised in L.A., Tomita learned as a child that her father was one of hundreds of thousands of Japanese Americans interned in California during World War II. 

The UCLA grad's first screen role was as Kumiko in "The Karate Kid II," a role she reprised years later in "Cobra Kai." She agreed to return on the condition that she be allowed to translate the Japanese dialogue to reflect the Okinawan dialect, as well as bring authentic regional objects for set decoration. "It was that important to me to bring three pieces of luggage with Okinawan artifacts and art that could color the world and the sets that I was on, to reflect what it means to be Okinawan," Tomita told The Los Angeles Times. The series also reunited her with her good friend, Ralph Macchio.

Tomita has had a long string of credits after "The Joy Luck Club," including "JAG," "The Good Doctor," "The Day After Tomorrow," and "Chicago Med." She's also one of the many celebrities you forgot appeared on "General Hospital," having played Giselle in six episodes. When not filming, Tomita actively supports local theater groups and projects that amplify the wartime experience of Japanese Americans. She and her husband, Daniel Blinkoff, also founded the Outside In Theatre performing arts space in 2021.

Proving talent is ageless, the actors who played the mothers in "The Joy Luck Club" are still very much active. Tsai Chin (seen above on the left), who played Waverly's mom, Lindo Jong, is a graduate of London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Her notable credits include "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Five Rings" and the title role in "Lucky Grandma."

Vietnamese-born Kieu Chinh (above on the right) played Suyuan Woo, the mother forced to make an unbearable choice. She, too, has barely stopped working over the years, with appearances in multiple shows including "Touched By an Angel," "Chicago Hope," and, most recently, Apple TV's "Dope Thief." 

Then there is France Nuyen. Even before joining "The Joy Luck Club" as Ying-Ying St. Clair, Nuyen was famous for playing Liat in the classic film musical "South Pacific." She also played Dr. Kiem in "St. Elsewhere" and made appearances in the original "Star Trek" and "Charlie's Angels." The French-born actor also has an advanced degree in clinical psychology and has counseled veterans, prison inmates, and abused children.

Monica Schipper/Getty

China-born Lisa Lu, seen above, starred in "The Joy Luck Club" as An-Mei Hsu, who helps her daughter Rose stand up for herself in a way her own mother couldn't. Lu's incredible career spans six-plus decades, from the early days of TV to her memorable performances in "The Last Emperor" and "Crazy Rich Asians." In 2025, Lu, then 99, became the oldest person to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In a statement (per Variety), Lu explained that she turned down the honor several times over the year before finally accepting it. "I am deeply honored to stand in support of the next generation of rising Asian actors, whose paths I hope will shine even brighter," she said.