Gemma Chan on transformation, courage and the role that changed everything

Gemma Chan has built a career of remarkable range. From the stoic immortality of Marvel’s superhero canon to the otherworldly elegance of an alien sorceress, from the sharp edged glamour of Astrid Leong Teo in Crazy Rich Asians to roles that demand something far more vulnerable, she moves between worlds with a particular grace. This year, however, the roles she has accepted require a different order of courage altogether.

For her appearance on PORTER’s November cover, Chan sits down over afternoon tea in London with writer Natasha Bird to discuss the emotional labour of her recent work, most notably the film Josephine. The conversation moves beyond the surface of celebrity to explore what it means to shed protective layers, to allow a character’s interior life to reshape you from within. “I almost had to shed a layer of skin for this role,” Chan reflects. “I really felt that Beth was trying to do something that no one had done in this way before.”

The interview traces how an actor approaches transformation when the work demands genuine reckoning rather than performance alone. Chan speaks to the significance of these films for women everywhere, to the roles that matter because they ask something true of their makers. Photographer Chiesa Fortunesmith captures her with a directness that matches the substance of the conversation, while stylist Elizabeth Fraser Bell dresses her in pieces that feel both contemporary and timeless, allowing the focus to remain on the intelligence and openness in her expression.

The full cover story, including the complete interview and imagery, is now available on PORTER. For those drawn to the intersection of cinema, character and the quiet bravery required of actors who choose roles that challenge not just their craft but their understanding of themselves, this is essential reading.

Imagery courtesy of PORTER (@netaporter).