Julia Chan has silently risen to one of those actors who feel familiar even if her name is not on every marquee each year. Somewhat akin to her Netflix series Ripple, a chance encounter can change the course of someone's life. In the case of Chan, it was her finding a new demographic with Ripple's heartfelt and interconnected storytelling. 

Chan's performance has been emotionally intense, hard-hitting, and charming at the same time. Her subtle but powerful presence has led a lot of fans to not only check out her previous works but also to ask about the actress behind the glitz and glam of the screen. 

From dramatic turns to Netflix's breakout buzz, Chan’s journey is one worth knowing.

Born in 1983, Julia Chan is the third child of a Chinese solicitor father and a Canadian ballerina mother from Cheshire, England. Chan trained as an actress and presenter in the UK. She took her first steps into the world of acting through drama classes at the college. Apart from being a brilliant thespian, her academic career shone equally bright in the limelight. 

Chan shifted to University College London first, and then she went to Harvard University to study for a BA in History of Art and Architecture. Having a taste of theatre at the American Repertory Theater, she frequently acted there and later got an MFA in acting at the New School of Drama in New York in 2010. In terms of her acting career, her filmography is as equally lucrative as it can be.

Best known for her long-standing role as Dr. Maggie Lin in the Canadian medical drama Saving Hope, Chan's calmness throughout five seasons made her a trustworthy lead in television. In addition to that, Chan is recognized as the co-host of The Great Canadian Baking Show and as Pepper Smith in the CW’s Katy Keene.

Chan's appearances on screen ranged across multiple genres and formats, from the horror movie Silent House, the 2011 thriller with Elizabeth Olsento, to guest appearances in Gotham and Schitt's Creek. In 2022, she starred in the Netflix horror series Archive 81, as well as in the movies A Kid Like Jake, Extinct, and more, which skyrocketed her popularity. Most recently recently took up the roles in Brilliant Minds and Ripple, the latter rendering her an even wider streaming visibility.

'Ripple' Season 2 Netflix: Will There Be a Second Season of the Heartfelt, Ensemble Drama?

There is no rainbow without a storm in life, and this also stands true for Julia Chan's new show, Ripple.

Julian Chan breathes life into Kris in Netflix's Ripple, the streaming titan's newest rescue from Hallmark+. Kris goes through a change in both her personal and career life surreally relatable enough to keep the audience glued to the screen through her thought-provoking performance.

In this moving drama series now available on Netflix, people’s lives, depending on the choices they make, get interconnected in a very unexpected way that is sometimes even hard to trace. The eight-episode series is set in New York City, and it characterizes four strangers, Walter, Kris, Nate, and Aria, who, though unknown to each other, have crossed each other's lives countless times before. 

The different hardships like losing a loved one, job changes, and life-turning moments are the causes of the ripple effect that gradually and at last, through small moments, unite them in significant ways. The series portrays, subtly and poetically, the themes of resilience, connection, and hope, as well as the invisible threads that link up the different strangers. And Julia Chan brings heart into the picture.

‘Ripple’ Cast and Where Have You Seen Them Before the Netflix Drama

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