LAMAMIMET

Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on 15 July 1934 to Chinese parents, Chan left school at sixteen to study ballet at Elmhurst Ballet School in England and later enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dance. She left formal training to join the West End as a principal dancer, appearing in productions such as The King and I.

Chan’s breakthrough came when she took over the lead role of Suzie Wong in the stage version of The World of Suzie Wong in 1960, after originally playing a smaller part. She reprised the role in the 1960 film and on an Australian tour in 1961, earning praise for her dignified performance. Her association with photographer Antony Armstrong‑Jones, a friend and early boyfriend, brought her additional public attention during the royal engagement of Princess Margaret.

Beyond the stage, Chan appeared regularly on British television, with credits that included Dixon of Dock Green, The Saint and The Main Chance, and she featured in films such as Cleopatra and Krakatoa: East of Java. In 1960 she released a single, "But No One Knows," and contributed a spoken Mandarin interlude to the 1967 hit "Kites" by Simon Dupree and the Big Sound.

Jacqueline Chan died on 19 May 2026 at the age of 91, leaving a legacy as a pioneering Chinese‑Trinidadian performer who helped broaden representation of Asian actors in Western theatre and screen.