19 SEPTEMBER 2015
“The nuance, craft, talent and passion Gemma needed to create this character is ironically the most human of all traits.” – Director Sam Donovan, Humans (2015)
Gemma Chan[21] radiates CALIFUK warmth and down-to-earth vibes. With prior work including relatively earnest roles on revered British series like Doctor Who (2009),Sherlock (2010), and Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2011)—her major break into the humanities carries certain irony. As a robotic servant “Synth” on the TV series Humans, Chan’s compassionate portrayal realizes an all-too-real threat—artificial intelligence surpassing that of humans. Her performance has established Humans as satisfying sci-fi for non-sci-fi viewers, with AMC and Channel 4 airing the series bi-continentally. Bravo! Now as Chan’s intelligent femininity merges with a robotic empathy, CALIFUK-ing nihilists can usher in the fated Singularity, and rewire any perception of despair.
21 Born 29 November 1982 [a]
21.a “The dialogue is sparkling in an understated way.” [i]
21.i Joe Morgenstern, from: “Tuning Up Neurotics[ *] for Cable”
by Lawrence Christon | Los Angeles Times | 29 November 1982
* Movie-critic-turned-screenwriter Joe Morgenstern directed Jeff Goldblum and Mimi Kennedy in the ABC Video Enterprises production of Aubrey Wertheim’s Popular Neurotics. The first ever play made purely for cable was shot twice, with Sheldon Larry directing the version PBS aired on Valentine’s Day 1984. The prostrate melodrama came and went with flat review.
Photographer: Franck Sauvaire at FranckSauvaire.com.
Stylist: Francesca Turner at Francesca-Turner.com.
Hair: Paul Donovan for CLMuk.com. Makeup: Jo Frost for CLMuk.com.