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Frédéric Chau
Frédéric Chau
from Wikipedia

Frédéric Chau (born 6 June 1977) is a French actor.

Key Information

Life and career

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Frédéric Chau in 2012

Frédéric Chau was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to parents of the Chinese minority in Cambodia. In 1977, while his mother was pregnant with him, his parents left Phnom Penh for Vietnam in order to escape the Khmer Rouge who were massacring civilians. He was only six months old when his family emigrated to France. They settled in the district of Marx-Dormoy in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, then moved very quickly to the Paris suburbs in Villetaneuse, Seine-Saint-Denis.

After being spotted by a fashion photographer, he briefly worked as a model for the People International advertising agency. Passionate about travel, he was recruited in 1998 by Air France as a steward, while he took comedy classes.

In 2005, Frédéric Chau went on stage and made a name for himself by performing different skits and performing in several stand-up scenes, notably at the Ménilmontant theater. In 2006, wearing his white shirt, his tie and his impeccable suit jacket, he was the only Asian at the Jamel Comedy Club and he enjoyed it: "Not easy to be an Asian comedian if you do not do karate, spring rolls, or you know nothing about computers!"

In 2010 he had a small role in the French/Hollywood production From Paris With Love (2010), starring John Rhys Meyers and John Travolta, as a Chinese maître'd employed by the French-Asian Triads.

In 2014, he played in Serial (Bad) Weddings with Christian Clavier and Chantal Lauby by Philippe de Chauveron. The same year, he played a secondary role in Lucy, Luc Besson's blockbuster, which earned him the title of "Most successful French actor in 2014" by Première magazine, which noted that the accumulation of these two successes allowed him to total nearly 17.5 million ticket sales over the year.[1]

In September 2015, he published an autobiography, Je viens de si loin (I come from so far in English), with Philippe Rey Editions. He reveals much about himself on his journey, the exile of his parents, the life of an immigrant in this country and in this city, and his experiences with assimilation/integration.

In 2019, he starred in a lead role in a film called Made in China (2019).

Filmography

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Feature films

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Year Title Role Director Notes
2008 Crise dans le secteur bancaire Martin Marc Schaus Short film
Osc DisT Fabius Dubois Short film
2009 5 films contre l'homophobie : Fusion Man Marc Xavier Gens & Marius Vale Short film
Eden Is West The Asian Costa-Gavras
District 13: Ultimatum Tran Patrick Alessandrin
Neuilly Yo Mama! Chow-Yung-Fi Gabriel Laferrière
Beverly Hills Chihuahua El Diablo Raja Gosnell French voice
2010 Rien à perdre Jean-Henri Meunier Short film
Coursier Rico Hervé Renoh
From Paris with Love Chinese Maitre d' Pierre Morel
Les Princes de la nuit Patrick Levy
Bacon on the Side Lucien Anne De Petrini
2011 Halal police d'État Mathieu Cohen Rachid Dhibou
Mince alors! Baptiste Charlotte De Turckheim
2013 Rock Paper Scissors (Roche papier ciseaux) Muffin Yan Turgeon Lanouette
Paris à tout prix Mister Chan Reem Kherici
2014 Serial (Bad) Weddings Chao Ling Philippe de Chauveron
Dealer Linux Jean Luc Herbulot
Lucy The Steward Luc Besson
2015 Feuilles de printemps Gregoire Nguyen Stéphane Ly-Cuong Short film
2016 Uchronia The Global Minister of Homelessness and you and me Christophe Gofette
2017 Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Sergeant Neza Luc Besson French voice
2018 Serial (Bad) Weddings 2 Chao Ling Philippe de Chauveron
Made in China François Julien Abraham
2019 The Translators Chen Yao Régis Roinsard

Television

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Year Title Role Director Notes
2008 La Taupe François Shaozu Vincenzo Marano TV movie
Inside Jamel Comedy Club Himself Jamel Debbouze TV series
2009 La Belle Vie Tin Kok Virginie Wagon TV movie
La Taupe 2 François Shaozu Vincenzo Marano TV movie
Les Incroyables Aventures de Fusion Man Marc Xavier Gens TV movie
2013 Les Limiers Dr. Nguyen Alain DesRochers TV series - Episode 1
2015 Nos chers voisins Martin, Karine's ex Guest
2017 Kim Kong Choi Han Sung Stephen Cafiero TV series

Music video

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Year Music Singer
2002 1er Gaou Magic System
2010 Splinters of Soul Chloé Micout
2013 D'un ave Maria Pascal Obispo

Publication

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  • Je viens de si loin, éditions Philippe Rey, 2015.[2]

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia

Frédéric Chau (born 6 June 1977) is a French actor and screenwriter of Cambodian-Chinese descent. Born in Saigon, Vietnam, he relocated to France at six months old with his parents, who fled Cambodia amid the Khmer Rouge regime, and was raised in the Paris suburbs.
Chau rose to prominence through comedic roles portraying Asian characters in mainstream French cinema, notably as Chao in the 2014 blockbuster Serial (Bad) Weddings (Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu?), which achieved record-breaking box office success as France's top-grossing domestic film that year. He reprised the role in its sequels, contributing to the franchise's exploration of interracial family dynamics and cultural integration. Chau has also featured in action-oriented international productions, including Luc Besson's Lucy (2014) and From Paris with Love (2010). His work has positioned him as one of France's most visible actors of Asian heritage, challenging limited representation in European media.

Early Life

Family Origins and Birth

Frédéric Chau was born on 6 June 1977 in Saigon (now ), Vietnam. His parents, ethnic Chinese originating from , had fled the regime in the mid-1970s amid widespread persecution of ethnic minorities and political upheaval. This displacement led them to seek refuge first in , where Chau was born shortly after their arrival. Chau's family background reflects the broader exodus of Sino-Cambodians during the , in which an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people perished between 1975 and 1979, with ethnic Chinese communities disproportionately targeted due to their economic roles and foreign ties. His parents' Chinese heritage traces to communities established in for generations, often as merchants, before the regime's policies forced mass flight. Chau himself holds French citizenship, acquired through his early immigration, underscoring his family's integration into French society despite Southeast Asian roots.

Immigration and Childhood in France

Frédéric Chau was born on June 6, 1977, in , , to parents of Chinese descent originally from 's ethnic Chinese minority. His family had fled amid the regime's atrocities, seeking refuge first in before facing further upheaval. On December 15, 1977, when Chau was approximately six months old, the family immigrated to via a direct flight, arriving as political refugees in the aftermath of the and regional instability. This migration positioned as the family's primary homeland, with Chau possessing French nationality from infancy. Upon arrival, Chau's parents, then in their early thirties, prioritized and for their children, reflecting the sacrifices common among Southeast Asian families resettled in during the late . His father, skilled in import-export and multilingual in Asian languages, and his mother contributed to the household through labor-intensive work, instilling values of gratitude toward as a land of opportunity. Chau has described his parents as having "sacrificed everything" for their children's future, underscoring the causal link between their displacement and the family's integration efforts. During his childhood in , Chau experienced cultural dislocation, later recounting an initial rejection of his Asian heritage amid efforts to assimilate into French society. This period was marked by limited representation of Asian identities in media, contributing to his early identity struggles, though he has emphasized 's role in providing refuge and prospects unavailable in their origins. By adulthood, he reconciled these elements, attributing personal successes partly to the resilience forged in this immigrant context.

Professional Career

Entry into Entertainment

Frédéric Chau initially pursued a career in aviation, joining as a in 1998 while developing an interest in performance. He began formal acting studies at the Théâtre Espace Marais in in 2004, marking his early steps toward professional involvement in . Chau transitioned into around 2005, performing sketches and participating in various comedy scenes. His breakthrough came in 2006 when he was discovered by comedians Kader Aoun and , who invited him to perform at the Jamel Comedy Club on Canal+. This platform, known for launching emerging talents, provided Chau's public debut and established him as one of the first French comedians of Asian descent in the stand-up genre. These early comedy appearances laid the foundation for Chau's entertainment career, shifting him from to on-stage and eventual screen work, with his role following in 2008.

Breakthrough and Major Roles

Chau achieved his breakthrough in 2014 with the role of Chao Ling, the Chinese-French son-in-law in the Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu?, directed by Philippe de Chauveron. The film, which explores tensions in a Catholic with daughters married to men from diverse ethnic backgrounds, grossed over 12.2 million admissions in , marking it as one of the country's top-grossing domestic productions of the year. His performance as the affable yet culturally assertive Chao contributed to the film's commercial dominance and established Chau as a prominent figure in French . That same year, Chau appeared in a supporting role as the cabin manager in Luc Besson's action-thriller Lucy, starring , which further elevated his visibility through its international release and earnings exceeding $469 million worldwide. He reprised the role of Chao Ling in the sequels Qu'est-ce qu'on a encore fait au Bon Dieu? (2019), which amassed nearly 5.9 million admissions in , and Qu'est-ce qu'on a tous fait au Bon Dieu? (2021), reinforcing his association with the franchise's satirical take on and family dynamics. Among his other major roles, Chau starred as , a Franco-Chinese photographer reconciling with his heritage and family, in the 2019 dramedy , which he co-wrote based on his own experiences; the film addressed themes of in Paris's community. He also played Chen Yao in the ensemble thriller Les Traducteurs (2019), a about translating a bestselling , showcasing his versatility beyond .

Writing and Directorial Efforts

Chau co-authored the for the feature film (2019), directed by Julien Abraham, in collaboration with Abraham and Kamel Guemra; the story centers on a French-Chinese photographer reconciling with his estranged family after a decade-long rift. He also starred as the , drawing from personal experiences of cultural duality to inform the narrative's exploration of identity and familial expectations within Paris's community. In addition to screenwriting, Chau made his directorial debut with the Un pas vers elle (2016), for which he also penned the script. The 15-minute work depicts a woman's struggle with parental pressure to marry at age 35, highlighting intergenerational conflicts over tradition and personal autonomy in immigrant families; it was crowdfunded and screened at festivals, reflecting Chau's interest in Asian themes. His writing extends to comedic material, developed over several years with scenarist Kamel Guemra for stand-up routines that address dual cultural identities and everyday absurdities faced by French Asians. These efforts underscore a consistent focus on authentic portrayals of minority experiences, avoiding stereotypes while leveraging humor for , though Chau has not yet directed additional features beyond the short.

Works

Film Roles

Frédéric Chau's entry into feature films occurred with a minor role in Éden à l'Ouest (2009), directed by , marking his first appearance in a theatrical release. He subsequently featured in the action thriller From with Love (2010), a co-production involving American and French talent, alongside . Chau achieved breakthrough recognition portraying Chao Ling, the Chinese son-in-law in the Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu? (2014), which centered on cultural clashes within a French household. He reprised this role in the sequel Qu'est-ce qu'on a encore fait au Bon Dieu? (2018), continuing the narrative of marital and familial tensions. The character returned in the third installment, Qu'est-ce qu'on a tous fait au Bon Dieu? (2021), further exploring themes of integration and prejudice. In parallel, Chau took on supporting parts such as the cabin manager in Luc Besson's science fiction film Lucy (2014). He played Chen Yao in the ensemble thriller Les Traducteurs (2019), involving a group of professionals decoding a literary mystery under duress. Additional credits include Made in China (2019), a comedy addressing business and cultural exchanges, and the historical drama Notre-Dame, la part du feu (2022), depicting the 2019 fire at the cathedral. More recently, he appeared in La forêt de mademoiselle Tang (2023), a film set in wartime contexts.

Television Appearances

Chau's earliest documented television appearance occurred in 2001, featuring in a promotional clip for the music group Magic System on French television. He gained prominence through stand-up performances on Jamel Comedy Club, a Canal+ program showcasing emerging comedians, beginning in 2006 and continuing through multiple seasons until around 2008. These routines often explored themes of immigrant experiences and cultural clashes in France. Transitioning to acting, Chau portrayed François Shaozu in the 2008 TV film La Taupe. In 2009, he played Tin Kok in the TV movie La Belle Vie. His series credits include a guest role as Dr. Nguyen in an episode of Les Limiers (2013), the lead Choi Han Sung in Kim Kong (2017), and appearances in Tank season 2 (2018) and OPJ Pacifique Sud (2019). More recent television work encompasses the mini-series Peur sur le lac (2020), the TV film Je l'aime à mentir (2021), and Notre-Dame, la part du feu (2022), where he played Steph Noyelle. These roles demonstrate Chau's expansion from sketches to dramatic and supporting parts in French television productions.

Other Media Contributions

Chau provided the voice for Benja, the protective father and chief of the Heart clan, in the European French dub of Disney's animated film Raya et le Dernier Dragon, released on March 5, 2021. In radio media, Chau appeared on France Inter's La Bande Originale on June 24, 2019, alongside co-star Medi Sadoun to promote their film Made in China, reflecting on cultural influences from their youths. He discussed his early career trajectory and reconciliation with his Asian heritage on France Info's Le Monde d'Elodie on July 2, 2019, noting how professional opportunities tied to his origins shifted his self-perception. Earlier, on October 1, 2015, he featured on RFI's En sol majeur, highlighting his transition from stand-up comedy at Jamel Comedy Club to roles in films like Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu?. Chau has contributed to podcast discussions on personal and professional topics. In the Welcome Home episode released August 31, 2025, he detailed building a from humble beginnings as an , , and . On La Leçon podcast's episode 97, aired November 27, 2024, he addressed overcoming setbacks with the mindset of having "nothing left to lose." In Banh Mi Média's episode 23 from November 1, 2021, he examined underrepresentation of Asian characters in French humor and cinema.

Publications

Authored Books

Je viens de si loin, published by Éditions Philippe Rey on October 1, 2015, is Frédéric Chau's primary authored , an autobiographical account spanning 224 pages. The narrative begins with the author's family fleeing on April 17, 1975, during the takeover, escaping one of the 20th century's largest massacres that claimed approximately 1.7 to 2 million lives. Chau recounts his parents' and grandparents' exodus, their resettlement in France after his birth in Ho Chi Minh City (then Saigon) in 1977, and his upbringing in a diverse Parisian suburb marked by cultural clashes and identity struggles. The text emphasizes personal resilience amid immigration challenges, without co-authors listed in publisher records. No additional books solely authored by Chau appear in major literary databases or retailer catalogs as of October 2025, distinguishing this 2015 publication as his singular full-length written work. It has garnered reader acclaim, averaging 4.4 stars from 85 Amazon reviews, reflecting appreciation for its candid family history.

Key Themes in Writings

Frédéric Chau's autobiographical book Je viens de si loin, published in 2015, centers on his family's escape from amid the regime, detailing the exodus of his parents from in 1975 and their subsequent resettlement in after brief stays in , where Chau was born on June 6, 1977. The narrative highlights the profound sacrifices of his parents, particularly his mother's resilience in providing a nurturing environment despite economic hardships and cultural dislocation, crediting their perseverance as foundational to his achievements. A recurring theme is the tension of and integration, as Chau recounts the shock of transitioning from an Asian familial structure to French society, grappling with feelings of otherness as a child of Chinese descent in a predominantly non-Asian community. He explores personal adversity, including bouts of depression and experimentation with drugs during , framed against the backdrop of familial and discipline that ultimately fostered his determination to succeed in . Chau's writings underscore themes of familial duty and intergenerational , portraying his parents' migration not merely as but as an act of profound in their children's future, free from entitlement narratives common in some immigrant accounts. This emphasis on self-reliance and origin-driven motivation extends to his broader oeuvre, including the for Made in China (2019), where he examines intra-community dynamics, , and traditions within France's Chinese , challenging through comedic realism.

Advocacy and Public Stances

Opposition to Anti-Asian Racism

In response to the fatal assault on Chinese tailor Zhang Chaolin in on August 7, 2016, which highlighted vulnerabilities faced by the Asian community, Frédéric Chau publicly expressed outrage via on August 15, 2016, criticizing the French state's perceived passivity toward such incidents. He participated in a rally against anti-Asian on September 4, 2016, and produced the awareness video "Sécurité pour tous," featuring actors such as and , which emphasized that "préjugés tuent" (prejudices kill) and was released to support the demonstration. Chau followed up with media engagements to amplify the issue, appearing on France 5's C à vous and i-Télé shortly after the rally, where he recounted his mother's assault near Villetaneuse when he was 15 years old, noting that "vingt-cinq ans après, les choses n’ont pas changé" (twenty-five years later, things have not changed). On September 7, 2016, during his Carte blanche segment on Canal+'s Le Gros Journal, he directly challenged persistent Asian in French society, positioning himself as an reluctant but active voice for the community despite his preference for focusing on his artistic career. Chau continued his advocacy in 2024 by contributing to the documentary Je ne suis pas chinetoque : Histoire du racisme anti-asiatique, directed by Émilie Tran Nguyen, in which he testified about enduring anti-Asian from childhood, including moqueries (mockeries), and admitted to initially rejecting his Vietnamese origins to avoid association with stigmatized . Through these efforts, he has underscored the insidious nature of anti-Asian in , often dismissed as inconsequential humor or overlooked amid broader racial debates.

Views on Family Policy and Identity

Frédéric Chau has advocated for reforms to French family law emphasizing equal parental involvement post-separation. In 2025, he publicly endorsed Proposition de loi n°819, which seeks to establish shared residence (résidence alternée) as the default arrangement when parents disagree on custody, aiming to preserve children's balanced relationships with both parents. This stance aligns with his personal experience in a custody dispute involving his three children, where he reported undergoing three judicial procedures—all denied—prompting him to pause his career to prioritize fatherhood and seek equitable access. Chau's support for such measures reflects a broader emphasis on paternal and child welfare amid separation, contrasting with critiques from groups like L'Amicale du Nid, which argue that mandatory shared custody could endanger children in cases of or parental incapacity. He has highlighted systemic biases in family courts, framing his as a call for fairness rather than privilege, without endorsing universal application over individual assessments. Regarding identity, Chau, born in Saigon in 1977 to parents of Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cambodian descent who fled as refugees, initially rejected his Asian heritage upon arriving in in the late 1970s. He described aspiring to assimilate fully, stating he sought to be "more white than white" to evade and during his in Parisian suburbs. Over time, Chau reconciled with his dual identity, participating in initiatives like the 2018 "Asiatiques de " music video to challenge anti-Asian and promote visibility. He has articulated that embracing both French and Asian facets renders him "intouchable" against discrimination, enabling authentic self-expression in comedy and film. This evolution informs works like (2019), co-scripted by Chau, which depicts a Franco-Chinese protagonist's tied to familial roots and migration. He views mixed positively, as seen in roles portraying interracial families, arguing it equips children with dual perspectives absent rigid cultural silos.

Reception and Impact

Critical and Commercial Successes

Chau's breakthrough came in 2014 with his role as Robert Choi, the Chinese son-in-law, in the comedy Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu? (Serial (Bad) Weddings), directed by Philippe de Chauveron, which drew 12.3 million admissions in and grossed approximately $175 million worldwide, marking it as the second-highest-grossing French of all time at release. His performance contributed to the film's strong audience reception, evidenced by a 4/5 average user rating on from over 9,000 reviews, praised for its humorous take on without descending into overt caricature. That year, Chau's cumulative appearances across multiple box-office hits, including supporting roles in other comedies, resulted in him being the most-viewed French in cinemas, with nearly 17.5 million total admissions. This commercial dominance underscored his appeal in mainstream French humor, though critical reception focused more on the films' populist success than individual accolades for Chau, with outlets noting his ability to subvert Asian through relatable, non-tokenistic portrayals. Subsequent projects like (2019), which he co-wrote and starred in, received mixed reviews but reinforced his commercial viability in ethnic-themed comedies targeting domestic audiences.

Criticisms and Controversies

Chau's portrayal of the Chinese son-in-law Chao in the 2014 film Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu? (Serial Bad Weddings) drew criticism for perpetuating ethnic stereotypes, with reviewers describing the depictions as reductive and bordering on hateful caricatures of Asian family dynamics and accents. The film's humor, which juxtaposed Catholic French parents with interfaith and intercultural marriages, was praised domestically for box-office success but faulted internationally for its politically incorrect elements, limiting distribution in markets sensitive to such portrayals. In January 2020, Chau sparked a public feud by denouncing comedian Nicolas Canteloup's radio sketch, which mocked Asian bystanders during a knife attack in Romans-sur-Isère, as "radicalement raciste" and emblematic of broader anti-Asian tropes in French media. Chau's comments, echoed by actor , ignited debate over the limits of ethnic humor, with Canteloup defending his routine as satirical while facing calls for accountability from Europe 1. His 2019 film , co-written by Chau and exploring a Franco-Chinese , received mixed reviews, with critics like faulting its uneven blend of comedy and drama as failing to coherently address cultural disconnection, resulting in commercial underperformance. In October 2025, Chau publicly criticized French family courts for denying him shared custody of his two children after three legal procedures, attributing the rulings to entrenched gender biases favoring mothers and stating he had paused his acting career to prioritize the fight. He described the system's presumptions as discriminatory against fathers, vowing to continue appealing despite recent losses.

References

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