Elaine Tan

Elaine Tan is an English actress.

Early life Tan trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School before graduating from the University of Exeter with a degree in Law and completing the Legal Practice Certificate with Distinction.

Career In 2001, Tan was cast in the lead role of Liat by Trevor Nunn in his production of South Pacific at the Royal National Theatre, and sang the song "Happy Talk" as a duet with the character of Bloody Mary, which features on the musical soundtrack recorded at Abbey Road Studios.

In 2006, she was nominated for Best Actress at the ECU European Independent Film Festival.

Her television credits include Nighty Night, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, EastEnders, 'Til Death, Boston Legal, Entourage, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Hawaii Five-0 and Doctor Who. She played Kelli Lin in Person of Interest, was Anne in Hand of God for Amazon, and 'Angeline Borgen' in the Norwegian crime drama Frikjent.

Tan played Lucy Chang in the HBO feature film Starter for 10, Sala Khan in the film Jewtopia, April in Gina Prince-Bythewood's Beyond the Lights, Xandra in Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice, and Elyse in Tully.

In 2023, Tan joined the cast of The Lazarus Project in the role of Zhang. In 2025, she joined the cast of Virdee as Rebecca Armitage.

Filmography

Film Year Film Role 1988 Infantile Disorders Tiny 2002 420 Seconds of Love Holly 2003 Out for a kill Luo Yi 2006 Apartment 406 Angela Proctor 2006 Starter for 10 Lucy Chang 2009 31 North 62 East Mai Li 2012 Departure Date Gorgeous Girl 2012 Mission Chinese Antu 2014 Beyond the Lights April 2014 Inherent Vice Xandra 2018 Tully Elyse 2022 The Hyperions Maya

Television Year Title Role 1988 Playbus 1990 Alfonso Bonzo Second Kid 1992 Uncle Jack Yasmin 2001 Risk Kim 2002–2003 Harry and Cosh Stacey 2003 Trust Jazz singer 2004 EastEnders Receptionist 2004 Nighty Night Gina 2004 Footballers' Wives Candy 2004 Auf Wiedersehen, Pet Waitress 2006 The Bill Shona Dickins 2006 Hollyoaks: In the City Gucci 2006–2007 EastEnders Li Chong 2008 Boston Legal Lisa 2009 'Til Death Julie 2010 Fake It til You Make It Leela 2011 Entourage Tammy 2011 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Shizu Yoshi 2012 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Miss Lotus 2014 Person of Interest Kelli 2014 Hawaii Five-0 Zi Chen 2014 Hand of God Anne 2015–2016 Frikjent Angeline Borgen 2015 Doctor Who Nagata 2015 Grandfathered Heidi 2019 Love, Death & Robots Yan (voice) 2020 Get Even Coach Evans 2022 Moonhaven (TV series) Lone 2022–2023 The Lazarus Project Zhang 2024 Red Eye Shen 2025 Virdee Rebecca Armitage