Bio

Lyman Chen was born in Newark, Delaware. Lyman’s love for television and film began as a child. Lyman was a first generation Chinese American who only began learning English in grade school. Having a difficult time fitting in, Lyman was determined to overcome his accent and fit in culturally. Television and movies became Lyman’s escape from reality. It was through this medium that gave Lyman the tutelage, as well as the cultural experience to truly understand the American experience.  

However, Lyman’s career as an actor did not take shape until Lyman’s adult life. Lyman had graduated from The University of Delaware with a degree in Finance. He worked on Wall Street with J.P. Morgan and ultimately left to open several successful RE/MAX real estate offices in his home in Delaware.  

Even with his success in business, Lyman was constantly wanting to pursue an acting career. With the sudden death of Lyman’s friend in 2001, Lyman decided to not have any regrets in life and live it to the fullest. Lyman enrolled in his first acting class in Philadelphia. He was immediately asked to audition for a role. It became very evident that a 6-foot, 225 pound Chinese man with no accent, but multi-lingual was a rare commodity and highly marketable, especially in Philadelphia. Lyman booked the job.  

Lyman’s acting career continued to blossom and quickly became a New York based actor. After several national commercials, Lyman’s big break in film came when he was cast as Jack Nicholson’s Interpreter in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award winning film, The Departed. From the success of the film came additional film projects such as M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening, Luke Wilson’s Tenure, and Made For Each Other starring Chris and Danny Masterson. Most recently, Lyman has amassed several notable television co-star roles in both New York and Los Angeles. These include NBC’s Mercy, ABC’s Eastwick, and CBS’s Three Rivers.  

Lyman is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.