The multi-talented actor and playwright on storytelling, advocacy, and her first major U.S. role in Good Cop/Bad Cop.
Grace Chow is a name that continues to gain momentum in both Australian and international entertainment circles. A multi-award-winning actress, playwright, and theatre-maker, she has established herself as a versatile storyteller, known for her ability to navigate comedy, drama, and experimental performance with equal finesse.
Creative Director, Photographer and MUA : Ruby Darge // Hair: Anmar Sahar
Born and trained in Australia, Chow’s rise has been marked by a series of groundbreaking achievements. She first gained widespread recognition for her role as Constable Cindy Cheung in Mystery Road: Origins, a critically acclaimed prequel to one of Australia’s most revered crime dramas. She further cemented her reputation with her performance as Wendy Hang in The Twelve, a hit courtroom drama starring Sam Neill. Beyond acting, Chow’s talents extend to the world of playwriting, where she was awarded the prestigious Griffin Award in 2022 for The Promise Land, solidifying her place as a formidable creative force.
Chow’s career is defined by its breadth. She has delivered standout performances on some of Australia’s most prominent theatre stages, tackling roles in productions ranging from The Cherry Orchard to OIL and Panawathi Girl. Her work spans opera, musical theatre, and even audio storytelling, showcasing her adaptability as both a performer and a writer. In addition to her artistic achievements, she is a vocal advocate for accessibility and representation in the arts, contributing to discussions on diversity within flagship Australian theatre and screen industries.
Now, Chow is stepping onto the global stage with Good Cop/Bad Cop, her first major U.S. television role. Set to premiere on The CW, the crime-comedy series features Chow as Lily Lim, starring alongside Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Luke Cook, and veteran actor Clancy Brown. The show, a transatlantic production involving The CW, ITV, Roku, and STAN, marks a major milestone in Chow’s career, placing her in front of an international audience.
You’ve built an incredible career across theatre, television, and writing. Was there a specific moment when you knew storytelling—whether as an actor or playwright—was your path?
Thank you. In a way, I think we are all storytellers – just living our own narratives day by day. But yes, professionally, I think this has always been my path and calling – I’ve always felt things strongly and seemingly chased things with full heart and throttle. At the end of high school, I turned down the opportunity to study law in favor of drama school training when I realized that I would feel unfulfilled to never have performed in a professional play. I could never have dreamed then of the expansive career I have now, and yet, I still feel the same as ever – As though I could never quit without having tried it all. Acting and writing sets my soul alight and I intend to continue blazing.
Winning the Griffin Award for “The Promise Land” was a major milestone in your writing career. How does your perspective as a playwright influence the way you approach acting?
Well, for starters, I think it increases my appreciation for the material – just as a sort of admiration from writer to writer. I also think it increases my appreciation for the ‘weird stuff.’ I started off as a writer of narrative and then moved into the experimental space. I’ve recently returned to narrative again, but I really love that I have a broad taste for genres now as an actor – which comes from the fact that I loved experimenting with form as a writer. I’m constantly questioning ‘why’ and what is possible with my own art.
You’ve worked across different mediums—stage, screen, and even audio storytelling. What is it about performing that continues to excite and challenge you?
I think you’ve really summed it up here already. Both those things. That it “continues to excite and challenge [me].” I see life as an exploratory project. I really do want to have as many life experiences as possible before I die. I want to find out what’s possible and what I can do – performing allows me to do just that… conquer fears, be radically vulnerable, live on the extreme, and be the people I’d never thought I’d be. I can inhabit worlds I’d never thought existed… Performing really is so addictive to me. I don’t see a world where I could ever quit this profession. If I do, someone must’ve invented a cure.
Your advocacy for accessibility and inclusion in the arts is well known. What changes do you hope to see in the industry, and how do you see yourself contributing to that shift? How do you see the industry changing, and what progress still needs to be made?”
A more accessible and inclusive arts ecology is certainly more within reach than ten years ago – but there is still a long way to go for all communities of intersectionality – queer, disabled, intercultural, for example. I believe that my contribution is my loud-mouth existence. I work hard to be an ally and an advocate, and I think our existence as people who believe in accessibility and inclusion alone is a form of protest. Belief alone is quite powerful. Actioning that belief is even more so. If you consider yourself one of these people and read this, I’m really happy you’re here. Let’s keep the conversation going – “Jia you!” Which means “add oil” in Mandarin! Aka, “We can do it!”
Stepping into international productions like “Good Cop/Bad Cop” marks an exciting chapter in your career. How was this experience?
I thank my lucky stars every day that John Quaintance wrote such an awesome show… and then I thank the stars again that I was cast. Every day, I rocked up to set and had such a wonderful time with a cast and crew I love dearly. I keep in touch with everyone. That’s always been my way – I try to make real friends with every gig. I think Good Cop/Bad Cop has certainly opened the world of international opportunity to me, and I see it as the beginning of my international career. This is just the start.
Lily Lim is a new kind of role for you. What drew you to her character, and how did you go about making her your own?
Lily is a loose cannon who wears her heart on her sleeve – with a megaphone attached. She’s cute, quirky, and intense, and I think John has done such a great job creating a world full of colorful and lovable characters. One of the first things I did to embody her was to play with her voice. I gave her a high-pitched cadence that was very different from my own. Her voice makes her feel distinct to me. It is distinct from me – So much so that sometimes I watch Lily on screen and forget I’m watching myself.
The show blends crime and comedy in a unique way. What was it like navigating the humor while keeping the stakes of the story grounded?
My character Lily just feels things a hundred percent, so I think living out her truth, whether in the moment funny or serious, was relatively instinctive. It also helps that the cast is all wonderful and that we had brilliant directors to work with. Leighton and Luke do a great job setting the tone as the brother-sister duo we follow, too. But it’s all in the writing! Go, John.
As an actor, how do you approach comedy differently than drama? Did this role push you into any new creative spaces?
Yes! Although I’ve performed quite widely across genres in live performance, I’ve only worked on very dark and moody dramas on television until now. So, I understood screen acting to be about tension and stillness, but of course, for Good Cop/Bad Cop, I just threw that all out the window. Instinct and rhythm are where performing in comedy shines, and Lily is certainly brash and bold.
You star alongside Leighton Meester, Luke Cook, and Clancy Brown. How did working with this cast influence your experience on set?
I could not tell you how much I loved working with this cast – Every single one of the Good Cop/Bad Cop cast members are immeasurably awesome, fun, talented and kind people. And that fun and kindness came top-down. I always felt so free to be creative and valued… Luke would give me piggybacks to location, Clancy and I would sing Frank Sinatra between takes, and Leighton would hang out and chat with everyone – No matter who you were on set. I was lucky to establish genuine bonds with everyone. I think that’s rarer in show business when sometimes a set can feel like a circus rolls into town just as fast as it leaves. I hope we get another season so that we all can be in the same place again. The show deserves it.
With this being your first major U.S. series, what’s next for you? Are there any dream roles—whether in theatre, film, or TV—that you’re hoping to play in the future?
Of course – I have so many dream roles! I actually dream about all the roles I audition for, too. Life is a constant cycle of dreaming for me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d love to be in a fantasy or sci-fi series, especially – maybe even a period drama. I’ve always thought I’d make an excellent Smeagol or Queen or Cyborg… Something really far from the reality I live. After all, isn’t that what acting is all about? Transformation?
