Regina Ting Chen on Asian American representation and Stranger Things 4

by Nicole Abriam || interview originally conducted on Jul. 16, 2022

The students of Hawkins High School are struck with fear as Vecna stalks the small town of Hawkins, Indiana for his next victim. Particularly the students under the care of Ms. Kelley, the new counselor, as Max Mayfield discovers a pattern amidst the horrific and tragic deaths of Hawkin’s students. 

As the new season unfolds, fans of "Stranger Things" become suspicious of Ms. Kelley, marking her as the target for conspiracy theorists on her connection with Vecna— such as the recurring motif of clocks like the one Ms. Kelly wears around her neck. As a sci-fi nerd, Regina Ting Chen is into it: “What an honor to be part of a huge, huge juicy theory!”

Regina Ting Chen is a Chinese-American actress who plays the new and recurring Ms. Kelley on the latest season of "Stranger Things." Other than playing the caring yet conspiracy-magnet high school counselor, Chen has also appeared in "Spiderman: No Way Home," "Black Lightning," and "Queen of the South," among others. Chen, who has always been a huge "Stranger Things" fan, described the opportunity to play Ms. Kelley as a dream come true. 

“The fact that I booked it and got to be on set, even now that it’s all out, I’m still kind of like ‘is this real life?’” Chen told me via Zoom. “There have been many Asian actors here and there, but I feel like I’m the first prominent character within the storyline. I feel very honored that I get to represent that.” 

The Stranger Things series has received some backlash for its issues of diversity, pointing out the tokenism of having Lucas (played by Caleb McLaughlin), the only African-American character, as part of the ensemble. 

“I understand the choices [the Duffer brothers] made for the story that they have,” Chen answered when I asked how the show could improve their diversity, referencing the historical factor of the show's setting in suburban Indiana in the 1980s. “But I also think that, as they continue with spin-offs and whatnot, to expand the diversity with just the type of love they receive from literally everyone from any background. [...] The thought of diversifying and reaching more on a deeper level will just make [the show] that much more epic, that much more moving.” 

Chen has been on the screen for nearly eight years, and as her career progresses, adding "Stranger Things" to her filmography on the way, she hopes to find larger roles in more diverse projects. “It's funny—I don't play a lot of super stereotypical roles because of my physique. I'm tall and broad-shouldered and I have a deep voice. All these shows and things are a visual medium. So that's super important, how you look. But I've had to fight it.” 

Born in Hawaii and raised in Texas, Chen moved to Atlanta to pursue her career and started off playing roles in independent films between Atlanta and Houston. “Girl, I remember in Texas I was submitting myself to every indie project there was, [from] the smallest role to the biggest role and then just ‘no,’ ‘no,’ ‘no,’ left and right. I just don't think we could ever see it. [My look] doesn't fit what they're used to seeing in society. But I just need people to take a chance and be like: you know what, her look doesn't totally fit what I'm envisioning. Or if they're open-minded: let's see what she could do.”