Member Spotlight: Lyman Chen

"I met Lyman Chen over 12 years ago while shooting his very first national commercial for Campbell’s Chunky Chili," said SAG-AFTRA Philadelphia Vice President, Actor/Performer Brooke Mills. "It didn’t take me long to realize that he was one of the good ones, the kind of guy you want to stay friends with long after the production is wrapped. I saw his passion and drive for success and it was infectious."

Lyman is a proud graduate of the University of Delaware with a degree in finance. He worked on Wall Street with J.P. Morgan and left to open several RE/MAX Realty offices in his home state of Delaware. He is also the owner of Berri Yummi Frozen Yogurt, which is no surprise to those who know Lyman — he is definitely a foodie! 

Lyman caught the acting bug when he joined an acting class at Mike Lemon Casting in 2002. He was hooked! He started like so many of us, as a background actor, which he says taught him everything he needed to know. He not only learned “the business” but, most importantly, he learned quickly that the best thing he could do was treat everyone on set, from the PA to the director, with the same respect. “Like family,” he said, “Everyone wants to be valued.”

Lyman continued to build his resume and quickly started to pound the pavement in New York City. His big break came when he was cast as Jack Nicholson’s interpreter in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning film, The Departed. That impressive credit under his belt pushed Lyman’s career into full speed. Many film credits followed, including M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening, Luke Wilson’s Tenure, Made for Each Other starring Chris and Danny Masterson, and Creed starring Sylvester Stallone. Most recently, Lyman added many television credits like Mr. Robot, The Blacklist, Rush Hour and The Messengers. Not bad for a first-generation Chinese-American who began learning English in grade school.

"I am very proud of all of Lyman’s accomplishments," said Mills. "But, most importantly, I am proud to call Lyman Chen a great friend who truly deserves all of the success that comes his way."