Kerry Berry Brogan

Kerry Berry Brogan
Background information
Chinese name 凯瑞 (simplified)
Pinyin Kǎiruì (Mandarin)
Origin American
Born Newton, Massachusetts, United States
Occupation Actress
Years active 2002–present
Alma mater Bard College

Kerry Berry Brogan is an American actress, presently based in Beijing, China. She has appeared in over 50 films and television series in a wide variety of dramatic, comedic, starring and supporting roles. A fluent Mandarin speaker who began studying the language in high school, Brogan has a bilingual website and a popular Chinese-language blog that logged 840,000 hits in just two days before the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She is also a periodic guest and commentator on Chinese prime-time television shows.

Off screen, Brogan has played an active role in promoting East-West cultural exchange, and has received the Sino-American Friendship Award (2009) and the Goddess Artemis Award (2009). She also served as the “International Green Ambassador” for the Xi'an China International Horticultural Exposition 2011, and has been selected for a number of honorary positions including Film Ambassador for New Zealand’s Film Auckland and Goodwill Ambassador for the Flying Tigers Historical Organization. In addition to her acting work, Brogan is a celebrity spokesperson for Ruyi Art Pavilion in Guangxi and Aoting Cosmetics in Beijing, and frequently hosts and emcees bilingual cultural events, concerts and product launches for Fortune 500 companies.

In 2012, Brogan established Lotus Ray Media to facilitate film and television co-productions between China, New Zealand and the United States.

Early life and education

Born to Irish-American parents from The Bronx, New York, Kerry Berry Brogan grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. She got her first acting role at the age of 11, when she was cast as Alice in a local theatre production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Bitten early by the acting bug, she appeared in a number of local productions in her junior high and high school years.

When she was 16, Brogan spent several months in Beijing studying Mandarin and living with a local Chinese family as part of the Newton-Beijing Jingshan School Exchange Program. She continued her study of Chinese language and culture as an undergraduate at Bard College in Annandale, New York, where she majored in Asian Studies and appeared in operatic productions such as Pelléas et Mélisande and L’Orfeo. In her second year of college, Brogan spent a semester pursuing advanced performance studies in the Acting Department of Beijing’s prestigious Central Academy of Drama. After graduating from Bard College, Brogan returned to China to pursue her acting career full-time. Fluent in Mandarin, Brogan has also studied French and German.

Acting career

Brogan has starred in over 50 films and television series, portraying a diverse range of fictional and real-life characters. Brogan has maintained a steady filming schedule, shooting on location in China and overseas, and often appearing in as many as 10 films and television programs per year.

Memorable film roles include Tricia Nixon in The Master Plan (2011), a film about Nixon’s historic visit to China; American martial arts student Lucy in Shaolin Kongfu (2010); the mermaid Dada in Empires of the Deep (2010); Mary in the Chinese western/action film Unusual Love (2009); Hannah, the troubled, drug-addicted daughter of an American businessman in the dark comedy Gasp (2009 film), and journalist Helen Foster Snow in Heart to Heart, a 2008 feature film produced by August 1 Studios.

Notable television roles include Sister Eileen, a French nurse caught up in the Chinese Civil War in The Good Hero (2011); Helen, the wife of an American pilot in the Flying-Tigers-themed series The Great Rescue (2010); secret agent Laney Pierce in Wilting of a Wildflower (2007); Russian Princess Sophia in the Huayi Brothers-produced Qing Dynasty comedy Royal Tramp (2006-7); and Emma, an American orphan raised by a Chinese family in Storm on the River Song (2007).

Honors and awards

Brogan has been involved with a number of organizations dedicated to cross-cultural understanding, and has been recognized for her contributions to promoting East-West friendship. A 2008 front-page, feature article in the Boston Globe praised Brogan for her role as a "Sino-American cultural ambassador.”[1] In June 2009, Brogan was awarded the Goddess Artemis Award from the Greek Ministry of Culture and the Euro-American Women’s Council (EAWC) for her contributions to international exchange and promoting the role of women in the international market.[2][3] In October 2009, Brogan became the youngest recipient of the Sino-American Friendship Award, given by the U.S.-China Foundation (USCF).[4]

Brogan also holds a number of honorary ambassador titles. In 2010, she was appointed Film Ambassador by Film Auckland, an industry-led organization that markets Auckland as a film production and post-production locale and provides on-the-ground services for international film and television producers.[5] In 2011, the Flying Tigers Historical Organization (FTHO) named Brogan as their Goodwill Ambassador for her assistance in supporting and promoting the Flying Tigers Heritage Park and Museum in Guilin, China. As “International Green Ambassador” for the 2011 International Horticultural Exposition in Xi’an, China, Brogan promoted eco-awareness among college students through a university-outreach program sponsored by the Expo, and helped to launch an environmentally-themed drawing contest for Chinese and international schoolchildren.

Spokesperson and endorsement work

Since 2009, Brogan has been an image spokesperson for Aoting, a Beijing-based company active in promoting women’s health, beauty and lifestyle products and programs. Announcing the choice of Brogan as their celebrity spokesperson, the Chairwoman of Aoting, Yu Xiaoyan, said: “As a leading figure in the global entertainment community, Kerry is the ideal person to represent Aoting's high international standards, improve our brand recognition and raise our profile worldwide.” Brogan is also a cultural ambassador for Ruyi Arts Pavilion, a Guangxi-based company that produces hand-carved wooden sculptures and bloodstone statuary based on historical Buddhist figures and themes in classical Chinese literature.

In addition to her work as a spokesperson, Brogan is also a frequent host and emcee for bilingual events, concerts and product launches for Fortune 500 companies including Hewlett Packard, Volkswagen and Volvo.

Film production and co-production

In 2012, Brogan established Lotus Ray Media to facilitate film and television co-productions between China, New Zealand and the United States.

Filmography

(All films produced and filmed in China unless otherwise noted.)

Year Title Role Director Production Co.
2014 Old Boys: The Way of The Dragon Supporting: Jennifer Xiao Yang
2011 THE MASTER PLAN LEADING: Tricia Nixon Song Jingbo
2011 DEEP SLEEP NO MORE LEADING: Annette Carmelo Musca Australian Film Bureau
2010 SHAOLIN KONGFU LEADING: Lucy Qu Yue Movie Channel
2010 EMPIRES OF THE DEEP LEADING: Dada DIR: Michael French Fontelysee Prod.
2009 UNUSUSAL LOVE LEADING: Mary DIR: Zhang Xin Ningxia Film Studios
2009 GRADUATION DAY LEADING: Sophie DIR: Han Yiyi
2009 LOOKING FOR LEIFENG LEAD: Sophie DIR: Yin Dawei The Movie Channel
2008 GASP LEADING: Hanna DIR: Zheng Zhong Ciwen Productions
2008 GENE MUTATION LEADING: Jenny DIR: Yi Ding
2008 HEART TO HEART LEADING: Helen Snow DIR: He Xiaojiang August 1 Studios
2008 SMILE WRISTLET LEAD: Annie DIR: Pu Jian
2006 SALVATION OF DONGJI ISLAND LEAD: Kelly DIR: Zhang Xin Lisbon Productions
2006 LITTLE QI FRIEND OF THE SEA LEADING: Casey DIR: Qian Xiaohong Shandong Film Studios
2005 BEIJING LOVE STORY LEAD: Katie DIR: Peng Jinsong The Movie Channel
2004 LOTUS RAIN LEAD: Helen DIR: Wang Guoxian Golden Chang Media
2002 MOON OF STONE LEADING: Margaret DIR: Wang Wei Yunnan Film Productions

Television

(All television shows produced and filmed in China unless otherwise notes. All series are 20-40 episode miniseries except for “Rediscovering China,” a documentary series.)

Year Title Role Director Production Co.
2011 THE GOOD HERO LEADING: Sister Eileen DIR: Zhang Guoqing
2011 MA YONG ZHEN LEADING: Lily DIR: Zhang Qiefeng
2010 CIVILIAN KING LEADING: Maria DIR: Zhang Guoli
2010 THE GREAT RESCUE LEADING: Helen DIR: Xie Gong
2009 MARRYING IN, MARRYING OUT LEAD: Jenny DIR: Xu Qiang
2009 WOMEN OF THE NEW 4TH ARMY LEADING: Annie DIR: Ding Hei
2008 AWAY AT SEA LEADING: Madeline DIR: Zhang Xin
2007 WARRIORS OF A NEW EMPIRE LEADING: Katherine DIR: Pu Zhengmin CCTV
2007 HEROES OF THE SEA LEADING: Corazon DIR: Hu Minkai; CCTV
2007 STORM ON THE RIVER SONG LEADING: Emma DIR: Zhang Shao Guang CCTV
2007 WILTING OF A WILDFLOWER LEADING: Laney DIR: Wangjia Shenyang Production Studios
2006–07 ROYAL TRAMP LEADING: Princess Sophia DIR: Yu Min Huayi Brothers/ Wenlin Studios
2006 QI PAO LEADING: Salya DIR: Wangzi
2006 EIGHT BROTHERS LEADING: Ellen DIR: Yang Yazhou Beijing Lianmang Studios
2006 THE 1937 COUP OF XI’AN CAMEO: Agnes Smedley DIR: Ye Dayin Xi’An Production Studios
2006 SWORD STAINED W/ ROYAL BLOOD CAMEO: Rocklyn DIR: Zhao Jian Wenlin Studios
2005 THE PRICE OF PROFIT LEAD: Alex DIR: Bate’er CCTV
2005 MR. LI, MR. GOOD LEADING: Aimei DIR: Wang Xiaomin BTV-4
2005 MOON ON THE DIANCHI RIVER LEAD: Isabella DIR: Chen Xie CCTV-1
2005 DR. NORMAN BETHUNE LEADING: Sister Herr DIR: Yang Yang CCTV
2005 REDACTION HERO TIGER COURAGE LEADING: Mary DIR: Yu Liqing
2004 SANDA FIGHTING KING LEADING: Jenny DIR: Hu Linjiao CCTV
2004 THE WIND BLOWS, THE SKIES PART LEADING: Jenny DIR: Liu Xingang Xinboayuan Movie & T.V.
2004 MOON OVER SHANGHAI LEADING: Marlene DIR: Chen Jie, Wang Yongchun CCTV
2004 JADE OF BLOOD LEAD: Lucy DIR: Li Jiaqi Hairun Online Productions
2003 ODE TO YAN’AN CAMEO: Helen Snow DIR: Song Yeming CCTV-1
2003 THE PEKING INCIDENT LEAD: Anni the Spy DIR: Qian Xiaohong Shandong T.V. Station
2003 THE ANTAGONIST LEADING: Lisa DIR: Zhong Shujia Eastern Art Studios
2002 WHEN WE WERE STILL YOUNG LEADING: Helen DIR: Shi Xuehai Yunnan Film Productions
2002 AN UNEXPECTED FATE (2 episodes) LEAD: Nisha DIR: Sun Yashu CCTV
2002 REDISCOVERING CHINA HOST/REPORTER CCTV-4/9 International Channel
2002 MEETING OF THE CENTURY LEADING: Nachars DIR: Wang Wenjie CCTV-1

Stage

(All theatre performed in the United States unless otherwise noted.)

YEAR TITLE ROLE DIRECTOR
2003 SUBURBAN MOTEL LEAD: Lily Cape DIR: Skott Taylor Beijing, China
2000 L’ORFEO (Monteverdi Opera) PRINCIPAL DIR: Jeff Sichel
1998 PELLEAS & MELISANDA (Opera) PRINCIPAL DIR: Jeff Sichel
1997 HARD TIMES LEAD: Sissy Jupe DIR: James Honeyman
1996 HAMLET SUPPORTING “Shakespeare & Company”
1996 THE GOOD DOCTOR LEAD: Schizophrenic DIR: James Honeyman
1995 AS YOU LIKE IT SUPPORTING “Shakespeare & Company”
1994 STATE OF THE ADOLESCENT LEADING: Lucy DIR: M. Levy-Spouronnis
1992 ALICE IN WONDERLAND LEAD: Alice DIR: Sashi Kempfmann

References

External links


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